As restaurant owners wait for the Seattle City Council to deal with high delivery app fees, there’s another challenge facing their businesses, reports the Seattle Times: The minimum wage at restaurants could go up by as much as $3 next year. That would be a huge boost for many low-wage workers, and also potentially an existential threat for restaurants that rely on those workers.
As of 2024, the minimum wage in Seattle is $19.97 an hour, unless you employ fewer than 500 employees, in which case you are allowed to pay them $17.25, provided the difference is made up by tips or medical benefits. According to the Times, this exception was carved out during negotiations over the minimum wage law passed nearly a decade ago, as then-Mayor Ed Murray attempted to assemble as broad a coalition as possible for the groundbreaking wage hike.
When that law went into effect in 2015, everyone was referring to it as a “$15 minimum wage,” then seen as a high number. (Small businesses then had to pay workers an $11 minimum wage.) Since then, Seattle’s minimum wage has risen beyond that number because the law ties it to inflation; Seattle’s Office of Labor Standards will announce the 2025 minimum wage in the fall. But the provision that allows small businesses to pay certain employees less will expire next year unless lawmakers take action, which means that in addition to the usual inflation-adjusted bump, smaller businesses will have to pay their employees as much as large ones do, and they won’t be able to factor tips into the equation.
This impacts the restaurant industry in particular because very few Seattle restaurant groups have more than 500 employees. The exception is Ethan Stowell Restaurants (ESR), which, the Times notes, hit that mark last year and responded by putting all workers, including servers, on an hourly rate and adding a service charge to checks.
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“You either have to change the model next year or prices are going to go astronomically high or places are going to have to close down,” CEO Ethan Stowell told the Times.
The ESR example provides a window into how the industry could change if this small business exception expires. “The reaction among staff was mixed” at ESR, the Times writes. “For some, it was a positive, because it meant they earned more on sick days or when taking leave. Others quit.” This reflects a divide among restaurant workers — some want their pay to be more stable, while some servers and bartenders make good money thanks to tips and might see their earnings drop if they had to become hourly workers. Meanwhile, some customers really, really hate the service fees that tend to come with the hourly wage restaurant model.
According to the Times, restaurant industry lobbyists have been asking the City Council to make the small business exception in the minimum wage law permanent. But this is a tough ask. The Council also has other issues to deal with, and some members have conflicts of interest — Council President Sara Nelson is a co-founder of Fremont Brewing and still owns a portion of the company.
If politicians tried to tweak the minimum wage law, they would also face opposition from labor groups. David Rolf, a former union president who helped negotiate the law in the first place, was blunt about this when he spoke to the Times: “Undermining Seattle’s minimum wage law is political suicide for anyone who tries.”
A unique collection of tiny homes built across a single lot in Seattle has just hit the market for the bargain price of $900,000. That boils down to just $300,000 per home.
Located on the outskirts of Puget Park, the properties have been meticulously restored in recent years, having previously been used as accommodation for staff at a nearby industrial estate.
“When the sellers bought the property, they were three little huts that were falling apart,” says listing agent Patti Hill of John L. Scott–West Seattle.
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“They were used as workers’ homes. The sellers rebuilt them between 2021 and 2023, and now they are way cool.”
Originally constructed in 1907 in the gated Industrial District West, the multifamily cedar-sided cottages have come a long way from the crumbling structures that the sellers found in 2015, when they purchased the property for just $60,000.
A unique collection of tiny homes built on a single lot in Seattle has just hit the market for the bargain price of $900,000. That boils down to just $300,000 per home.Beth Ann Warner
Located on the outskirts of Puget Park, the properties have been meticulously restored in recent years, having previously been used as accommodation for staff at a nearby industrial estate.Beth Ann Warner
“When the sellers bought the property, they were three little huts that were falling apart,” says listing agent Patti Hill of John L. Scott—West Seattle.Beth Ann Warner
Today, the three dwellings boasts modernized spaces with loft-style interiors and a world of opportunity for their future use.
Each Pigeon Point residence offers one bedroom, one bathroom, and a kitchen space, meaning that they can operate as entirely independent properties.
Hardwood and concrete floors, exposed beams, sleek kitchens and bathrooms, skylights, and energy-efficient thermal windows can be found throughout the interiors. Each tiny home also has a private deck.
