Businesses, employees start to tighten belts after first Va. minimum wage hike goes into effect
and last updated 2021-05-03 21:02:26-04
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. The new $9.50 minimum wage is the first step of a series of wage increases in Virginia. This first step does not worry Mike Madsen; instead, it is what is coming next.
âThe second bump coming up in January to $11 an hour - that s going to be much tougher,â Madsen said.
Madsen is the owner of Windy City Pizza in Virginia Beach. He said his kitchen staff already make roughly $9.50, while his wait staff make the tipped hourly wage.
When the COVID-19 shutdown hit in March, fears of permanent small business closures in Summit County abounded. However, in Silverthorne and Dillon, more businesses have opened than closed since March of last year.
In Silverthorne, 28 new businesses have opened since March 1, 2020, and 13 have closed, according to town records. The lists of opened and closed businesses are based on the number of business licenses the town has issued and the number of business license accounts it has closed. Of the new businesses, there were several brick-and-mortar stores, including Just Send It, a packing and shipping store, Windy City Pizza, and Gore Range Sports.