Some employees of a Sacramento, California, Chick-fil-A restaurant will be paid up to $18 an hour starting Monday.
The franchise’s "hospitality professionals," which it is hiring or can be applied for by current employees, will earn between $17 and $18 per hour, local ABC affiliate KXTV 10 News reported. California’s minimum wage is $11 an hour; current employees are paid $12.50 to $13 per hour.
"We're looking for people trying to raise families, improve their lifestyle," owner and operator Eric Mason told ABC 10.
But the benefits won’t stop at the pay envelope. Mason indicated all workers will receive paid sick leave, and those in leadership-level positions will receive paid time off.
"The people is the real key component to successful businesses," Mason told ABC 10. "We're looking for people who are looking for long-term opportunity. That really makes the biggest difference right? We have great relationships with our community and our guests and also our team."
According to The Washington Post, nearly $18 an hour is among one of the top paychecks in an industry,
"We’re seeing a lot of operators that are in that $12 to $15 range, especially in higher-price areas like California, but that’s sort of a new threshold," restaurant analyst David Henkes told the Post. "In an era of 3.9 percent unemployment, restaurants — which typically are not seen as the most attractive of jobs — are struggling to not only fill jobs but then retain workers."
Many people on Twitter were supportive of the move, but some wondered how much it would increase prices.
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