{"id":2282568,"date":"2024-06-24T10:02:02","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T14:02:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/californias-20-minimum-wage-sinks-san-fran-mcdonalds-in-gut-wrenching-loss-after-over-30-years-of-service\/"},"modified":"2024-06-24T10:05:33","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T14:05:33","slug":"californias-20-minimum-wage-sinks-san-fran-mcdonalds-in-gut-wrenching-loss-after-over-30-years-of-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/californias-20-minimum-wage-sinks-san-fran-mcdonalds-in-gut-wrenching-loss-after-over-30-years-of-service\/","title":{"rendered":"California&#8217;s $20 Minimum Wage Sinks San Fran McDonald&#8217;s in &#8216;Gut-Wrenching&#8217; Loss After Over 30 Years of Service"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fcalifornias-20-minimum-wage-sinks-san-fran-mcdonalds-in-gut-wrenching-loss-after-over-30-years-of-service%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2282568&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the closure of a long-standing McDonald&#8217;s restaurant in San Francisco&#8217;s Stonestown\u200b Galleria,\u200b attributing the shutdown partly to California&#8217;s new $20 \u2064minimum wage law for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-california-fast-food-restaurants-at-center-of-criminal-threats\/\" title=\"Report: California Fast Food Restaurants at Center of Criminal Threats\">fast-food workers<\/a>. Conservative economist Thomas Sowell&#8217;s views on minimum wage laws \u2064are cited to underscore the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/august-job-openings-unexpectedly-surge-as-investors-worry-about-higher-rates\/\" title=\"August job openings surge unexpectedly as investors fret over rising rates.\">challenges businesses face<\/a> \u2064when wage mandates rise. The article mentions that the\u200d franchise owner, Scott Rodrick, also faced unmanageable costs due to high property taxes and mall fees, alongside difficulties in negotiating \u2062a viable lease with the\u2063 landlord. This McDonald\u2019s closure is presented as part\u200c of a broader pattern of business closures in California following the wage increase, with several \u2064other restaurants also shutting down due \u200bto similar financial pressures.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<header> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/commentary\/\">  Commentary <\/a>   <span> <\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<p> <span>   By <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/%20\"><span>C. Douglas Golden<\/span><\/a> <\/span> <span>   June 24, 2024 at 5:33am <\/span> <\/span>  <\/header>\n<section>\n<p>Conservative economist Thomas Sowell will turn 94 on June 30, but his wit and wisdom remain as timely and necessary as ever.<\/p>\n<p>Take the case of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mcdonalds-kills-off-ai-drive-thru-infuriating-customers-massive-bills-mcdonalds-robot-wild\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">McDonald\u2019s<\/a> restaurant that\u2019s been in an iconic San Francisco location for over 30 years. Then take one of Sowell\u2019s most famous \u2014 and accurate \u2014 quotes:<\/p>\n<p>\u201cUnfortunately, the real minimum wage is always zero, regardless of the laws, and that is the wage that many workers receive in the wake of the creation or escalation of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/did-steven-crowder-just-expose-wikipedias-left-wing-bias-watch-his-test-and-judge-for-yourself\/\" title=\"Did Steven Crowder Just Expose Wikipedia\u2019s Left-Wing Bias? Watch His Test And Judge For Yourself.\">government-mandated minimum wage<\/a>, because they lose their jobs or fail to find jobs when they enter the labor force,\u201d Sowell <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/quotes\/736527-unfortunately-the-real-minimum-wage-is-always-zero-regardless-of\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">wrote<\/a> in his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.goodreads.com\/book\/show\/3023.Basic_Economics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2000 book<\/a> \u201cBasic Economics: A Citizen\u2019s Guide to the Economy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cMaking it illegal to pay less than a given amount does not make a worker\u2019s productivity worth that amount \u2014 and, if it is not, that worker is unlikely to be employed.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Well, guess what\u2019s happening at the McD\u2019s at Stonestown Galleria in San Francisco now that the state requires a $20 minimum wage for most fast-food workers?<\/p>\n<p>According to San Francisco\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/abc7news.com\/post\/mcdonalds-stonestown-galleria-san-francisco-closing-sunday-after\/14992448\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KGO-TV<\/a>, the restaurant closed permanently on Sunday, in part because of the new wage laws in the state.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt has been a pleasure for my entire team and I to serve the 19th Avenue and Ingleside neighborhoods for more than 30 years,\u201d a letter posted outside the restaurant stated, KGO reported.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe are thankful to have been part of your daily meal routine, either for an Egg McMuffin in the morning or a Happy Meal with the kids after an afternoon of shopping at Stonestown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Franchise owner Scott Rodrick said there were two reasons for the closure, one of them obvious.