The Howie Carr Radio Network
Ryan Dion Of The 110 Grill Joins The Show To Talk Question 5 | 7.25.24 - The Howie Carr Show Hour 4
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(upbeat music) Howie Car. - 844-542-42, in addition to the presidential election, all the legislative congressional elections, in Massachusetts, there are five ballot questions that are going to appear on the November ballot. We'll be talking about it, I would assume, some of them anyway. We'd certainly be talking about the legislative audit, probably MCAS, the testing, standardized testing elimination. You can guess who's supporting that. Legalizing psychedelic mushrooms. You can guess who's supporting that. - And someone was asking earlier about the voter ID question. Apparently that didn't get enough signatures or it was struck down by the Democrats who oversee these things. But that did not make the ballot. But there is another question, tipped workers' wages. The proposed law would gradually increase the minimum wage for tipped workers over five years, eventually hitting 100% of the state minimum wage by 2029. And it's been voted down in the legislature multiple times this bill. It would hurt restaurants, I think it's safe to say. And so we're gonna be talking about this 'cause Massachusetts had a terrible time, lost a lot of restaurants during the COVID panic. Thank you, Charlie Baker and his overreaction. And this would be another blow. So we'll be talking about this 'cause we're in favor of supporting the restaurant industry. And I think most of the people who work in restaurants are against this. But the usual suspects have gone out and gotten the signatures. So tonight we just wanted to just give you a little bit of an introduction to this question on the tipped restaurant workers. And we're gonna talk to Ryan Dion. He's the CEO of the 110 Grill or a very popular, very favorite restaurant with over 40 locations in New England. And he's gonna be involved in this campaign as is the 110 Grill and the owner, Robert Walker. And many, many, many people are gonna be involved in this campaign to try to stop this referendum question. Ryan Dion, thanks for being with us here on The How We Car Show. - Thanks for having me, Howie. Happy to be here. - Listen, again, this is just kind of an introduction for most people to this question. What's wrong with this question, Ryan? - Well, for starters, Howie, everything. This is gonna be valid question number five. So of course it is no on five. And what they're trying to do this group out of California called One Fair Wage came to the state of Massachusetts several months ago, collected enough signatures. So they say to get this ballot question on the ballot, which would be the elimination of the tip credit. Now, just so everybody understands, it's not a tipped wage, it's a tipped credit. So for example, it is a 675 credit or credit that they take against their tips to get them to the state minimum wage or higher. So for example, in my 30 Massachusetts locations, 110 grills in a diva tricerias, the average server, lunch and dinner combined, makes 30 to $35 an hour. So needless to say, they do not want this past because it would completely change the tipping structure in Massachusetts for probably almost every restaurant, casual service on up. So it would require the minimum wage. So people could still tip though, right? That's what the yes on five is gonna argue, right? So that they would be making more money. Even though you and I know in the real world, they would not be making more money. They would be making less money, but that's the argument they're gonna make, correct? - Right, for sure. So the restaurants would have to increase their wage, but restaurants would be forced to change the structure of how tipping works. So like for example, you know in Europe, there really is no tipping in Europe. They pay them a living wage as they call it. That's what they're trying to bring to Massachusetts is to essentially eliminate tipping. - That sounds like a really bad idea. I got already got a text here. I'm an Antucket bartender and I am against the tip wage increase. Elect Trump and no tax on tips, exclamation point. So this group that did this one fair wage, they're from California. So the progressive so-called in California have been tinkering with the hospitality industry out there and it hasn't really worked out very well for anybody, has it Ryan Dion from 110 Grill. - No, it absolutely has not. And you know, there was a poll that went around the state of Massachusetts to all segments of restaurants and 92% of tipped employees being servers and bartenders do not want this. - Was, so what is the, what are they trying to prove here? What is this group, I mean, I know they just left these and they just wanna, you know, throw sand into