Seattle, WA
Two more Seattle restaurants close due to minimum wage hike
Two more Seattle restaurants are calling it quits thanks to the untenable minimum wage hike.
At the same time that the Seattle minimum wage rose from $19.97 an hour to $20.76 an hour, the city ended the tip credit of $2.72. Under the previous rules, restaurants were able to pay $17.25 hourly wage if their staff earned at least $2.72 in tips per hour. But as cost of business continues to skyrocket in Seattle, a minimum wage hike without a tip credit is simply untenable for many small businesses.
Jackson’s Catfish Corner in Seattle’s Central District closed its doors in this new year. In an interview with Converge Media, owner Terrell Jackson argued Seattle is too expensive to operate in.
“I know that the minimum wages went up to 20 bucks an hour … I know that’s hard for my business as a small Black business,” Jackson said. “I’m not Amazon or Walgreens or Walmart who can pay their employees that much.”
Jackson isn’t alone in his complaints.
More from Jason Rantz: Panic as Seattle restaurants may not survive massive minimum wage shift
A second West Seattle eatery closes, citing the minimum wage hike
Bel Gatto, a bakery and café, became the second West Seattle eatery to close its doors over the Seattle minimum wage hike. The owner posted a sign to the front door to thank supporters but said she can’t afford to stay open anymore.
“Our revenues, unfortunately, are not able to cover the close to 20% increase in mandated wages, salaries and payroll taxes put into effect by the Seattle City Council effective 1/1/25. This ruling has made the continuation of our bakery operations untenable,” the sign read.
The owner, Peter Levy, explained to the West Seattle Blog that, “we were approaching close to a break even status in the last quarter of 2024, but the requirement to absorb another $4,000 per month in payroll expenses with the new mandate by the city put a break even further from our grasp which is what led to the closure.”
Last week, a video by Corina Luckenbach, owner of Bebop Waffle Shop in West Seattle, went viral as she said the minimum wage hike was forcing her to close after 11 years. She said she didn’t have an extra $32,000 a year to pay her staff what the city mandates.
More from Jason Rantz: Democrats blame Los Angeles fires on climate change to deflect from their own complicity
Will more restaurants close?
Ahead of the minimum wage hike, restauranteurs offered many warnings over what’s to come.
Ethan Stowell operates a number of Seattle’s top restaurants, including How to Cook a Wolf, Staple and Fancy, and Tavolata. He warned this change would be exceptionally costly for businesses in an industry notorious for razor-thin margins. And restaurants can’t merely raise menu prices again.
“I know everybody wants to say, ‘Just raise things (on the menu) a dollar or two,’ and that’s what it’ll be. That’s very simplified math. I wish it was that easy, but it’s not. This is a large increase that’s probably large enough to be equal to or close to what most restaurants in Seattle profit,” Stowell told “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH.
Portage Bay Cafe co-owner Amy Fair Gunnar noted the minimum wage change will cost her about $45,000 more a month. She said restaurants will have to “seriously change what they’re doing or they’re going to close their doors.”
More from Jason Rantz: Here’s why Seattle residents vow to stop tipping in new year
Ignoring the warnings, mocking the business people
The warnings from restaurant owners were mostly ignored or mocked.
Efforts by the Seattle City Council to address the forthcoming crisis fell apart after activists said they didn’t want restaurants to get an exception. Council president Sara Nelson told “The Jason Rantz Show” they will take up the issue again this year but there’s no specific idea yet to forward for legislation. The Mayor of Seattle, Bruce Harrell, has been almost completely absent from the issue.
Left-wing voices, meanwhile, claim to not care. That if businesses “can’t afford to pay a living wage,” then they shouldn’t be in business.
One reporter with The Stranger mocked one of the closures, quipping on X, “Has anyone ever eaten at bebop waffle lol.” Left-wing Seattleites condemned the business for “creating a right wing media darling to complain about paying people a living wage.”
KING 5 reporter Maddie White helped elevate this talking point by citing the National Low Income Housing Coalition, claiming “the average renter needs to make upwards of $40 an hour to afford rent.” But she’s quoting a stat for two-bedrooms. Minimum wage jobs aren’t meant to cover the cost of a single person renting a two-bedroom home or apartment.
Ironically, as activists dismiss the concerns of small business owners, they fail to acknowledge the inevitable consequence: when those businesses shut down, people lose jobs. A $20.76 hourly minimum wage — even with a $2.72 tip credit — means nothing if you’re unemployed.
Listen to The Jason Rantz Show on weekday afternoons from 3-7 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast here. Follow Jason Rantz on X, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook.
Seattle, WA
YesJulz Says a Married Seattle Seahawks Player Slid in Her DMs After the Super Bowl and She’s Sending Receipts to His Wife
4
YesJulz, a social media influencer, has become a topic of discussion after she announced she would expose any married men who slide into her DMs, hinting that a Seattle Seahawks player who won the Super Bowl had slid into her DM.
