Greater than a yr into its experiment, the town — the place meals service, together with a various assortment of impartial eating places, is the third-largest sector of the native financial system — continues to be torn. Trupti Patel, a server, stated she obtained dying threats for vocally supporting the top of the tipped minimal wage, and continues to be harassed. One other server who voted for the change, Britt Lucas, stated that even immediately, she’s not talking to some individuals as a result of they disagree on the difficulty.

It’s nonetheless unclear precisely how the restaurant enterprise will fare as the town slowly raises the tipped wage to match the usual minimal wage by 2027. However after interviewing greater than 25 homeowners, cooks, staff and diners, we will supply some takeaways on how the coverage, referred to as Initiative 82, is understanding thus far:

The eating scene just isn’t imploding.

The variety of eating places in Washington has really grown — to 3,472 final yr, from 3,307 in 2022, in line with the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And new ones proceed to open; in line with Yelp, there have been 283 openings in 2023, in contrast with 254 the earlier yr.

However many homeowners nonetheless concern that because the tipped wage rises, the added expense will drive them out of enterprise. Rick Allison, who runs a number of eating places within the district, Virginia and Maryland, stated labor prices at his King Street Oyster Bar, in Washington, are up 12 % from a yr in the past. He blames the initiative. Approaching prime of rising rents and inflation, the approaching wage will increase are unsustainable, he stated.

“Individuals are going to shut up,” he stated, including, “My subsequent restaurant is in Virginia.”

Chris Kennedy, who co-owns the bar Reliable Tavern, sees the present challenges as short-term rising pains. “It will likely be a clunky few years in D.C., however we are going to discover our means.”