the gears. But I mean, what is the rationale here? If the people they're trying, the workers quote unquote, that they're trying to help, don't want this, what are they up to? - I believe how either they just want to pay everybody more money without understanding of the repercussions and the cost that it will have to businesses where again, their tipped employees do not want this. They like handling their own tips, controlling their own tips. And in my opinion, you know, our guests and our customers like to tip their server who has provided them that great hospitality, whatever they see fit. - And so what's happening in California with the, they've increased the minimum wage to 20 bucks for these fast food restaurants. And so even companies and chains that have been around and very successful for decades, sometimes a whole 50 years, a half century, they're just going under, right and left. And the prices are through the roof. And, you know, chains that have any kind of exposure in California and national chains are reeling just because the business is so bad in California. So now they wanna just bring the, they wanna Californiaize the restaurant industry in Massachusetts. - That's exactly it, Howie. And restaurants don't want to absolutely do not to want to raise their pricing anymore than they have already done, that they've been forced to do. And this will force us to increase pricing even more to the point where, you know, a cheeseburger at your everyday restaurant's gonna be $25. That's what's coming. And nobody wants that, not the restaurant, not the business and certainly not the customer. - Good Lord. And, you know, I mean, again, restaurants, you know, I hear from my listeners, my textures every day that they're going out to eat less because the prices have gone up so much. I just heard yesterday that the company that provides frozen french fries to most of the restaurants in the country took a 30% hit in its stock price because fewer people are going out to eat and ordering french fries. And now the restaurant industry is as stressed as it is and they're trying to increase the pressure on the restaurants. - That's exactly what's happening. And we need to spread the word, Howie, and make everybody aware in Massachusetts to vote no on five. There is absolutely nothing good that will come out of this for anybody. - And so Ryan Dion, CEO of the 110 Grill. I'm right, aren't I? That like 30 to 40% of the restaurants in Massachusetts already went out of business during the COVID panic three, four years ago? - It was definitely a large number, Howie. You know, I don't even wanna get into the pandemic here and all of that nonsense because they're trying to put that behind me. But this could be in a lot of ways, even worse than that. If we allow this to happen. And I really believe it comes down to educating, you know, the voters and, you know, our teams and staff which we're doing because, again, nobody wants this. - God, yeah, so 508 says this is just a prelude to demand unionization of servers where they can cram down whatever they want. Yeah, but they can cram down whatever they want but the people don't have to walk in the doors and pay the money. That's the thing. They can't force people to patronize restaurants if the prices go up so much. They'll stop going to restaurants and then they'll drive the restaurants out of business. All these attempts to increase the minimum wage on the west coast, especially California, have just led to a massive increase in unemployment among restaurant workers. Haven't they, Ryan? - Of course it has because businesses can't afford to stay in business. And a big part of that reason, if you just stated how, is because people can't afford to go all like they used to so guest counts are down because it's simply just too expensive. I mean, they gotta get through the grocery store and have their credit card not bouncing, get out of there. How are they gonna go out to eat or restaurant? - I know, but Biden didn't mention last night that credit card balances are at an all time high. And interest rates are way up there too because of, you know, the inflation that he's brought on and this is just more in sanity. So this, again, this is just beginning. It's months before the election and people aren't concentrating much on it, but this is a big question. This is question five. And spell it out one more time what question five would do, Ryan Dion. - Question five, Holly, that of course we're gonna vote no on is trying to eliminate the tip credit in restaurants. We absolutely do not want that. Our tipped employees, which are our service and bartenders do not want that. We do not want to increase prices. And we simply do not want any change and neither do that, do they? So please vote no on five. - Okay, and if you wanna learn more about