Seattle restaurant owner cries after minimum wage hike forces her to close

A small business owner in Seattle, Washington, says she “cried every day” about her restaurant closing due to the new minimum wage increase to more than $20 an hour.

The city controlled by the Democrats law The minimum wage increase from $19.97 to $20.76 took effect on the first day of 2025, Breitbart News reported.

For this reason, Bebop Waffle Shop had to permanently close its doors on Monday after 10 years, owner Corina Luckenbach told FOX13:

“It was my dream. Owning my own cafe, running it the way I want and really being of service to people,” she said in an interview, later adding that she “cried every day” about it.

According to Luckenbach, his breakfast restaurant was already struggling due to inflation and declining foot traffic, and the new minimum wage requirements would have cost him $32,000 more each year.

“It doesn’t make financial sense anymore,” she told the local station.

Seattle’s minimum wage – which is $4 higher than the rest of the state – applies to both small and large businesses.

Bebop Waffle, named after its owner’s pet dog, was a “safe space” for community members, Luckenbach said, adding that the “hardest thing” about closing was taking that place away from people.

“The stories about what it meant for people to come in and feel safe and feel welcomed — I just didn’t know,” she said emotionally.

Restaurant closings in Seattle will increase five to eight percent this year due to rising labor costs, the Washington Hospitality Association predicted.

“It’s just not sustainable,” says Anthony Anton, the association’s president and CEO. said THE Seattle Times.