SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - It’s the start of a new year, and Cross Street Chicken & Beer is still providing the great grub for customers.
The restaurant’s owner, Tommy Nguyen, and many others in the City of San Diego will have a new hurdle in 2024.
The new year will mean a new hourly minimum wage increase for the City of San Diego. This increase is in line with the Earned Sick Leave and Minimum Wage ordinance that was approved in 2016, according to the City of San Diego.
Fifty-five cents is how much the minimum wage in San Diego rose, effective Monday, Jan. 1.
“I think, in general, 55 cents is a good amount for employees of ours and just employees in general,” Nguyen said.
The City said those who work at least two hours in one week or more a year within the city limits will see minimum wage go from $16.30 to $16.85.
“From our employees’ perspective, it’s going to be a great help for them going into this new year. Especially with everything going up and, you know, inflation’s at it’s peak right now,” Nguyen said.
Inflation is one of the things Nguyen said they’ll have to plan and budget for considering the local wage increase.
“Just looking at our labor, looking at our cost of goods and then being able to figure out how do we navigate around that... is it through our operation or do we have to increase our prices?” Nguyen said.
When it comes to the minimum wage bump, Mayor Todd Gloria said in a statement, “With the cost of living rising, this increase could not come at a more needed time for workers and working families. This increase means a better ability to make ends meet, put food on the table and spend in our local businesses.”
Nguyen hopes people in San Diego are more aware of small businesses navigating and operating in the new year with this new minimum wage.
“And then understand that when you come and visit small businesses like ours that the price that you’re getting is not that’s something that’s inflated for us to be very wealthy on. It’s purely just for us to sustain ourselves and move forward another day, another year,” Nguyen said.
