Punch Pizza announces it's raising starting wage to $15 an hour
The $15-an-hour minimum wage movement has gained at least one key adopter in the Twin Cities: Punch Neapolitan Pizza.
The local chain, which boasts 12 locations around the metro, made the announcement on Facebook this weekend:
Punch says that, "starting today, all newly hired employees will start at $15/hr," and that "100% of our current employees are also getting a raise."
"We think our employees are our number one asset," the post says. "When we ask customers why they return to Punch the top two answers, closely ranked, are the quality of our pizza and our engaged, friendly employees."
As WCCO notes, Punch is "one of the first Minnesota restaurant companies to make this leap to a $15 minimum wage."
The station says the company will also be expanding its training programs along with the wage increase.
The announcement has earned Punch national coverage, with co-owner John Puckett appearing on Fox News to discuss the decision.
The news came the same day Axios reported that Punch is also considering "a takeout-only express concept," as the pandemic has driven up demand for digital and takeout service.
