- June 22, 2021
- Posted by: Stratford Team
- Category: Business
When Omar Anani was starting out in the restaurant industry more than a decade ago, he slept in the back seat of his car and often didn’t know where his next meal would come from. Even with tips, the $2.65 an hour he made as a server wasn’t enough to live on.
“It was something I swore I would never do to my people,” says Anani, who is now the chef and owner of Detroit-based Moroccan restaurant Saffron de Twah, where positions start at $15 an hour and tips are shared with everyone.
Businesses in food service and hospitality industries nationwide have reported anemic hiring amid a widespread worker shortage for months now. Some contend that extended federal unemployment benefits are the culprit, while others point to a combination of other factors, such as concerns about health and safety in the workplace, child-care needs and workers who have found employment in more stable job sectors.
But as advocates push for higher wages and employment benefits for…
