The bold legislation, which supporters hope to see replicated nationwide, has been characterised by opposing sides in stark phrases. To backers, it’s a step towards honest compensation for low-wage staff who confronted important danger in the course of the pandemic. To opponents, it’s a cataclysmic transfer that can increase meals costs, result in job losses and pressure some franchisees to think about closing.

“Folks don’t perceive that when wages rise, so do the costs,” Mr. Bynum stated.

Mr. Bynum has, in recent times, raised costs to attempt to preserve revenue margins — and every time, he stated, he has seen a drop in prospects. That, in flip, compelled painful choices about chopping staffing and trimming hours.

The brand new minimal wage will add $3,000 to $4,000 to his month-to-month bills, he stated, and whereas he hopes to maintain all eight of his staff, he doesn’t know if he could make the numbers add up.

One worker, Josue Reyes, has labored on the restaurant on and off over the previous decade.

He works the night shift, typically taking the bus after which using his hybrid bike the remainder of the best way to the restaurant. Mr. Reyes, 35, stated the constant pay raises via the years — he now makes $16 an hour — had helped him considerably. He places a lot of his paycheck towards helping his mom pay the hire at their trailer park and tries to avoid wasting the place he can.

Whereas one other pay enhance will assist him, Mr. Reyes, who has labored in quick meals for a lot of his life, stated he feared that earlier than lengthy, jobs would turn into extra aggressive and tougher to maintain.