Voters are already deciding this. Washington DC passed Initiative 82 in 2022 to phase out the tipped wage, and California never had one: the state requires the full minimum wage before tips, and its restaurant industry did not collapse. Ballotpedia). The evidence from states without a tip credit is that menu prices adjust modestly, employment holds, and workers get stability. The $2.13 wage is a relic from 1991 that forces workers to beg for the rest of their pay. Seven states already prove the alternative works. The question is not whether restaurants can survive paying a real wage. They do, in a third of the country, right now.
1 comment