'Enough Is Enough' Say SF Business Owners After Parental Leave Vote
SAN FRANCISCO (KPIX 5) -- San Francisco is an increasingly expensive place to run a small business, and some owners are saying they've had enough.
From minimum wage, to Healthy SF costs, and now parental leave – business owners say they are struggling, and passing on more costs to the consumer.
"The message you have to send sometimes, is hey, enough is enough," Mark Dwight of Rickshaw Bags said. The 30 employees at his Dogpatch neighborhood factory cut red tape all day, but Dwight sees city hall doing just the opposite.
"It's this constant piling on, it's the death of a thousand cuts," said Dwight, who feels the city is cutting too far into his bottom line.
Tony Azzollini of Caffe Roma agreed. "Please stop adding expenses to the businesses in San Francisco," Azzollini said.
San Francisco has the highest minimum wage in the state, though the rest of California will catch up over several years with new legislation.
San Francisco's business tax rate is also among the state's highest, not to mention the cost of office or factory space.
"Now, we're seeing companies having their rent increased upwards of 100, 200, 300 percent," Dwight said.