no on five and the referendum question that is dealing with restaurants this year on the ballot, on the November ballot in Massachusetts, where should they go, Ryan, to read up on this? - I believe, Holly, it's protectourtips.com. All the information, anything you need for your staff to learn more about it, to make a donation, of course, because advertising, we're gonna have to do a lot of, you know, in the coming, you know, 95 days before the election, anybody can make a donation on their nomination to help support the cost. - And you'd like to get the restaurant industry involved, the owners, even if you just have one or two restaurants, you'd like to get them involved as well, right? - Absolutely, Holly, whether you have one or whether you have a hundred, it's going to affect everybody. - All right, so again, protectourtips.com? - Yes. - Protectourtips.com. All right, Ryan, thank you. And we'll be talking about other ballot questions and as we get closer to the election. Thanks for being with us, Ryan. We love the 110 grill. I'm Howie Carr. - Become a Howie Carr show super fan. - Subscribe to Howie's newsletter and you'll get the latest news, columns, cheap faster deals, and other special offers from the Howie Carr show. Just enter your name and email at howiecarshow.com. (dramatic music) - The Howie Carr show is back. (dramatic music) - Today's poll question is brought to you by Perfect Smiles. Don't be fooled by imposters with similar names. If you're unhappy with your smile, you need to visit Dr. Bruce Houghton in Nashville. Call 1-844 a Perfect Smile or visit PerfectSmiles.com. Matt, what's the poll question? What are the results thus far? - Who is the worst president in US history? - Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Jimmy Carter, George W. Bush, or Richard Nixon. - Biden. - Biden has 85% followed by Obama with 12%. Jimmy Carter has 2% in Bush and Nixon both have 1%. - All right, 844-542, 42-844-542, 42. This kind of gets into just the whole higher prices. It's just absurd what's been going on. Listen to this 781. The increase in the cost of a meal will be offset by not needing to tip the employee. Whether one pays $80 for a meal plus a $20 tip or just pays $100 for a meal, it will cost the diner the same amount of money. Maybe in your world, but not in the real world. That's not how it works. If you increase the minimum wage from what $675 to 20 bucks, the cost of the product, the food, the drink, is going to go through the roof as it has in California. And there are going to be fewer restaurants. Then when there are fewer restaurants, that means there are going to be fewer employees. Now, if these people that are working as tipped employees are making $30 to $35 an hour, they're going to be taking a pay cut if they go to the minimum wage. I mean, it's as simple as that. That's why they're against it. Why, if it ain't broke, don't fix it. 844-542-774, June 2022. A half dozen muffins and a half dozen donuts, 998, last Saturday, same honeydew, same order, 21-33. I didn't tip at that price, 978. I just got a gallon of basic orange juice at Market Basket and Hudson, New Hampshire. 689 a gallon, absolutely ridiculous. That's Market Basket. Mark, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead, Mark. - Mark, you there? - Hi, Howie. - You there? - Yeah. - Yes. - Go ahead. - Oh, boy, the liberals ruin everything. They meddle in everything and this tip thing is crazy. But what a great idea. The first I'm hearing of it, that President Trump wants to make tips non-taxable. - Yes. - What a great idea that is. And so many young people will be affected in a good way. - Yeah, I know, and it's a good way to try to carry Nevada among other states. It's, wherever there are a lot of tipped employees, wherever there's a resort hospitality industry, he's gonna pick up votes. And it's the best way to go. I mean, this idea of question five, it's just more government control. And how often does government control improve any facet of life, any facet of life? You know, does government control lead to more efficiency or less efficiency? Does it lead to higher prices or lower prices? Does it lead to more freedom or less freedom? All you gotta do is ask yourself that question. I mean, the government that governs least governs best. It's a cliche, but it's true. 844-542-42, I'm how we car. (upbeat music) - Live from the Matthews Brothers Studios. - 844-542-42-978. Right, no tax on tips, vote Trump on any restaurant receipt. Yeah. Three, three, nine, if they pass five, it will be easy for the state to tax their wages because it's harder to tax tips. Yeah, it is. I mean, that's, yeah, what I worked in Maine, I mean, you just put the tips in your pocket. It was great. 