Where Did I82

Go Wrong? 

Act Now to Protect Local Jobs and Save Independent Restaurants – Before It’s Too Late

44% of DC’s full-service

casual restaurants

expect to close this year.

We can save them.

Close-up of a woman with multicolored dreadlocks, wearing a black top and a delicate necklace, with a blurred orange and black background.
A young woman with light skin and blue eyes, wearing a white t-shirt, standing in a bar or restaurant with a red wall and shelves of bottles in the background.
A man with a gray beard and mustache, wearing a black cap with a yellow logo, a black T-shirt with a graphic of a boxing match, and wristbands, sitting with his arms crossed in a casual restaurant or cafe with red walls and fridge cabinets in the background.

When We Know Better, We Must Do Better.

In 2022, DC voters passed Initiative 82 with the goal of supporting restaurant workers. The results have done the exact opposite. Workers are earning less, neighborhood restaurants are shuttering, and the cost of dining out has skyrocketed.

Initiative 82 Was Well Intended. But It’s Outcomes that Matter.
Good policy requires honest assessment. A record number of local independent restaurants closed last year, and more closures are announced every day. 44% of DC’s neighborhood restaurants said they are likely to close this year. DC restaurants and bars have lost over 1,700 jobs since Initiative 82 began in May 2023.

DC Deserves Better. End the I82 Experiment Now.
When voters passed Initiative 82, the District became the first place in the country in more than 20 years to eliminate tip credit – and now we know why. That’s why we are calling on the DC Council to immediately repeal Initiative 82. 

Doing so would create a vital lifeline that will save jobs, wages, and restaurants. Initiative 82 didn’t go to plan. Now it’s time to fix it.

Take
Action Now!

Take 30 seconds to let the DC Council know that Initiative 82 should be repealed immediately.

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  • A man with glasses and a beard wearing a patterned baseball cap backward and a black T-shirt, sitting indoors with a blurred reddish background.

    “I would say to anybody who thinks that Initiative 82 is helping workers that they don't understand how restaurants really operate.”

    — Dylan | Bartender & Shift Leader

  • A young woman with light skin, blue eyes, and brown hair styled in a loose updo wearing a white t-shirt, standing inside a cafe or restaurant with a red wall and various bottles and items in the background.

    “Before [Initiative 82] was passed, I would make 22-25% on average per check. Now it's around 18-19%, which definitely decreases my take home money.”

    — Yana | Server, Bartender & Part-Time Manager

  • A woman with colorful, styled dreadlocks and a serious expression.

    “We're [trying] to pivot to actually stay open, because if our projections are right, we would be closed by the end of the year.”

    — Chef Pinkey | Co-Owner, Flavorture

  • A middle-aged man with a gray beard and mustache, wearing a black baseball cap with a yellow design, a black T-shirt with a silhouette graphic, a watch, and wristbands, poses with arms crossed in a casual indoor setting.

    “If you're a proponent of [Initiative] 82, I'd like you to come to The Pug and you tell me which one of my bartenders I should fire so that I can stay open, because the only way that the pug stays open is if I fire a couple guys and I go back behind the bar there myself.”

    — Tony Tomelden | Owner, The Pug

  • A man with a shaved head wearing a dark blue button-down shirt, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression. The background is blurred with warm colors.

    “It's not that I changed my business model with [Initiative] 82. It's like I changed my reality. We're hiring less and people are doing more within their positions. You know, [Initiative] 82, to me, is an example of how the people that pushed it forward didn't really understand how restaurants work.”

    — Chef Rock Harper | Owner of Hill Prince and Queen Mother's Kitchen

  • A man with salt and pepper hair and beard, wearing a black polo shirt, looking directly at the camera against a blurred indoor background with an orange wall.

    “[R]estaurant operators like myself are hiring less people in front of the house and it's diminishing the whole value of customer service—because we have to be able to afford people to work. So [Initiative 82] creates less jobs and that shouldn't be the goal. Never.”

    — Chef Jeff Miskiri | Owner, Creole on 14th and Miss Toya's Creole House

How DOES THE

Tipped Wage Credit

Actually Work?

Key Facts

Line drawing of a small storefront or shop with an awning above the door and window.

A record 74 DC restaurants closed
in 2024.

Line drawing of a small food cart with a canopy and wheels.

44% of DC’s full-service casual restaurants expect to close this year.

Outline drawing of a person wearing a bow tie and having their hair in a bun.

71% of workers indicated that their hours have been reduced.

A clock, fork, and knife icon indicating meal or dining time.

70% of restaurants have cut hours, laid off staff, or stopped hiring entirely to reduce costs.

Icon of a covered food serving dish with a dollar sign coin in front of it, representing food costs or restaurant pricing.

50% of workers have seen
a reduction in
their tips.

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