ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact
Not all cafe owners have a 6-year loan with a 25% balloon payment on an Audi SQ5 – but this one does.
Michael Romano, owner of ‘The Patch’, a somewhat popular Lake Betoota cafe, has told The Advocate today that the recent increases to the minimum wage have made it increasing hard to both operate a business and live an acceptable standard of life.
The Patch currently employs six staff, three on the books and the rest are paid in cash. For a myriad of reasons, he says.
In line with the rest of the country, discretionary spending by locals has dropped off significantly and businesses like The Patch are beginning to feel the squeeze. For Mr Romano, this means there’s less money for him at the end of the day.
“Before this increase to the minimum wage, there was like $3000 a week left over for me. After it’s all said and done. Now it’s less, it’s in the 2000s, which is poverty, bro. My car payments alone at $476 a week mate. How am I supposed to afford that if I’m paying half a dozen Brazilians to sit around all day? It’s bullshit, mate,” he said.
“How does like raising the minimum wages inspire anyone to start a business. To be on the minimum wage, you’re either a kid or you’re dumb as shit, bro. Or lazy. It doesn’t matter. Like, I feel like the fucken government bro is just making it harder and harder for c**ts like me to do business.”
More to come.
