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Barista pay: sub-minimum wage

Posted by Jonathan Pascual on February 8, 2010 at 4:17am in Retail Coffee Business

I have always been under the assumption that the position of barista commands at the very least minimum wage, and preferably a dollar or two more per hour regardless of tips. However, I've found out that some shops are paying baristas a dollar or two under minimum wage (in the same fashion as paying wait staff), making them more reliant upon tips for a livable wage.

What are your thoughts on this? Is sub-minimum wage for baristas okay if tips are consistently significant enough?

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