Bars and restaurants navigate big changes to minimum wage
Seattle Now
KUOW News and Information
2.4 • 613 Ratings
🗓️ 8 January 2025
⏱️ 13 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The new year means Seattle minimum wage is up to $20.76 an hour. It also means the end of a $2.72 cent hour tip credit that small businesses and restaurants have been using to help balance the books. The choice to let that credit expire was built into the law. But it’s not that simple.
We hear from Seattle Times reporter Jackie Varriano and bartender Chandler Sapp.
Legislative Preview hosted by Austin Jenkins
Legislative Preview hosted by Angela King
We can only make Seattle Now because listeners support us.
Tap here to make a gift and keep Seattle Now in your feed.
Got questions about local news or story ideas to share?
We want to hear from you! Email us at [email protected], leave us a voicemail at (206) 616-6746 or leave us feedback online.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | These days, there's so much news. |
| 0:01.8 | It can be hard to keep up with what it all means for you, your family, and your community. |
| 0:06.4 | The Consider This Podcast from NPR features our award-winning journalism. |
| 0:10.7 | Six days a week, we bring you a deep dive on a news story and provide the context and analysis that helps you make sense of the news. |
| 0:17.5 | We get behind the headlines. |
| 0:19.4 | We get to the truth. |
| 0:22.3 | Listen to the Consider This podcast from NPR. |
| 0:26.9 | Hey, good morning. It's Patricia Murphy. It's Wednesday. This is Seattle now. Seattle's |
| 0:33.3 | minimum wage increased with the new year, which seems like a good thing for workers. So why are |
| 0:39.1 | some servers worried? Because some small restaurants say they can't absorb the higher costs. |
| 0:45.4 | Seattle Times food reporter Jackie Varyano is here to help us sort it out. But first, let's get you |
| 0:51.0 | caught up. |
| 0:58.8 | The 2025 legislative session is coming up fast. |
| 1:03.5 | Leaders of both parties will lay out their priorities tonight during a preview event at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma. |
| 1:06.4 | Tonight's roundtable will be moderated by Inside Olympia host Austin Jenkins. |
| 1:12.7 | And on Friday, KUOW's very own Angela King will host a session preview with several lawmakers at Seattle City Club. That event |
| 1:19.1 | starts at noon. We'll drop links to both events in the show notes. If you're one of those people |
| 1:24.0 | who parks on the side of the road while you're waiting to pick up someone from Cetack Airport? |
| 1:28.3 | Stop it. No, really, listen up. |
| 1:31.3 | According to Geekwire, the Port of Seattle is planning to use technology to automatically read your license plate, |
| 1:37.3 | similar to what Seattle police already use. |
| 1:40.3 | Port police say parking on the shoulder is dangerous. Airport officials want you to |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from KUOW News and Information, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of KUOW News and Information and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.