Restaurants and bars closed at 3PM Monday and will remain closed until March 30th as the state deals with the COVID-19 pandemic, and while take out and drive through service can remain open, that doesn’t offer much hope for employees who are paid by the hour, like cooks and dishwashers.
For restaurant waitstaff, during Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s ordered shutdown, the outlook is even more bleak. Consider this, according to the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, tipped employees make $3.67 per-hour, roughly $6 less than minimum wage…relying on tips as their main source of income…And for servers, paychecks are often for $0, as the $3.67 per-hour usually goes towards paying the employee’s income taxes.
Leaving servers in Michigan over the next two weeks, with nothing.
Kelsey Neuberger is the marketing manager for Uccello’s hospitality group, a locally=owned pizzeria chain in West Michigan.
“We’re heartbroken by the news, but we completely understand the Governor’s statement,” Neuberger said. “And of course, we will completely comply.”
In addition to restaurants and bars, Governor Whitmer’s executive order also includes fitness-centers, movie theaters, spas and casinos, all closed effectively at 3 PM Monday in response to the coronavirus outbreak across the state of Michigan.
