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A Note to Our Valued Guests

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At Maíz, we are committed to providing you with the exceptional food, service, and hospitality you’ve come to expect from us. However, we want to take a moment to share the reasons behind the introduction of a service fee to all our checks.

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Why a Service Fee?

In recent years, restaurants across Seattle—and beyond—have faced mounting financial pressures. At Maíz, these challenges include:

• Inflation: The cost of goods, ingredients, and supplies has risen significantly.

• Rising Rent: Landlords in Seattle are steadily increasing rental rates, reflecting the growing demand and operating costs in our city.

• Property Taxes: For example, in our Ballard location, property taxes for a six-month period rose from $6,000 in 2021 to $9,904.85 in 2024. We are bracing for additional increases expected in February 2025.

• Minimum Wage Increases: In December 2024, we were paying our entry-level workers $17.25/hour (+tip credit). As of January 1, 2025, this abruptly increased to $20.76/hour, regardless of experience or tenure. This change alone adds $58,000 annually to our payroll.

• Supplier Price Increases: This wage hike, along with other factors, has caused nearly all our vendors to raise their prices—our bread supplier, dishwasher service, knife sharpening, HVAC maintenance, fire suppression technicians, and more.

We’re in the same boat as many of you, navigating rising expenses and financial uncertainty. Rather than implementing drastic price hikes across our menu multiple times a year—which can feel overwhelming—we’ve chosen to introduce this service fee as a transparent and balanced approach.

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What Does the Service Fee Cover?

This fee helps us:

• Continue sourcing high-quality, fresh ingredients for every dish we serve.

• Sustain our operations and offset the increased cost of doing business in Seattle.

• Cover unavoidable credit card fees, with 3.5% of this fee going directly toward credit card processing and other related bank costs (e.g., armored truck fees by Chase, POS Clover fees, VMS Merchant fees).

This fee is clearly disclosed on your receipt, ensuring transparency about how it contributes to the sustainability of our restaurant and the continued quality of your dining experience.

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Why Not Just Raise Prices?

We’ve carefully considered how best to manage these financial pressures without compromising the experience we provide. A large, across-the-board price hike every few months as we faced uncertainty in a volatile Seattle restaurant environment could discourage and create more questions for diners every time prices change. 

By implementing a service fee, we’ve chosen a strategy that allows us to keep menu prices reasonable while meeting the growing financial demands of operating in our city and brace for the"next thing" that will keep putting stress in small businesses in the city.

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A Labor of Love: Why This Fee Matters Even More at Maíz

At Maíz, every dish we serve is crafted with care and rooted in tradition. Our menu is built on the foundation of making everything from scratch, including the labor-intensive process of creating our own nixtamal, a process that takes 24-48 hours of work just to get to the masa (corn dough).

What is Nixtamal?
Nixtamalization is the ancient practice of treating heirloom corn with lime to unlock its full flavor, nutritional value, and versatility. This process—rarely found in today’s industrialized food chain—requires time, skill, and dedication. For us, nixtamal is not just an ingredient; it’s a connection to our heritage, a symbol of resilience, and the heart of everything we do.

We are proud to honor this tradition, but the effort it takes to uphold these values means higher costs for us compared to restaurants relying on pre-made or processed products.

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An Industry-Wide Change

As these financial challenges continue to mount, you’ll likely see more and more restaurants adopting different pricing strategies to adapt or die. This service fee is the approach we believe is fairest for both our guests and our business, this of course doesn't assure our survival as a company but does gives us a chance this 2025.

We deeply appreciate your understanding and support as we navigate these challenges. Every meal you enjoy at Maíz helps us sustain our team, our traditions, and the unique experience we’re proud to offer.

Thank you for being part of our journey and for helping us keep the art of nixtamal and authentic Mexican flavors alive.

Warm regards,

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FAQS

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What’s up with Seattle’s new fees?

Seattle’s policies have made it more expensive to operate a small restaurant. The city now has the highest minimum wage in the country ($20.76/hour), and the tip credit was eliminated, meaning businesses must now cover full wages for all employees, regardless of tips. On top of that, property taxes, rent, and food costs keep climbing. Service fees help restaurants keep up. 

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Are other restaurants charging service fees?

Yes. Many Seattle restaurants—including Musang, Ethan Stowell Restaurants, and others—have moved to a service charge model to help cover rising costs. The percentage varies, but the reality is, service fees are becoming the new normal. 

 

How has the new minimum wage impacted restaurants?
For small restaurants, it’s a massive increase in labor costs. Without the tip credit, businesses now have to pay significantly more in wages, even for employees who used to rely on tips. For us, this added $58,000 in payroll costs in 2025 alone.
Which restaurants have cited the new minimum wage as a reason for closing in 2025?
Several restaurants have already announced closures at the start of 2025, citing the rising cost of labor as a major factor. Some include:
 

Which restaurants have cited the new minimum wage as a reason for closing in 2025?
 

Bebop Waffle Shop Closure: Owner Corina Luckenbach closed her establishment, citing the additional $32,000 annual payroll expense due to the wage increase as unsustainable.

Jackson's Catfish Corner Shutdown: After 40 years, this soul food restaurant ceased operations. Owner Terrell Jackson attributed the closure to the wage hike, reduced foot traffic, and rising operational costs. 

The Jilted Siren Bar Lounge Closure: This Capitol Hill bar closed, with owners stating that the new minimum wage and the elimination of the "tip credit" made it financially unfeasible to continue. 

Plum Bistro and Plum Chopped Shutdown: After two decades, this vegan restaurant and its adjacent salad bar closed. While specific reasons weren't detailed, the timing coincides with the wage increase. 

Bel Gatto Bakery Closure: This West Seattle bakery shut down, citing the nearly 20% increase in mandated wages and payroll taxes as reasons for its unsustainable operations. 

 

Got questions about our Service Charge? Let’s talk.
We’re all about transparency and making sure our comunidad understands what goes into every process we do. If you have any questions, concerns, or thoughts, hit us up at by filling the form below. Your feedback matters, and we’d love to hear from you.

¡Gracias por apoyar el nixtamal y la buena tortilla!

 

Maíz Team.

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