'Let's do the best we can:' Fayetteville coffee shop ups prices to give raises to employees
FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (WTVD) -- For over a year, staff members at Rude Awakening in Fayetteville have been struggling with the issues of the pandemic.
Like most businesses, they were not immune to the restrictions and health concerns that made it virtually impossible for some to rebound as life returns slowly to downtown business.
For over 20 years, Molly Arnold has owned Rude Awakening and has always wanted a place where the community could gather and all were welcome.
With supply chain shortages causing prices to go up, Molly has had to shift with the moving tides surviving the pandemic.
"Prices have gone up and supply chains are broken. We're so grateful some weeks just to get cups," said Arnold.
Arnold has retained some of the same staff nearly as long as she's been open. While these challenges make some decisions like raising prices hard, Arnold says her employees remain the top priority.
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"We've been able to make until to this point and time so, let's do the best we can and best I could do was to pay that staff who has worked so hard for over a year, even a year and a half now and always with a smile on their face," said Arnold.
A living wage is something Arnold has always believed in.
Her secret to success is her staff and their relationships with customers and she says that will keep Rude Awakening around for a long time to come.
"This may be the first place people come to tell us their happiest story and their tragedy and you can't discount that...that means the most to us," said Arnold.
