To our cheese family,
As of September 1, 2022 we are proud to introduce a 7% Admin fee based on sales which will be added to each guest check. This fee will go directly to our curds&co staff (excluding ownership) to help supplement wages for all employees. As you may know, we have not accepted tips for the first 5 years of our existence with the exception of a brief period during the beginning of Covid shutdown (until we realized that we couldn’t share amongst the staff equitably due to the outdated nature of tipping laws in Massachusetts). At that time we made the costly but right decision to raise our starting salary by $2/hour instead.
As a food store with a restaurant license, we walk a fine line between retail and service and we have found that this program will help us treat all of our staff fairly and give them a more reliable income. We are joining a growing list of businesses looking to improve the cultural shift in the food and service industries.
Why not just raise prices and share tips?
Essentially we are raising prices but we are choosing to do so in a very transparent way. Our labor costs are a significant part of our budget and, we hope you agree, our most valuable asset. We continue to not accept tipping as it is not an acceptable and equitable way for us to support our staff based on current laws. We know many of you have tried to tip our team and thank you for your support of our team. We now have a way for everyone to support our staff simply by shopping with us. This fee helps you to see our core beliefs and how your patronage supports our staff.
Will employees make less than they were previously making before?
We are not adjusting any salaries down and we are expecting our employees will make $2+/hour more than they currently are making.
Why 7% for the fee?
In researching the data we’ve acquired over the last five years, and a survey of current salaries paid in similar positions, we found this amount to be a good starting point. In full transparency we do reserve the right to change this fee up or down based on needs going forward for our staff. We are always trying to innovate and improve and will continue to do so going forward.
Does all of the Admin Fee go to the curds&co staff?
Yes, all the Administrative fee is dispersed and accounted for into non-ownership wages and labor expenses each pay period.
If you are purchasing in-store, we can remove this charge if requested at time of purchase. Note that the administrative fee is not a tip, gratuity or a service charge. If you have any questions about this we kindly ask that you reach out directly to our Founder, Jenn Mason Jenn@curdsandco.com and she’ll be happy to get back to you!