With the help of Kshama Sawant, a group of Seattle baristas are holding Cherry Street Coffee House hostage.
Cherry Street Coffee House owner Ali Ghambari sees the writing on the wall. He was one of many business owners to recently speak at a Seattle City Council meeting. They’re asking for a legislative fix as they cannot afford the roughly $3 more an hour, per employee, to meet the $20+ minimum wage in 2025.
Each and every barista should be immediately terminated and replaced with a Keurig. That will likely happen, anyway, if this minimum wage tip credit goes away.In typical Seattle fashion, activists and baristas at Cherry Street Coffee House seem to think they are fighting a noble revolution by shutting down a coffee shop.
For staff who work in the industry, you’d think they’d have a better understanding of how businesses like these operate. This mob-style approach to labor relations isn’t going to save anyone’s job; it’s only going to kill off more small businesses.The irony, of course, is that the Seattle baristas’ tantrum forced a temporary store closure, proving Ghambari’s point.
At best, these employees get their wage hikes but suffer from lower tips and fewer customers as a result of menu hikes. As troublesome, these kinds of untenable hikes stop businesses from expanding. Instead of opening another café, giving a dozen more locals valuable training and work experience, the money goes back into preexisting locations.
It’s telling that they’ve chosen to attack Ghambari personally, even alleging inappropriate behavior to paint him as the villain. Yet, this is the same man who, despite financial pressures, is still offering wage increases and bonuses as a way to at least placate some of the concerns. But he should have known that giving in to some of the baristas’ demands wouldn’t be enough. He’s dealing with Seattle activists: you either give them everything they want, or they will destroy you.