978, between the lack of service and high prices, my family hardly goes out anymore. We'd much rather cook at home for much less cost and usually my wife will make a better meal than a restaurant. But it's like going out sometimes to restaurants. I love going out to restaurants. But, you know, if you're on a fixed income, and especially if you have young kids, it gets tougher. And this is, I mean, there's no question that this is gonna raise the price of service. It's gonna raise the price of meals. I mean, it just, it can't not do it. But when was the last time the government got involved in anything and the price went down? Okay, I'll wait. Bob, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead, Bob. Howie, I've been in the restaurant business for 35 years. And the gentleman you head on from the 110 Grill is exactly right, 100% right. You're looking at $25, $30 cheeseburgers. The girls that work for me on a slow night, they make $25 an hour. On a busy night, they make $50 an hour. And then I am not kidding you. So I remember what Ronald Reagan said, I'm here from the government, I'm here to help you. (laughing) This is not gonna help anything. And honestly, it's gonna put people, I'll be done with it, 35 years. I'll be done with it, Howie. I already think my prices are expensive. And I don't wanna go up anymore. It's ridiculous. I understand. And I know your patrons think you're gouging them. And they think you're making a lot more money, but you're not. And this is gonna make it much worse if it passes. My restaurants are small little mom and pop place and wear him. And those, the girls that work for me, all have their own following. The patrons come in, they say it's power work. And can I say it's like they're subcontractors. And they like it that way. And they make a lot of money. So vote no on question five, it's a thousand percent right. - All right, make sure your waitresses know that and make sure the patrons know that as well. - Yeah, I get very involved down here in William. And there's a lot of Republican meetings in different places that I go to. And I try to get as involved as I can. I'm just fed up with all this crap. - I know, they've screwed up everything. And we're putting out these little brush fires. We gotta have a two-party state. That's the start. Try to just try to put some sanity back in government, even at a small level. Thanks for the call, Bob. Mike, you're next with how we car. Go ahead, Mike. - Yeah, how we don't be surprised. These are sponsored state sponsored groups. Think about it. Payroll taxes, Massachusetts, 5%. They're gonna get, it's gonna double with triple. And that's what that's all about. It's about the state getting more payroll taxes. - Yeah, I think it's also unions too. They want to unionize everybody, you know? That's the way it works. And you heard Kamal earlier today talking about how the, if you're in the public sector, you're a public servant and you're gonna get your debts forgiven before people who, I don't know, wait tables, for instance. You know, or cut lawns. 'Cause you're not a public servant unless you work for the government. It's ridiculous. It's Big Brother, Rit Large. Thanks for the call, Mike. Dennis, you're next with how we car. Go ahead, Dennis. - How are you on a traffic island outside of the local McDonald's, a pan handler was out there and his sign said, "Anything helps God bless." So I took a Sharpie and I changed it to say, "Anything helps but a burger here costs $11 without fries, God bless." (laughing) Also, I negotiated a 10% commission on the increased donations and I expanded my territory to the pan handlers in the seven other nearby franchises. They call me a bum agent. - Thanks for the call, Dennis. 844-500-42-4239. Just got back from Market Basket with a large stake and cheese sub for six bucks. Anywhere else you're talking 12 to 15 bucks. Again, it's, they cannot, they cannot justify this in any form of helping out the consumer or the tipped staff, they just can't. I mean, you know, they had all these people coming in, the Globe wrote, "I read one puff piece when it was going on." And oh, oh, I used to be a waitress or I was a wait person in San Francisco and it was so much better when we started getting the minimum weight, the higher minimum weight. All these restaurants went out of business. You know, I don't know San Francisco hardly at all, but I do know what I've read in the paper that all, there are a lot of great restaurants, family owned restaurants, open 30, 40 years in all up and down the West Coast actually and same with maybe not to the greatest extent, but Washington state and Oregon. They've been doing the same type of reform, so-called legislation and all these places are going out of business. And the ones that go out of business are the places like Boboans. It's the, the chains can hang on more easily to this kind of draconian government overreach than a, than a, just a single place. It's, you're going to be dealing with all chain restaurants or a huge percentage are going to be chain restaurants. 