Waffle House is raising wages for its US employees after a year of pressure from labor advocates.
Waffle House CEO Joe Rogers III said in a video message to employees late last month that base pay will increase to at least $3 an hour in June, then gradually increase to at least $5.25 an hour by June 2026.
Rogers said the base pay does not include tips for employees, and will be higher in some states depending on minimum wage laws.
Rogers said wage increases will be paid for by higher menu prices, but some rural markets will see wage increases slower than urban areas.
The company is also adding hourly bonuses and allowances for working late shifts.
Waffle House declined to confirm the wage increase when contacted by The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The Southern Service Workers Union, a labor union affiliated with the Service Employees International Union, provided a link to the video to The Associated Press.
The Southern Service Workers Union staged strikes at Waffle House locations last year, demanding higher wages, 24-hour security at restaurants and an end to the company’s practice of deducting $3.15 a day from workers’ pay for meals, regardless of whether they ate while on the job.
The group also called on the Ministry of Labor to review the meal allowance deduction.
“The wage increase shows the company is feeling the pressure,” said Katie Giedo, a waiter at a Waffle House in Atlanta who is seeking a raise to $25 an hour. “We’re going to keep organizing and keep fighting until we win.”
Waffle House operates 2,000 stores across the United States, primarily in the South and Midwest.
The company is headquartered in Norcross, Georgia.
