Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers III says the restaurant chain is making its single mega additional investment in our workforce in 68 year history by hiking base pay for servers to 3 bucks an hour.
Waffle House is not changing its policy that servers keep their own gratuities it would be crazy to go down road of service charges instead ot tips
The raise take effect this month and follow more than year long campaign led by union that show service workers in South.
The effort involved strikes and petitions calling for higher pay working conditions and end to paycheck deductions for meals.
Various restaurant across the US offer what is known as tipped minimum wage. Under labor law they can offer little as $2.13 per hour if that amount combined with tip at least matches the federal minimum wages of $7.25 per hour.
Waffle House base pay excluding tips will increase to at least $5.25 per hour for all company 2000 location by June 2026 extra increases base on shifts and seniority.
The company has not opened up any actions to respond to workers other concerns including safety at locations that are open 24/7 and have draw disorderly patrons.
Rogers said Waffle House will seek to offset labor cost by raising its menu prices noting that patrons are chain urban location would be charged more.
Waffle House operate about 2000 locations including hundreds in Georgia.
Before California pay hike the highest paid fast food workers in US were in Washington State minimum wage of $16.28 per hour.
States has moved to lift pay of restaurant workers who live in povery than employees in other fields.
The minimum wage for fast food workers in California rose to $20 per hour the highest base across US restaurant industry.