MILWAUKEE — Since 2015, Amilinda has brought a taste of Spain and Portugal cuisine to Milwaukee.

Restaurant owner Greg Leon said working in the food industry can be tough.

What You Need To Know

  • Two Wisconsin lawmakers want to repeal the state’s tipped minimum wage

  • Under the proposal from Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, and Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, workers making the tipped minimum wage would earn the standard minimum wage instead

  • The current law in Wisconsin requires tipped workers to be paid between $2.13 and $2.33 an hour

  • Minimum wage for other workers in the state is $7.25 per hour

“Restaurant work is hard,” said Leon. “A lot of people do it because they love it, because it’s their career. Put yourself in the position of that server who’s been running around that restaurant three hours before you got there.” 

That’s why he pays his staff $8 an hour, which is over the current minimum wage for tipped workers. The current law in Wisconsin requires tipped workers to be paid between $2.13 and $2.33 an hour. Minimum wage for other workers in the state is $7.25 per hour.

“We try to pay everybody as much as possible without breaking the bank,” said Leon.

He said he agreed with the two Wisconsin lawmakers who want to repeal the state’s tipped minimum wage.

Under the proposal from Sen. Chris Larson, D-Milwaukee, and Rep. Francesca Hong, D-Madison, workers making the tipped minimum wage would earn the standard minimum wage instead.

“We saw during the pandemic how much tipped workers can suffer in times of economic uncertainty. As some of the last hired, first fired members of the labor pool, they need the predictability of a regular paycheck, not the stress and insecurity of relying on strangers’ generosity to pay their bills. The sub-minimum wage is a relic of slavery and Jim Crow, and it deserves to meet the same fate," Larson said. 

Hong owns a restaurant herself. 

“Fair wages empower workers and cultivate a more equitable society. Eliminating the tipped minimum wage is a step towards economic justice and a stride towards dignity and stability in the workplace. Wisconsin workers deserve dependable income, irrespective of tips," she said. "Let's build an economy where every job is valued, every worker is respected and every paycheck reflects the true worth of their labor.”

Leon said he's seen these industry-issues firsthand.

“They come into work and have a slow night; they’re not making enough money to pay their bills,” said Leon. “Everybody should get the same minimum wage when working in a restaurant.” 

Kessa Albrighthas has worked in the service industry for 12 years and said she’s proud to call herself a server but tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck. 

“I’m tired of relying on the kindness and generosity of complete strangers to pay my bills,” said Albrighthas. “$2.13 is not enough to live on. Eliminated tip wage will help reduce gender and racial pay gaps in this industry; it will provide financial stability for all workers.” 

She said the industry will improve as a whole if tipped minimum wage is increased. Leon agreed. 

“I’ve worked with servers that this is their career and I would hope that [at] this point in America, we’re not looking down on servers as someone who is less than us because that’s what they’re doing," Leon said. 

So far more than half a dozen other states, including California, have repealed their tipped minimum wage.

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