Letter to the editor: Gradual implementation wouldn’t cure Initiative 77 problems

We own a small business in the District and know what it takes to create jobs in our neighborhood. That is why we are so disappointed with the misinformation put forward in the recent column by Ward 3 Council member Mary Cheh (“Mary Cheh: DC Council should seek middle ground on Initiative 77”).

Cheh should know that the business environment in the District of Columbia is unique. The District is not governed as a city like the other jurisdictions where similar wage-raising ballot initiatives have passed. Most big cities that look like DC are filled with corporate chain restaurants. Our restaurants and bars are 96 percent independently owned and operated. That means we are a dynamic group of neighborhood-based small businesses with unique needs.

Council member Cheh is way off when she calls for a more gradual implementation of one wage. But does a gradual implementation of a flawed and duplicative law make the law any more sound? Truthfully, Initiative 77 will destroy the restaurant landscape for small businesses like mine, no matter what the pace of implementation. Without repeal, we will more than likely have to increase prices in our restaurant, cut shifts and benefits, and scale back on future investments. That would be a real shame for us, our neighbors and everyone else who enjoys DC’s vibrant restaurant scene.

Robert Giaimo

President and Founder, Silver Diner Development

Christopher Shand

Vice President of Human Resources and Management Development, Silver Development LLC