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For the past few years, the compound has operated as a kind of micro-neighborhood, with each dwelling serving as a private residence for a long-term renter.
“The sellers have long-term renters using them,” Hill explains. “I think the next buyer will probably be an investor who will keep it as a rental property. It could also be someone looking to live in one of the cottages as a primary residence and rent the other two out.”
Alternatively, the compound would be a unique multigenerational abode. Or if a group of friends are looking to get onto the property ladder for a lower price, it could be turned into a kind of modern commune.
Originally constructed in 1907 in the gated Industrial District West, the multifamily cedar-sided cottages have come a long way from the crumbling structures that the sellers found in 2015, when they purchased the property for just $60,000.Beth Ann Warner
For the past few years, the compound has operated as a kind of micro-neighborhood, with each dwelling serving as a private residence for a long-term renter. Beth Ann Warner
Because the homes all occupy a single lot, the taxes are incredibly low, with records showing that 2025 fees were just $8,106 for all three properties.Beth Ann Warner
“An ideal setup for investors, owner-users, or anyone looking for a unique multi-home property in a prime Seattle location,” the listing notes.
Located on just one fully fenced-in lot, the triplex community is centered around a patio, offering a “shared community vibe,” while also maintaining the privacy of each resident.
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“All of the residents get along, and there is a fire pit that everyone uses,” Hill says.
What’s more, because the homes all occupy a single lot, the taxes are incredibly low. Records show that 2025 fees were just $8,106 for all three properties.
“It’s one lot. We didn’t split the lot, so it’s one tax parcel,” the listing agent confirms.
Almost as intriguing as the three detached cottage assemblage is the compound’s unusual site.
“It’s an interesting location that is very industrial,” Hill reveals. “There is a working waterway a block away where ships come in and load containers.”
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Kellie Speed is a contributor to Realtor.com. As a writer and editor, she has worked for a variety of online and print publications, including Forbes Global Properties, Inked magazine, JustLuxe, and U.S. Veterans Magazine. A Massachusetts native, Kellie attended Northeastern University for journalism, was previously the Boston editor for Haute Living, and contributed to the Moon Metro Boston guidebook. Kellie writes celebrity profiles and covers restaurants, travel, and lifestyle.
Another week, another round of musicians fresh off Coachella appearances have announced new tours. Colombian superstar Karol G has announced a world tour—presale registration closes this Friday. Soulful singer Teddy Swims plans to embark on a North America arena tour. Plus, genre-bending artist Beck will “ride lonesome” to Woodinville this fall. Read on for details on those and other newly announced events.
Tickets go on sale at 10 am unless otherwise noted.
ON SALE FRIDAY, APRIL 24
MUSIC
3Quency – Girls Talk Tour The Showbox (Wed July 8) On sale at 9 am
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Beck: Ride Lonesome Tour Chateau Ste. Michelle (Fri Sept 18)
Black Label Society Northern Quest Resort & Casino (Wed Sept 30)
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West Seattle pickleball players rallied this week as they ramp up opposition to Seattle Parks‘ Draft Outdoor Racquet-Sports Strategy, which would – among other things – change dual-striped courts at High Point and Alki to tennis-only. Next milepost along the way: Tomorrow night (Thursday, April 23), the Board of Parks and Recreation Commissioners – a city-convened advisory group – gets briefed on the “strategy.” Though board meetings usually have a public-comment period, the department is directing comments to the three feedback meetings (none in West Seattle, though some local advocates are trying to get one set up). The advocate who contacted us says they’re trying to “show their support to save these vital community resources. These courts are used by hundreds of people every week to stay active and connect with neighbors. We have no idea why the city would seek to do away with such highly used and inclusive gathering places.” They’re describing what they’re doing as a “WS-specific effort … aimed at saving pickleball at Walt Hundley and Alki. We are planning another larger rally on a weekend in Mid/Late May where we hope to turn out the entire West Seattle pickleball community and invite our local elected leaders and city officials to see how many lives are touched by pickleball in West Seattle.” In the meantime, they’re continuing to collect petition signatures here. Tomorrow night’s Parks Board meeting is being held in person downtown and via Zoom at 6 pm – attendance info is here.
