(Washington, DC) – On Monday, July 7 at 11 am, Mayor Muriel Bowser will host a roundtable discussion with local restaurant owners and workers to discuss the proposed repeal of Initiative 82, as outlined in her Fiscal Year 2026 Budget, Grow DC. The discussion will be moderated by Shawn Townsend, President and CEO of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), and will focus on supporting the economic well-being of local restaurants and bars that help drive the District’s economy.
Initiative 82, which eliminated the tipped minimum wage in DC, went into effect in May 2023. Since then, restaurants and bars across the District have lost over 1,700 jobs, and a RAMW survey found that 44% of full-service casual restaurants in DC expect to close by the end of 2025, due to increased operating and supply costs and higher rents.
Mayor Bowser’s FY26 Budget proposes a repeal of Initiative 82 to restore the District’s tipped wage system and establishes new sales tax holidays for restaurants, providing a necessary remedy to the perfect storm of problems that the DC hospitality industry is facing.
Mayor Bowser’s Growth Agenda provides a bold and innovative plan to grow the District’s economy by balancing attraction dollars to include both tourism and business attraction, making it easier to open a new business in DC by reducing red tape, and making it easier to keep a business in DC by cutting taxes and supporting local businesses.
Learn more about Mayor Bowser’s FY26 Budget at budget.dc.gov.
When:
Monday, July 7 at 11 am
Who:
Mayor Muriel Bowser
Nina Albert, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development
Shawn Townsend, President and CEO, RAMW
Alex Heidenberger, Managing Partner, Shaw’s Tavern
Where:
Shaw’s Tavern
520 Florida Avenue NW
*Closest Bus Routes: C51, C53, C57*
*Closest Bikeshare: 7th St & Florida Ave NW*
Press interested in attending the event are asked to RSVP to [email protected]. Registration is required to attend, and is open to press only.
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