Raising the Minimum Wage Hasn’t Cost Jobs in Seattle (and More Updates)

Welcome back to Morning Briefing, a semi-regular round-up of mini news bites to kick off the day. Have news to share? Send intel to seattle@eater.com.

Opponents of Seattle’s Higher Minimum Wage Will Hate the Latest Study

A new study from the University of California Berkeley reveals that Seattle’s increased minimum wage, a pioneering effort currently ranging from $11 to $15 an hour depending on various factors, has raised pay for restaurant workers without costing jobs, despite warnings from opponents of the wage hike. Even employment at fast food chains, who filed and lost a lawsuit against the city in 2014, was unaffected. Read more about the study’s findings.

Late-Night Landmark 13 Coins Expects an Uninterrupted Transition to Its New Seattle Home

13 Coins, a Seattle late-night landmark with its high-backed booths, buckets of clams, martinis, frequent live music, open line of engaging chefs, and whole racks of lamb, hopes to open its new Pioneer Square restaurant at the same time as it closes its South Lake Union original late this year, The Seattle Times reports. It’ll be interesting to see how owner Al Moscatel plans to refine the menu, making it lighter and more contemporary, without losing anyone’s favorite dishes, though — can 13 Coins’ old-school decadence mesh with modern sensibilities?

Winners and Losers in the Amazon Buyout of Whole Foods

Who are the likely winners and losers in the aftermath of online retail behemoth Amazon’s purchase of Whole Foods? Upper-middle-class consumers are, no surprise, liable to benefit if Amazon decides to deliver Whole Foods products and negotiates food prices down the way it has done for books, while smaller grocers may be forced to close, which could also hurt low-income consumers, especially those in food deserts. See more predictions.

Chuckanut Takes Triple-Gold at the Washington Beer Awards

In the 2017 Washington Beer Awards, which judged a whopping 1,207 beer submissions, Bellingham’s Chuckanut Brewing was the big winner, taking home three gold medals (for its pilsner, alt, and American wheat), three silvers, and a bronze, as well as the Large Brewery of the Year award. Plenty of Seattle breweries stood out amongst the 165 statewide entrants, too, including Stoup and Reuben’s, who each received two gold medals.

Another Food Truck Sets Down Roots in the Central District

The duo behind Nate’s Wings and Waffles, Kryse Martin-McGill and Darren McGill, are opening a brick-and-mortar for their Portland-born burger truck, Happy Grillmore. It’ll land at 509 13th Ave in the Central District this month or next, replacing the food truck, which has been sold, according to Seattle Met. Aside from the popular and generously topped burgers with movie-themed names like the Chub and You Can Do It, expect milkshakes with ice cream from the couple’s Central District Ice Cream Company as well as deep-fried hand pies filled with flavors like mixed berry and dark chocolate smoked sea salt.