Businesses feel effects of Illinois minimum wage increase

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - With the minimum wage increasing Jan. 1, some small business owners fear for the future of their companies.

The new wage could mean having fewer employees in one shift to raising prices.'I think us owners and us businesspeople, we have to be okay with not making the kind of money that we used to,' said Tom & Jerry's owner Bob Grottke.Grottke says he listens to his customer and he's doing everything he can to keep prices low but that could change his staffing.'People work a little harder to maybe have one less person on staff, so that can offset those price increases of wages,' Grottke said.Grottke says he's worried about the hiring process as he'll have to set the bar a bit higher if he's going to start workers at $13 an hour.'The impact to the price we have to pay on a new employee that doesn't have any experience really puts a struggle on the business,' he says.Mr. C's Family Restaurant owner John Conforti says he is worried about what will happen when the minimum wage increases to $15 an hour.'It can't keep going. It can't be fifteen dollars an hour across the board.

That will make prices go up,' Conforti said.Conforti says no matter what, he will not change the serving sizes, which will also influence a price increase.'And at that point, it may be something where I downsize instead of having more help and I don't ever open the second room and I rent it out,' Conforti said.Copyright 2023 WIFR. All rights reserved.