Just the tip.

[Miriel]

Tipped employees get paid at least minimum wage in California and we have tons and tons of non giant corporate chains. One of our biggest fast food chains in California is actually family owned and pays their employees (even part time employees) several dollars ABOVE state mandated minimum wage, as well as provides health care.

The key words here are 'one of our biggest' and 'fast food'. Of course one of your biggest chains can afford to pay their employees that wage, but what about one of your smallest? Should they cease to exist simply because they aren't a big company?

Also, as I understand it, fast food has the same standards for paying their employees as everyone else. I have never heard of someone working in fast food who was paid less than minimum wage. I've also never heard of someone in fast food receiving tips.

We're talking about locally owned sit down restaurants. Not corporate chains, big or small. I find it very interesting that Californian restaurants are able to sustain themselves and pay their servers minimum wage, however I also have to wonder how many of those businesses wouldn't have gone under when the recession hit if they had the option of paying their employees less. I also have to wonder how many employees at these restaurants lost their job and haven't been employed since.

I only mentioned that this is a fast food company is because fast food companies are notoriously troutty with their employees. While In-N-Out is widely recognized as treating their employees extremely well.

And it wasn't always as big as it is today, they were based strictly in southern California because they didn't want to freeze any of their products to ship. It's a great example of a small family run business (it's still family run today) that succeeded and was able to become a powerhouse in a super competitive fast food market while maintaing the quality of their food, satisfying customers, and keeping employees happy.

The point being, a company can become really successful and expand while paying their employees a living wage.

I find it very interesting that Californian restaurants are able to sustain themselves and pay their servers minimum wage, however I also have to wonder how many of those businesses wouldn't have gone under when the recession hit if they had the option of paying their employees less. I also have to wonder how many employees at these restaurants lost their job and haven't been employed since.

Paying everyone better wages isn't necessarily a good idea if it means less people have the opportunity to work.

Whaaa? I am absolutely surrounded by local non-chain restaurants. More pop up all the time. They're doing fine. I literally have a list of like 100 restaurants in the area that I've been meaning to eat at (hello, Yelp bookmarks!). Yes, restaurants go out of business but there's a lot of factors why, not just paying that extra couple dollars per hour per server.

And yet the tipping culture in California is still prevalent. I once had a server actually TELL me to please tip well. I wanted to punch him in the face.

It doesn't make sense for people in other states to have to subsidize people's wages based on how generous they're feeling. And it doesn't make sense for me to tip people here in California where they're already being paid for their work. Super good service, yeah, I get it. You want to say thank you and you add a few more bucks. But what's with the idea that I have to pay like 15% extra even if the server did nothing but perform their job adequately?