<\/p>\n<div id=\"firefly-poll-container\">\n<p>Is a higher minimum wage bad?<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>First, the less-obvious one: Rodrick said that the landlord at Stonestown wasn\u2019t willing to negotiate a sustainable long-term lease at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/san-francisco-rolls-free-grocery-store-big-catch-taxpayers-may-not-like\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">San Francisco<\/a> mall.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s unclear whether this is because of renovations being done at Stonestown; according to the mall\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.stonestown.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">website<\/a>, the owners have \u201cbeen working with the community for four years to create a vision to build a vibrant new neighborhood around the mall on what is now a vast expanse of parking lots. That vision will transform Stonestown from a retail center to a town center.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, things were already pretty expensive in that part of the world, with Rodrick saying \u201cthe property taxes and shared tenant mall fees were the highest paid for a single location for the company,\u201d according to KGO.<\/p>\n<p>And now, the part that won\u2019t shock you: The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/countless-workers-face-layoffs-reduced-hours-californias-outrageous-new-minimum-wage-law-kicks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">$20 minimum wage<\/a> is making it difficult to keep the location viable.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a gut wrenching day for my family,\u201d Rodrick told KGO, adding that the employees at the restaurant were offered other positions at nearby locations.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">The Stonestown Galleria McDonald\u2019s is closing today after more than 30 years in business.<\/p>\n<p>The franchisee owner Scott Rodrick told me this was for 2 reasons:<\/p>\n<p>He says the landlord was unwilling to negotiate a \u201csensible\u201d rent &#038; that property taxes and mall fees were the highest\u2026 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/qHmTe3PsQy\">pic.twitter.com\/qHmTe3PsQy<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Dion Lim (@DionLimTV) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/DionLimTV\/status\/1804953125545243102?\">June 23, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>No doubt, the loss of the restaurant is \u201cgut-wrenching\u201d for customers, too.<\/p>\n<p>However, restaurant closures have been a not-uncommon sight in the Golden State since an April law aimed at increasing the minimum wage at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/nanny-biden-comes-for-menthols\/\" title=\"Nanny Biden Comes for Menthols\">fast-food restaurants<\/a> to $20 kicked in.<\/p>\n<p>Immediately after the law kicked in back in April, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/popular-pizza-chain-forced-close-5-locations-californias-20-minimum-wage-kicks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">popular chain Mod Pizza<\/a> abruptly closed five locations in the state. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/california-workers-left-jobless-restaurant-closes-without-warning-20-minimum-wage-kicks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Another popular restaurant<\/a> in Lemoore, California, shut down suddenly just days after the new law came into effect, leaving 20 suddenly jobless.<\/p>\n<p>Even in Hollywood, an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/hollywood-nightmare-california-20-minimum-wage-sinks-hollywoods-55-year-old-arbys\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Arby\u2019s location<\/a> on Sunset Boulevard that had become a local landmark shut down last week due to the minimum wage increase:<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">When Arby\u2019s Hollywood opened in January 1969 on Sunset Blvd., it had an unobstructed view of the Hollywood sign. That went away a few decades later and now, after 55 long years, the location has closed. <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/f5THNTo50f\">pic.twitter.com\/f5THNTo50f<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Richard Horgan (@hollywoodspin) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hollywoodspin\/status\/1802371366186017169?\">June 16, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>And keep in mind, this wage has only been in place for a few months now. Most <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/new-york-bill-would-require-some-chick-fil-a-locations-to-remain-open-on-sundays\/\" title=\"NY bill mandates certain Chick-fil-A stores to open on Sundays\">restaurants remain open<\/a>, although diners are experiencing sticker shock; in April, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mcdonalds-25-deal-angers-customers-shows-damage-californias-20-minimum-wage-fast-food-industry\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">TikTok user went viral<\/a> for a clip featuring a $25 40-piece Chicken McNugget meal.<\/p>\n<p>While I hope nobody is consuming that many McNuggets alone, a quarter of a Benjamin for 40 McNuggets is beyond insane \u2014 and this didn\u2019t even include a soda. (Although you did get two large fries with it.)<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou couldn\u2019t even throw in, like, a medium Sprite in there? Holy crap,\u201d the woman said in the video.