Simply Soulful owner Lillian Rambus: “It’s easier for a young child to get a gun than a job.”
Lillian Rambus is doing whatever she can to keep her business running smoothly.
Rambus, an owner at Seattle’s Simply Soulful — a family-owned café serving classic soul food — takes on extra shifts. She hasn’t paid herself a full-time wage since last year. She’s transitioned the restaurant from full- to counter service to save money on staff.
Rambus recently appeared at a Formidable-ExplorePNW event to discuss the challenges facing the industry, and what it needs to thrive.
How have the expectations of your customers changed over the years? People want to feel like they’re at home. They want you to know their name, their orders. There are expectations. Things are getting so tight that they want to feel like they’re valued. Especially the younger generation, they don’t cook a lot. If I’m going to spend my money, I want to feel good about it.
How did the pandemic change the industry? During Covid, we had more foot traffic because people were forced into the takeout arena. I feel like sales actually went up during Covid, but so did prices. The difference now we’re facing is that prices went up and never came back down. The foot traffic is down. I know, especially for Black businesses, you had the George Floyd thing, so people were being a lot more intentional about what they were doing with their money. I think that is still true, but economically they’re having a hard time. People had more money during Covid and we’re on the opposite trend right now.
How do you deal with tipping? I'm a small restaurant, a counter service restaurant, so tipping for me is very tricky. I can’t add a service charge. You have to do everything that makes (customers) feel good about spending their money with you.
How have the minimum wage and loss of tip credit (which previously allowed employers to count tips toward minimum wage) affected your operations? The minimum wage has had a drastic effect. I used to have 15 staff. It’s down to 10. There are no more community jobs for children because I just can’t afford to hire somebody and pay them $28 an hour to teach them how to sweep a floor. It breaks my heart. We’re located in the Central District. It’s easier for a young child to get a gun than a job. We have a serious problem.
Do you feel like you have access to government officials? I think we have access to government officials, but sometimes it’s more performative than it is actually caring, because we’re screaming at the top of our lungs, “If you don’t stop, I’m going to die.” The government has its own priorities in terms of business, but everything you’re doing to us, you’re doing to Amazon or Starbucks, but I don’t pay the same wages. I think the enemy we’re “so-called” fighting, the corporations and big guys, are actually benefitting off the hurt of small businesses, because every time we close (customers) have fewer options. For me, that’s a big, big issue.
What role should government play? There are ways we’re looking to get help. Don’t do it to us, work with us. If I was a single mother, low-income and hurting, and I needed help with my energy (there are resources) but there’s nothing like that for any kind of small businesses, even with some of the programs the city already has. Some of them are just low-interest loans, so that adds another middleman that’s just going to squeeze us. How do we get more direct help? I think it just comes out of collaboration. Ask us. We don’t have an ulterior motive. We’re not trying to live high on the hog or squeeze our employees for every bit of work we can get out of them. They’re our family, but I think small businesses and big businesses have been lumped together.
What does a sustainable wage model look like? Until (government) figures it out, they should leave it alone.
Can independent restaurants still thrive in Seattle? Seattle is a place that prides itself on being a small community where we have our different neighborhoods, different restaurants. They’re each very unique, but I believe we are trending to a corporate landscape. Small businesses are failing.
