'We have no rights.' Frustrated with California wage laws, Moonstone Bistro cuts lunch service

REDDING, Calif. — Moonstone Bistro, a popular fine-dining restaurant in west Redding, has announced they will stop serving lunch, citing California’s increased minimum wage requirements as a critical factor.

Starting in April, California fast-food chains, with more than 60 locations nationwide, will be required to pay their employees $20/hour. Across the state, minimum wage continues to climb and now sits at $16/hour. Moonstone Bistro won’t have to follow that first law, but they do expect its ramifications to be felt.

As such, their lunch service (which, admittedly, was not too profitable) was done away with to improve profit margins and avoid firing any of their 16 employees, according to owners Che and Tanya Stedman.

"We want to be able to hire people," said Moonstone Bistro's Executive Chef/Owner Che Stedman. "But anybody, if they have experience, now wants much more than $20/hour. And if they have no experience, their opening ask is $20/hour. Why wouldn't it be?"

If you can make $20/hour at Taco Bell, with no experience, how much money do you think I'm going to have to pay a cook, who actually has experience?" Stedman continued. "I have to compete with that. Worse, I have to compete for somebody who has zero cooking experience. None, none at all!"

Che wants to see California legislators change their approach towards entrepreneurship.

"Make that path easier. Make it less expensive, make it more simple, streamline it. Instead of putting roadblocks in front of it, open it up. Guide people," Che said.

When asked whether they felt it was disrespectful to those who work minimum wage jobs to downplay their importance, the Stedmans were direct.

"Tanya and I are the reason why this business exists, not the opposite," Che told KRCR's Sam Chimenti on Wednesday. "If we stopped working, these jobs disappear. Don't make it sound like we're terrible because we're undervaluing people's work. I think it's time for us to understand that our work is being undervalued, and that we're being told that we are terrible people because we are not giving enough."

Che also wrote a statement to KRCR in which he said, in part:

"We, as business owners, do not feel that we are the ones exploiting people. We pay huge taxes, fees, licenses, inspections, Workman's Comp, insurance, you name it. We do this for the right to work really hard, and to create jobs. Yet...we are being told that WE are the reason why people can't afford their rent. We are told we should pay everyone more, while we work harder, and for less. Employers are unprotected. We have no rights. We don't get overtime or breaks. The only thing we get is what's left over after everyone else takes their cut. At some point, the risk outweighs the reward.

For us, we cannot accept more liability and expense. We have to pay our rent, too. So we are reducing our costs. Reducing our liability. We are concentrating our efforts on the area that is most successful. Tanya and I, as most other business owners, are tired of hearing how it's our fault people can't afford their lives; tired of being told we need to work harder so other people can have more; tired of being told we should be happy with having less, working more, being liable and responsible for everyone and everything, so other people can have a better life."

For the past two years, the Stedmans have had their restaurant—which they opened 18 years ago—up for sale. The couple says dinner has been, and will continue to be, what drives the restaurant, whether it's under their ownership or the next.

--

To report errors or issues with this article please email the editorial team.