John Varanese explains the minimum wage to us

[Robin Garr]

I just ran across this fascinating snippet from a WFPL story on reactions to the city's minimum-wage debate:

Louisville’s Minimum Wage Debate From the Perspectives of Business Owners and Low-Income Workers
By JACOB RYAN/WFPL

John Varanese, owner of Varanese Restaurant on Frankfort Avenue, said a local ordinance to raise the minimum wage will reach beyond his lowest paid workers.

“My $10 an hour cook is going to want $12 now,” he said. “Everyone is going to get a raise except for me and my three managers.”

Varanese said he also has concerns that higher wages will lead to heightened food costs.

I saw this yesterday. I'm hoping he was taken out of context with some of the comments. A number of ( non foodie) friends were posting that they won't be visiting Varanese again.

People don't and we won't expect them to understand that when minimum wage increases so does inflation. Meanwhile small business owners like myself are left to debate whether or not to increase menu prices or cut back labor and work twice as hard for the same amount of money. I agree with equal pay for equal work but the business owners are the one's without compensation. I don't agree with what Varanese said in the context that it was presented in but I understand what he was TRYING to say. His employees work in a high stress environment as do many workers at fine establishments. They do deserve more than minimum wage but $10/hr is getting to the point where we can't afford to have employees. I do every bit of work by myself and still can't afford to pay myself anything at all. This year I am closing in on $10,000 in wages because of the lack of sales. Three years ago I made over $40,000 working for a corporate outfit. Small businesses are the lifeblood of this country and we are being choked to death.

Varanese—standing in the kitchen of his Frankfort Avenue restaurant deboning ducks for a special holiday dish he will sell to customers for up to $170—said the people “complaining about minimum wage are complacent.”

“These are people that have no goals, they’re minimalists, they’re looking for the most minimal thing to get by,” he said.

Varanese said the minimum wage should be a starting wage, not a living wage. He said a resident shouldn’t expect a minimum wage income to provide for a family.

“You shouldn’t have a family of four on minimum wage, you shouldn’t be at that age being paid minimum wage,” he said “Where was your drive and your goals?”

I think he could have stopped short with some of these comments. Honestly, he just made himself sound like an asshole.

Small businesses are the lifeblood of this country and we are being choked to death.

Yes, and I have repeatedly tried to explain, that isnt due to increasing wages but falling wages. Wages in this country have been stagnant for over 4 decades. The once burgeoning middle class has been decimated, due to corporations offshoring jobs to foreign labor markets in order to increase their own stock values. That chicken has now come home to roost and we are locked into a vicious cycle of falling wages = falling customer base= falling tax revenues= increased national and state debts and around and around we go.
Less income = less customers = less income= less customers= less income= less customers, etc.

I think he could have stopped short with some of these comments. Honestly, he just made himself sound like an asshole.

As I commented on Robin's Facebook post about this: One must remember, just because you have the freedom of speech to say something, doesnt mean you should.

I want to see everyone get paid more. Without a doubt. Wages are stagnant and too many at the top (like the waaaaay top) are getting stupid rich while the majority suffer. Income inequality is definitely one of the biggest issues we face today.

But before you throw John Varanese under the bus please do all business owners a favor. Open you own business and pay your quarterly payroll taxes without ONE complaint. Not that you will become some greedy monster soon after but... your understanding broadens let's say.

It seems to me that the feds want to increase minimum wage more for the reason of getting people over income so that they are no longer applicable for food stamps (or whatever they are called currently), etc. than thinking they actually give one spit about their constituency's income or quality of life.

Has Varanese long been an outspoken conservative and anti-wage increase guy, though? This isn't really a shock, except that it sounds really holier-than-thou.

I wish the situation were as simple as "poor people are just lazy," but it just isn't.

I come from a small business background and do have an understanding of the challenges and issues that small business owners in particular face. My big issue is with his choice of words.....

Well, Mr. Varanese has the right to his opinion. So do the employees he just disrespected. They can "move up" to other jobs with employers who respect them, and we will hear him whining about having no long term staff. The constant need to train new people can be more expensive than raising the pay of loyal staff. Not to mention the service issues that will inevitably come up. I thoroughly understand both sides of the issue as a previous employer and a person who has worked in restaurants.
If Mr. Varanese has just talked about the expense being a problem, I would have been sympathetic, but to say everyone on minimum wage are "complacent" and "minimalists" does not take into account other factors like education, childcare, transportion. I know for a fact it can be hard to "have goals" when you are working 2 jobs to feed your kids, that is why I did not go to Paramedic school until my employer offered it on the clock. His comments showed a lack of empathy for the people who made his establishment a success.

"These are people that have no goals, they’re minimalists, they’re looking for the most minimal thing to get by,”

Yeah. Try getting through a slammed service without that "minimalist" dishwasher who slaves away down in the bowels of the kitchen over scalding water and fiery hot plate after plate, mops the floors every night, and slings the 100 pound trashcans out to the dumpster, and rides on the bus for over two hours so he can get to work each and every day without fail. This is the guy without any "goals"? The guy who tries to raise his four kids the proper way, who loves and cares about each and every one of them. This is the guy who was raised dirt poor, who's parents never gave him a bootstrap to tug on. This is the guy who walks past cars and hears the locks click. This is the guy who is proud of his children's accomplishments, who hopes for a future brighter than his. This is a man/woman who deserves respect, who deserves to provide for his family. I am beyond outraged by this judgmental line of thought. All my employees make over 10 dollars an hour. I would have it no other way.

Well said, Bill.

No more of my $$ will ever spent at a Varanese owned or operated business. And just so I'm clear, I respect his right to his opinion, but I cannot respect his total lack of class.

"These are people that have no goals, they’re minimalists, they’re looking for the most minimal thing to get by,”

Yeah. Try getting through a slammed service without that "minimalist" dishwasher who slaves away down in the bowels of the kitchen over scalding water and fiery hot plate after plate, mops the floors every night, and slings the 100 pound trashcans out to the dumpster, and rides on the bus for over two hours so he can get to work each and every day without fail. This is the guy without any "goals"? The guy who tries to raise his four kids the proper way, who loves and cares about each and every one of them. This is the guy who was raised dirt poor, who's parents never gave him a bootstrap to tug on. This is the guy who walks past cars and hears the locks click. This is the guy who is proud of his children's accomplishments, who hopes for a future brighter than his. This is a man/woman who deserves respect, who deserves to provide for his family. I am beyond outraged by this judgmental line of thought. All my employees make over 10 dollars an hour. I would have it no other way.

+1

Wow. While I love John and his restaurant, even when he was at the Cardinal Club, he has stepped in a big pile of doo doo. It will make me think about visiting again. I just don't know what to say about his response. It's unfortunate at best. I'm sure he will try to clarify his thoughts.

I'll never go in there again. No way!

I don't know how much there is to clarify unless he was just completely misquoted and the comments are entirely fiction.

Statements like:
“These are people that have no goals, they’re minimalists, they’re looking for the most minimal thing to get by,” he said.

And

“You shouldn’t have a family of four on minimum wage, you shouldn’t be at that age being paid minimum wage,” he said “Where was your drive and your goals?”

Are pretty clear, in or out of context.

As far as I know a minimum wage was established to avoid abuses by Greedy Capitalists and to prevent poverty.