844, 500, 42, 42, 201. Are you saying that Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi have not improved their lives? I will go out on a limb and say that. I will make that statement without fear of contradiction. 978, these people ruin everything we enjoy in our lives. You know what, and I keep coming back to gas prices 'cause that's one thing I really enjoyed was $2 a gallon gasoline. It warmed my heart every time I, every time I filled up. And there was plenty of gas too. There still is plenty of gas, but now it costs 350. It used to cost, for a while it costs four bucks. And, and Brandon says inflation is coming down. It's not coming down. Is it coming down the two bucks a gallon again? Are, is the dollar meal coming back at McDonald's? Is the dollar store coming back? No, no, no. Jim, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead, Jim. - Oh, hi, Howie, thanks for taking my call. As far as tipping for years, whether I use a credit card or not, I leave the tip in cash and I give it to the waiter, wait this, and I say here, put this in your pocket. Don't give it to the government. - I'll bet they love you, Jim. - Wow, you know, that's what I felt though. I mean, these people are working for their tips and the waiter texts on everything. I said, you know, put it in your pocket. - Right. - Now he's got a big smile for that. - No, that's good. That's a good, that's a good plan, Jim. So, so many of us just get used to not carrying that much cash anymore, you know? Thanks for the call. 844-542-603, the key phrase is used to be, wait staff. - Yeah, I know, now they're in public service. They're working for an NGO. They're working for a non-profit. Do the non-profits and the NGOs, do they get their student loan debts, excuse first, before people who, I don't know, pump oil, who operate a tractor to produce crops to feed all of us? They don't, you're not gonna give them any relief from their student loan debts. No, of course not. Dave, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead Dave. - Howie, I'm just thinking of Kamala Harris, you know? She's basically cut the line. She's got Joe Biden's 14 million votes that he got from the Democrats are gonna be tossed in the pocket. So, those Democrats are gonna be disenfranchised and she gets into politics, so Willie Brown, and she calls Trump a democracy. She calls him a fascist, and they're not supposed to. He's not supposed to say anything about her education, her qualifications, this is the big leagues, Howie. This is the big leagues, and we're supposed to treat here with special treatment, while this woman cuts a line in front of everybody. I'll tell you one thing, Howie, in the restaurant business, Democrats here in Massachusetts, they like to go out to eat. And if they're gonna be pushing this crap, I guarantee you, wait, staff, will we make them wait for the drinks and wait for the food, 'cause this is gonna kill and set to want the lazy waiter, and it's penalizing the achiever. And they're gonna remember this. Wait, staff, I guarantee you, we're gonna remember who these people are, and who their faces are that are pushing this stuff, Howie. - I think that David, I think the bigger problem is there's gonna be a lot fewer wait staff, 'cause there's gonna be a lot fewer restaurants. And you know, you already go to places now where there aren't any waiters and waitresses. You go to like the big airports. You have to order off of a tablet, and then some illegal alien brings you the food, and that's it. And you know, the service is not as good. Who do you go to if you want some more water? For your, you know, it's just, they're gonna screw everything up. They screwed it. I still, I'm still angry when I drive by all the restaurants I used to enjoy that are shut down, that never reopened, that are now, a lot of them, there's a lot of them are still empty spaces in Wellesley, the area where I am. Or one of a coffee shop I used to go to is a bank, just what we needed, another branch bank, right? And the bakery that expanded is gone. There's nothing there. The Eastern Standard, I used to love to go in there and fit in Kenmore Square, before the Red Sox games, when we broadcast from there, it's gone. All these, one of the chateaus that I used to go to is gone. All these rest, everybody's got a favorite restaurant that's gone, 844, 542, 42, I'm Howie Carr. Howie Carr, we'll be right back. (upbeat music) He's Howie Carr, and he's back. 201, he's obviously from New Jersey. He says, I don't worry about going out to eat and tipping at my favorite joint anymore. Phil Murphy put it out of business a few years ago. But isn't that a coincidence? Phil Murphy, your governor went to high school right here in Needham with my old governor, Charlie Parker. And they graduated the same year. And Charlie Baker put some of my favorite restaurants out of business, just like Phil Murphy put your favorite restaurants out of business. 