Bellows Falls Restaurant Raises Minimum Wage for Employees

One local restaurant down in Bellows Falls, Vermont, has just raised the minimum wage for seven of their workers to $15 an hour, which is considered the goal nationwide. Seven of the 20 employees at Popolo, an Italian restaurant, located right in the downtown on 36 Square, will see the wage increase reflected in their paychecks this Friday, which will be made up by a 6 percent service charge on each customer’s bill.

The Brattleboro Reformer reports that the restaurant’s co-founder and general manager, Gary Smith, had mentioned the idea earlier this year in January to stakeholders and that he had spoken to the state to make sure that added the service charge is within regulation.

The state told the manager that if the restaurant follows simple rules regarding this added charge, it won’t be subject to the Options Tax, meaning that extra revenue will go right into employee’s pockets. The co-founder hopes that this raising of the minimum wage at his little restaurant will spark a conversation and motivate others to do the same.