Seattle, WA

Seattle waffle shop owner shuts down business over new $20-plus minimum wage law: ‘I’ve cried every day’

Published

1 year ago

January 2, 2025

Seattle waffle shop owner shuts down business over new -plus minimum wage law: ‘I’ve cried every day’

The owner of a popular waffle shop in West Seattle said she had no choice but to shut down her business after the city’s new minimum wage law went into effect on New Year’s Day — hiking hourly pay to $20.76.

Bebop Waffle Shop, which was founded by a former New York City resident more than a decade ago, closed its doors for good on Monday.

“I’ve cried every day,” Corina Luckenbach, the waffle shop owner, told Fox 13 TV.

Luckenbach, who founded Bebop more than 10 years ago after relocating from New York to the Emerald City, said that her business had already been suffering from high inflation which caused the price of food to spike.

The waffle shop has also been hamstrung by lower foot traffic in the city — a result of many people working from home.

The minimum wage increase was the last straw, she said.

“This is financially just not going to make sense anymore. Because, just for me, the increase would cost me $32,000 more a year,” Luckenbach told Fox 13 TV.

Luckenbach, who named the cafe after her late dachshund, said that while in theory she supports workers earning a higher minimum wage, in practice she has been unable to keep up with the change.

Previously, large employers in Seattle whose payroll numbered more than 500 workers were required to pay a minimum wage of $18.69 per hour.

Small employers with 500 or fewer workers had to pay $18.69 per hour if the company did not contribute at least $2.19 per hour toward medical benefits or if the employee did not earn sufficient tips to meet a combined minimum compensation of $20.28.

If the minimum compensation threshold was met through tips or if the employer contributed at least $2.19 per hour toward medical benefits, the minimum wage for small businesses was $17.25 per hour.

The new $20.76 per hour law — which is $4 higher than Washington State’s minimum wage requirement — applies to large and small businesses. It also eliminates tip or benefit credits.

Luckenbach, who is gay, said “the hardest thing” about shutting down her business is that it “takes away a safe space for people.”

“The stories of like what it meant to people to come in and feel safe and to feel welcomed — I just, I didn’t know,” she said, wiping away tears.

The Post has sought comment from Luckenbach.

New minimum wage laws have either gone into effect or will go into effect in twenty-one states and 48 cities and counties sometime during the new year.

The Economic Policy Institute, a think tank that studies the effect of minimum wage, issued a report which estimated that 9.2 million workers will see their wages increase by a total of $5.7 billion.

The federal minimum wage of $7.25 has not increased in 15 years.

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Seattle, WA

Post-Game Instant Analysis: Seattle at Tampa Bay | Seattle Kraken

Published

8 hours ago

March 26, 2026

Press Room

Post-Game Instant Analysis: Seattle at Tampa Bay | Seattle Kraken

NHL.com/kraken is the official web site of the Seattle Hockey Partners, LLC d/b/a Seattle Kraken, and cannot be used or reproduced without the prior written consent of Seattle Kraken. The NHL Shield, word mark and image of the Stanley Cup and NHL Conference logos are registered trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 2025. All Rights Reserved.

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Seattle, WA

The question Jeff Passan has about the Seattle Mariners

Published

1 day ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

The question Jeff Passan has about the Seattle Mariners

The Seattle Mariners enter this season with fewer question marks than they’ve had in any year in recent memory.

Mariners unveil 2026 opening day roster and who’s on IL

The club began spring camp with few open spots on a big league roster set to return many of the same faces from last year’s run to the American League Championship Series. And outside of what are believed to be short-term injuries to shortstop J.P. Crawford and right-hander Bryce Miller, the M’s left their spring training facility in Peoria without much to be concerned about.

ESPN MLB insider Jeff Passan is high on this year’s Mariners, even picking them to represent the American League in the World Series. But there is one question he has about the team as the season begins, he told Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Wednesday.

“Cal Raleigh had a once-in-a-lifetime season last year, and while he’s still going to be excellent his year, once in a lifetime is once in a lifetime. So how does the offense make up for – I’m not gonna even say lack of production – but the difference in production from what they got from Cal Raleigh last year?” Passan said.

After leading MLB catchers in home runs during the 2023 and 2024 campaigns, Raleigh led all of baseball with a historic 60-homer season in 2026 that nearly doubled his previous career high of 34 hit in 2024. Raleigh’s 60 homers broke Salvador Perez’s single-season record of 48 for a primary catcher, Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle’s record of 54 for a switch-hitter and Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr.’s Mariners record of 56.

While Raleigh has displayed premier slugging abilities since becoming a full-time starter in 2022, Passan expects a significant drop from the 60 he hit last year.

“I don’t think it would be fair or reasonable to expect 60 home runs again from Cal Raleigh because let’s not forget no catcher in history had come close to that number,” Passan said. “I don’t even know if 50 is a reasonable expectation, frankly. But a 40-plus home run season from Cal Raleigh (is reasonable).”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

More on the Seattle Mariners

• Cable TV channels for Seattle Mariners games this season are set
• Drayer: This season, the Mariners replace hope with expectations
• Morosi: Seattle Mariners made the right decision on Mitch Garver
• How prospect expert views Seattle Mariners OF Lazaro Montes
• M’s dust off a classic in latest commercial featuring Cal Raleigh

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Seattle, WA

NBA to explore expansion opportunities in Seattle and Las Vegas after Board of Governors votes in favor of move

Published

2 days ago

March 25, 2026

Press Room

NBA to explore expansion opportunities in Seattle and Las Vegas after Board of Governors votes in favor of move

The NBA took its first major step toward bringing back the Seattle Supersonics on Wednesday. The league’s Board of Governors reportedly voted in favor of the NBA exploring expansion opportunities in both Seattle and Las Vegas, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The vote was expected, as Charania reported in mid-March that the league would put the issue up to a vote at its Board of Governors meeting later in the month.

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