The social media influencer made this announcement just hours after the Seattle Seahawks defeated the New England Patriots 29-13 at Levi’s Stadium, with Kenneth Walker III delivering an MVP performance on the final drive of the night. While the team was celebrating, YesJulz announced that this was one of her personal rules.
“If you slide in my DM’s and I go to your page & see a post with you & you’re wife, I’m screen shotting and sending to her immediately,” she announced on X. “And idgaf if you just won the Super Bowl. It’s time people adopted some morals.”
Although she didn’t mention any of the players, this was just hours after they won, leading many to speculate that a Seahawk had recently slid into YesJulz’s DMs. However, no evidence of this has been given, and no Seahawk was named.
There are many opinions on this: some believe that YesJulz has set some legit boundaries, while others think she wants attention and wants to start some drama.
One of them said, “She just wants people to know that a winner of the Super Bowl is in her DMs. Typical women stuff.” Another one said, “Hoes don’t be quiet no more, that’s the problem.” Then another one said, “Lol. If you’re going to go all out, say who it is. Otherwise, you’re probably lying.” Then another one said, “Julz is the most dangerous woman out because she knows the game. She knows what she looks like and who’s most likely to be attracted to it. So, it’s like 20 thousand married men in her DMs. The ‘girls girl’ act is wild and not believable. You want to be messy.”
Some comments revived rumors that YesJulz was involved with LeBron James. She said that their relationship was only platonic.
The Seahawks and no one from the team commented on this issue. They were still riding high from their Super Bowl win when this happened.
Related
Seattle, WA
Watch Super Bowl 60 champion Seattle Seahawks victory press conference
Seahawks beat Patriots 29-13 to win Super Bowl LX
Seattle’s dominant defense set the tone from start to finish, carrying the Seahawks to a Super Bowl LX victory and the second championship in franchise history.
The Seattle Seahawks topped the New England Patriots 29-13 in the 2026 Super Bowl behind a standout performance from the “Dark Side” defense and the rushing of game MVP Kenneth Walker III.
USA TODAY will have continued coverage of aftermath of Super Bowl 60 all week as the NFL heads into its offseason. Return here throughout Feb. 9 for the latest updates from Santa Clara and around the league.
USA TODAY Ad Meter took the pulse of the nation on this year’s lineup of Super Bowl commercials, and there were certainly some memorable entries into the cultural sphere. But which was best? Ad Meter voters spoke, with a Super Bowl break icon coming out on top again. Find out who won here.
– Eric Larsen
From commemorative page prints of USA TODAY’s post-Super Bowl edition to Seahawks championship gear, USA TODAY has Seahawks fans covered. Click the link below to find items to help any diehard 12 celebrate Seattle’s second Lombardi Trophy win.
Buy Seahawks championship pages, gear
– Eric Larsen
The NFL held its post-Super Bowl 60 press conference with the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks at 11:30 a.m. ET, Feb. 9. You can watch a recap of the brief appearance from Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and running back Kenneth Walker III here:
– Eric Larsen
Asked how the Seahawks will maintain their defensive advantage after a dominant run through the 2025 season, Seattle coach Mike Macdonald said, “We use the term ‘chasing edges’ here in Seattle. You can’t be copying everybody else.”
Macdonald said it till be up to the Seahawks to “keep pushing the envelope” on their game plans as they begin their defense as Super Bowl champions.
– Eric Larsen
Asked about the short list of running backs who’ve won Super Bowl MVP – the Denver Broncos’ Terrell Davis was the last halfback to win the award, in Super Bowl 32 – Walker said, “It means a lot to have my name on that list.”
– Eric Larsen
Seattle, WA
Fans seen climbing Pergola in Seattle’s Pioneer Square after Seahawks’ Super Bowl win
SEATTLE – The Seattle Seahawks captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl title Sunday night, and celebrations erupted across the city as fans gathered in Pioneer Square.
What we know:
Shortly after the Seahawks’ victory in Super Bowl LX fans filled streets near First Avenue and Yesler Way.
Seattle police asked people to keep celebrations on the ground, but some people climbed the historic Pioneer Square pergola — just like after the Seahawks’ first Super Bowl title in 2014.
The backstory:
The pergola, installed in 1909, has become a focal point during big city celebrations. In 2014, revelers climbed atop the structure and broke several glass panes, prompting later repairs funded by the community.
Seattle police were on scene in Pioneer Square as crowds continued into the night. Authorities previously warned fans ahead of the game to avoid climbing the pergola for safety reasons.
Dig deeper:
The Seahawks’ win marked the team’s first Super Bowl championship since Super Bowl XLVIII, when they defeated the Denver Broncos 43-8. That 2014 victory sparked massive celebrations and a citywide parade.
On the field Sunday, Seattle’s defense and special teams helped secure the victory, forcing turnovers and limiting their opponent’s offense. Running back Kenneth Walker III earned Super Bowl MVP honors with 161 total yards.
Back in Seattle, fans celebrating in Pioneer Square echoed the exuberance of past championship nights — including scaling structures and gathering in large crowds — as the festivities continued late into the evening.
The Source: Information in this story came from the Seattle Police Department, Seattle Department of Transportation and original FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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