Staffing

Farmer Boys raising minimum wage for California workers

August 25, 2021

Farmer Boys, a Southern California-based burger brand, is raising the minimum pay to $15 per hour for all California restaurant-level hourly team members, excluding general managers, in company-owned restaurants. The raise goes into effect on Aug. 31, according to a company press release.

The action is similar to steps the brand enacted in July 2020, when hourly pay for all restaurant-level team members increased by $1 as a gesture of Covid-related appreciation.

"As a company, we rely on the hard work and dedication of our restaurant team members to keep our restaurants running while providing exceptional service to our guests," Arlene Petokas, VP and chief people officer, said in the release. "This move to increase minimum pay is a substantial, yet crucial, investment for the future of Farmer Boys. The pandemic has left much of the restaurant industry with staffing challenges, and, we hope with this wage increase, our valued team members will continue their career path to grow within the company."

In addition to the increase in minimum pay, Farmer Boys corporate leadership is providing mid-year performance-based merit increases at all 32 company-owned locations in California and Nevada. Normally administered annually and last awarded in March, Farmer Boys is adding a second performance-based merit increase to encourage team members to stay and grow within the company.

The company also said it has paid record bonuses this year to restaurant-level managers.