A Message From Our Founder
From a humble food cart to a local favorite with three locations, our business is an incredible Portland success story. Although we operate in a difficult industry in one of the toughest business climates in the US, we have prevailed. Our formula is simple: we make good food, we take care of our customers, we pay our staff well, and do it consistently every year.
STAFF BENEFITS:
All hourly workers take home at least $20/hr, and the average hourly worker takes home $25/hr. Our downtown cart staff can make up to $35/hr on our busiest days. We pay 60% of our staff’s insurance premiums, and we offer 2-3 weeks PTO, and a week of sick time. We offer short- and long-term disability, Oregon family medical leave, and parental leave. Free meals during shifts, and 25% off everything when you are off-shift. We offer management training and growth opportunities, and daytime shifts (no evenings or late nights!).
My name is Jace, and I’m the founder of Fried Egg I’m In Love. Since 2012, we’ve grown from a humble food cart to two restaurants, a downtown food cart, and a production kitchen. I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built and committed to providing a positive work environment for our employees while navigating an ever-changing business landscape here in Portland. As a small business owner, I’ve always strived to offer fair compensation, comprehensive benefits, and a supportive workplace.
Recently, our Fried Egg Workers Union (FEWU) has taken to public platforms to spread negative comments and encourage poor reviews of our business. This has been especially disheartening, as we’re still early in bargaining and nowhere near deadlock. FEWU has also organized strikes, walkouts, and picketing at all of our locations. All of this has cost our small business thousands in lost sales, and many thousands in legal fees.
What are they demanding? FEWU wishes to reinstate an employee with 31 tardies (over 10 min late) on his record. Despite extensive coaching and progressive discipline, he was recently terminated for excessive tardies. In our industry, punctuality is crucial, and his continued tardiness put undue pressure on both managers and coworkers.
This employee has used the union’s voice to make false claims, accusing us of union-busting and wrongful termination. Since taking over union leadership, his focus is on disrupting our business, rather than negotiating for his constituents. Many union members have left in protest. Many other staff have chosen not to align with FEWU’s dishonest and anti-business stance.
We stand by our values of hard work, accountability, quality, and cooperation. We fully comply with labor laws and welcome any claims to be reviewed through the appropriate legal channels. With excellent legal counsel and comprehensive documentation, we’re confident that we are operating within the law.
While Portland restaurants are closing at an alarming rate, we have managed to survive year after year, thanks to the hard work of our team and loyalty of our customers. We are a home-grown success story in a tough industry. Your support means the world to us, and we look forward to continuing to serve the Portland community.
Thank you.
Jace Krause
Founder and CEO
Fried Egg I’m In Love
October 29, 2024