Michigan raises minimum wage, one business says it’s not enough

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – Servers and people working for minimum wage are having a great start to the new year as michigan has raised its minimum wage to $10.10 cents per hour.

The raise didn’t leave out food servers as their hourly wage increased to $3.84 an hour. One restaurant owner thinks that even with the increase that’s still not enough

“The rise of inflation, rent, housing, all the things out there really affect the way people can live. And at that rate it’s just not staying up to date with what is happening with the inflation,” said the owner of Veg Head Kari Magee.

Kari Magee is the chef and owner of Veg Head. A restaurant in downtown Lansing that serves American classics that are completely vegan.

“Our motto, there is no harm in good food. So that means we are dairy free, egg free, meat free so all those free,” she said.

She says she knows how little the food industry can pay so she starts her workers off at $12 an hour.

“We start them out above minimum wage and we also use tip polling so every time people tip it goes right to their paychecks.”

Magee says she knows that payroll is a concern for most local businesses but workers deserve to be able to live.

“We wanted to provide a livable wage for our employees so that they could A, live and B, would be happy employees cause happy employees make happy food,” said Magee.

Now, with the minimum wage being changed in Michigan the state now ranks 29th in the country for the highest minimum wage.