Small Businesses

The Heart & Soul of Olympia

Our Small businesses create our city’s unique character, provide jobs for neighbors and teens, and turn everyday transactions into personal connections. These local businesses are also the first to step up when our community needs help — donating gift cards to school auctions, theaters, sponsoring youth sports teams, and contributing to local nonprofits and events. But small businesses run on razor-thin margins.

Proposition 1 would raise Olympia’s minimum wage by 20%, far above the state level, and add costly new scheduling rules and penalties. For many locally owned restaurants, shops, theater, and service companies, there simply isn’t enough profit to absorb that kind of increase.

A NO vote on Proposition 1 isn’t a vote against workers, it’s a vote to keep Olympia’s economy healthy and our small businesses alive. Let’s protect the entrepreneurs who invest their lives here, employ our friends and family, and make Olympia a vibrant, eclectic, and welcoming city.

Cher Hobbick

Bite Me Catering

"As the owner of Bite Me Catering, I care deeply about creating a positive, respectful, and fair workplace for my team. While I support the intent behind the Workers’ Bill of Rights, I have concerns about how this initiative would impact small, locally owned businesses like mine.

The proposed changes—including a mandated $20 minimum wage, rigid scheduling requirements, and additional regulatory layers—are designed with large corporations in mind. For small businesses operating on tight margins, these mandates could unintentionally reduce flexibility, limit growth, and make it harder to provide jobs in our community.

At Bite Me, all of our employees make more than $20 per hour, have flexible scheduling, and a safe work environment. However, the reporting, paperwork, and scheduling restrictions go above and beyond. One-size-fits-all legislation doesn’t account for the realities of small business operations. I believe there are better ways to support workers and strengthen Olympia’s economy—ways that include collaboration, sustainability, and fairness for both employees and employers. I respectfully oppose this initiative and encourage voters to consider its broader impact on our local business community."

Prop 1 Hurts more than helps

Small Businesses

The Heart & Soul of Olympia