TAVARES, Fla. – Hourly workers in Florida are going to see a boost in their paychecks after a minimum wage increase went into effect on Monday.
Minimum wage in Florida went up a dollar, bringing it from $12 an hour to $13 for non-tipped employees and $9.98 an hour for tipped employees.
It’s part of a ballot initiative voters approved back in 2020 to eventually bring Florida’s minimum wage up to $15 an hour by 2026.
[EXCLUSIVE: Become a News 6 Insider (it’s FREE) | PINIT! Share your photos]
Tiki West Bar and Grill, Puddle Jumpers and Nautilus Coffee Company in downtown Tavares share same sentiment. The owners said they’re happy to see their employees make more money, but said the increase in Florida’s minimum wage doesn’t come without its challenges.
Owner of Tiki West Raw Bar and Grill, Christopher Clark, said when wages go up, he has no choice but to raise his prices.
“I’m very happy they’re getting paid more,” Clark said. “But in return, though, I know everyone is going to be getting paid more. That is just an overall effect on the economy and the cost of living.”
Jon Aramino is the owner of Puddle Jumpers and said the increase makes it harder for him to pay skilled workers, like cooks, more money.
“You should be up to $25 an hour if you’re skilled laborers that really have an impact on making your dishes and making your restaurant quality food,” Aramino said. “But when you’re paying your servers every year, another dollar an hour, it costs us almost $3,000 a month extra in wages just to cover the servers. So where’s the money going to come from to pay the cooks more money?”
Hillary Perry owns several businesses in downtown Tavares with both tipped and non-tipped employees including Poppy’s Ice Cream Bar, Ironworks Steaks and Fine Cocktails and Nautilus Coffee Company. She said she has mixed feelings about the wages going up.
“It’s hard right now with the economy that it is,” Perry said. “It definitely hurts you know our budget, it hurts our bottom line, being able to offer you know pricing to our community that they can afford but also wanting our staff to make a decent living.”
The next minimum wage increase will be on September 30th, 2025 and will once again increase by $1.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: