The debate grew sharp almost immediately.
Becca had two children and wanted the buyer who could guarantee prompt wages.
“I can’t pay the landlord with influence,” she said.
Lucia agreed about wages but feared that a corporate buyer would replace kitchen staff after training new hires.
Omar wanted written rights for support workers instead of vague promises of equality.
Jules argued that accepting a billionaire’s help without enforceable limits could make the restaurant dependent on his mood.
Simone asked whether anyone could survive another month with Calvin’s system still embedded in the schedules.
Francine admitted that she had not yet determined how many hours were truly necessary for each service.
The room became quiet because they had reached a hard part of the problem.
More predictable staffing meant deciding how to allocate limited hours fairly.
It would not always mean giving everyone the hours they wanted.
Ethan took questions for almost an hour.
He acknowledged that he wanted a return on his investment.
He said he would not buy a restaurant simply to lose money indefinitely.
Some employees appreciated the honesty.
Others disliked hearing the numbers attached to their jobs.
“Would you sell us out if a company offered you twice what you paid?” Niko asked.
Ethan considered before answering.
“I don’t know what I’ll be offered in five years.”
“That’s not comforting,” Niko said.
“I promised I would stop offering comforting answers I can’t defend.”
Lucia leaned forward.
“Then give the workers the first chance to buy your stake if you ever sell.”
Priya made a note.
“We can model that.”
“And voting rights over a buyer who intends to close the kitchen,” Omar added.
Ethan looked at Priya.
She nodded slowly.
“That will affect the valuation, but it’s negotiable.”
“Good,” Jules said.
“We intend to negotiate.”
Marissa arrived after the meeting had begun.
She listened near the back without taking a seat.
Francine noticed and invited her forward.
“I don’t think I should vote,” Marissa said.
“I’m not employed here.”
Jules held up a hand.
“We can vote about whether to invite you back.”
A ripple of laughter loosened the room.
Marissa stepped to the front.
“I have another job offer,” she said.
“I need to decide today.”
Nobody interrupted her.
“I can’t promise I’ll stay if this deal happens, and I don’t want my name used to sell a plan that hasn’t been tested.”
Ethan watched her carefully.
“But I can tell you what I would need if I came back.”
She asked for a written role with specific duties and a salary that would not depend on tips.
She wanted authority to stop service when safety or staffing required it, subject to review by colleagues.
She wanted training time paid for every new employee, including dishwashers and hosts.
She wanted complaints heard by more than the person being complained about.
Most of all, she wanted the employee council to exist whether or not she accepted a position.
“It’s not a monument to my bad day,” she said.
“It has to work on ordinary days too.”