781, now this is a classic. My daughter is a bartender and a Bernie supporter, and she is extremely against the minimum wage for servers. You know, 781, you gotta talk to your daughter and try to explain economics to her. And tell her Bernie is not her friend as a tipped employee. Bernie is not anybody's friend who works. 844, 542, 42. According to Galvin's website says 508, they needed 12,429 signatures to be on the ballot. That was probably the second time that they have to get. I think they go through two phases. The tipped, this tipped workers one submitted 12,565 but was challenged. Apparently the objections were overruled. So, it's just 844, 542. Let's see, Dave, you're next with Howie Carr. Another Dave, go ahead. You there, Dave? Not there. John, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead, John. - Hello, Howie, am I on now? - Yes, you are. - Hey, with the tipping thing, I could be wrong, but I thought a long time ago, tipping started with to ensure promptness. You would prepay when you were in a hurry, but that evolved into now at the end of the meal, you pay and the tip is bigger if the service is better. And when you think about the tips, the cost of food has gone up so much, the restaurant bills have gone up, all the wait staffs getting more money than they ever did 'cause the food costs more and 20% of something bigger is a bigger tip. But now, if you go, well, we're gonna force the restaurant people to pay the wait staff a quote, livable wage, we might as well stop tipping them. Treat 'em just like somebody that works at Home Depot or McDonald's, we're not gonna tip the McDonald's worker. Now, the restaurant people won't get tipped. They are going to get screwed if this goes through. - Hi, it's very simple, isn't it, John? I mean, it doesn't take a PhD in economics to figure this out, but they don't care. I mean, this is just another, it's the same thing as rank choice voting. Rank choice voting, it's a way to thwart the will of the people and that's all it was. And I'm trying to look on the bright side of this thing and the rank choice voting was on the ballot, I think in 2020 or 2018. And the out-of-state people, the same type of people who came in from California to get this on the ballot, this question five on the tips. They came in and they outspent the anti-rank choice voting people 1200 to one, 1200 to one. It was Anthony Amore, he was sort of a one man band who later ran for auditor. He worked it with a handful of other people and they beat the thing, they beat it. And they're still trying to push through rank choice voting because again, it means they'll just keep counting the ballots till the Democrats win everything. Thanks for the call, John. Scott, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead, Scott. You there, Scott? Scott's gone. 844, 500, 42, 42. We have time for, I guess we'll have one more. Let's go out with among other things. A bite and a whisper cut. - Wrong, it was the wrong website. - Oh, what's the, oh, what's the website? - It's protecttips.org. - Protect, protecttips.org. - Not.com, not org. - Protecttips.org. Okay, I apologize for that. Protecttips.org, that's where to go to learn more about this. Seven, seven, four, if it ain't broke, the Democrats will find a way to make sure it is. Yeah, I never thought that that phrase, if it ain't broke, don't fix it, is something to have an argument about. It seems kind of a no brainer, doesn't it? But they just keep doing it one thing after another. Fewer people are going to go out to eat because of the cost, exactly. That's what's happening in California. Look what's happening. Paul, you're next with Howie Carr, go ahead, Paul. - Howie, my wife and I traveled to Australia last year and there's no tipping in Australia. Restaurants, cab drivers, the restaurant we frequent, this is what you get, 120 people in the restaurant. You go up to the cashier, place your order, pick up your cocktails and sit back down and you wait for one of the waitresses to bring you your food and there's no tipping. That's what Boston will get. No tips and just now I really wait and I'm a formal sous chef myself, so. - Yeah, it's not going to be good. It's less pleasant to go out to eat, I'm assuming, right? - Yeah, it was, it was, it was kind of strange because they put french fries in all the dishes. Keep the prices now. - That's okay with me as long as they're crinkle cut. But that's me. Not everybody likes fries. See you tomorrow on Howie Car. 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