<\/p>\n<p>But remember: Eventually, that price, like the minimum wage, could drop to $0 \u2014 because the meal is no longer available and the location is closed. Wash, rinse, repeat. It\u2019s almost like California can\u2019t learn from its own mistakes \u2014 or from Thomas Sowell\u2019s timeless wisdom.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p><b><i>An Important Message from Our Staff:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>In just a few months, the world is going to change forever. The 2024 election is the single most important election of our lifetime. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>We here at The Western Journal are committed to covering it in a way the establishment media simply will not: We will tell the truth, and they will lie.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>But Big Tech and the elites don\u2019t want the truth out. That\u2019s why they have cut us off from 90% of advertisers. Imagine if someone cut your monthly income by 90%. That\u2019s what they\u2019ve done to people like us. <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>As a staff, we are asking you to <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to fight this once-in-a-lifetime fight. Without you not only will The Western Journal fail, but America will fail also. As Benjamin Franklin said, \u201cWe must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>Will you support The Western Journal today and <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>become a member<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>? <\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>A Western Journal <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Membership<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  costs less than one coffee and breakfast sandwich each month, and it gets you access to ALL of our content \u2014 news, commentary, and premium articles. You\u2019ll experience a radically reduced number of ads, and most importantly you will be vitally supporting the fight for America\u2019s soul in 2024.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><i><span>This is the time. America will live or die based on what happens this year. Please <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>join us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>  to get the real truth out and to fight the elites, Big Tech, and the people who want America to fail. Together, we really can save the country.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Thank you for your support!<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n<p><i><span>P.S. <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/subscribe\/?utm_source=site&#038;utm_medium=westernjournalism&#038;utm_campaign=authorpitch\"><i><span>Please stand with us<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span>!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div id=\"author-info-44670\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/author\/cillianzeal\/\">  <\/a> <\/p>\n<div>\n<p><label for=\"summary-tab-radio-44670\">Summary<\/label><label for=\"more-info-tab-radio-44670\">More<span> Biographical Information<\/span><\/label><label for=\"posts-tab-radio-44670\">Recent<span> Posts<\/span><\/label><label for=\"contact-tab-radio-44670\" onclick=\"if( typeof grecaptcha=='undefined' ) { let cap_s=document.createElement( 'script' ); cap_s.src='https:\/\/www.google.com\/recaptcha\/api.js?render=6LeJFcsUAAAAAPsIEqvB1EebWbZfqRUe6ebMpGy7'; document.body.appendChild( cap_s ); }\">Contact<\/label><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he&#8217;s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div>\n<p>  C. Douglas Golden is a writer who splits his time between the United States and Southeast Asia. Specializing in political commentary and world affairs, he&#8217;s written for Conservative Tribune and The Western Journal since 2014. Aside from politics, he enjoys spending time with his wife, literature (especially British comic novels and modern Japanese lit), indie rock, coffee, Formula One and football (of both American and world varieties). <\/p>\n<p>  Birthplace <\/p>\n<p>  Morristown, New Jersey <\/p>\n<p>  Education <\/p>\n<p>  Catholic University of America <\/p>\n<p>  Languages Spoken <\/p>\n<p>  English, Spanish <\/p>\n<p>  Topics of Expertise <\/p>\n<p>  American Politics, World Politics, Culture <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Commentary by C. Douglas Golden, June 24, 2024: As conservative economist Thomas Sowell approaches his 94th birthday on June 30, his insights remain crucial. Consider a McDonald\u2019s in an iconic San Francisco spot for 30 years, reflecting Sowell&#8217;s enduring relevance<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":663,"featured_media":2282569,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mcdonalds-for-june-24-2024.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[4045,11237,32421,32422],"class_list":["post-2282568","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-california","tag-mcdonalds","tag-minimum-wage","tag-san-francisco"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/mcdonalds-for-june-24-2024.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282568","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/663"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2282568"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2282568\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2282569"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2282568"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2282568"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2282568"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}