brasa kitchen

Toronto restaurant publicly shares all employees salaries for transparency

A popular Toronto restaurant has taken to social media to publicly air all of their employee's wages and salaries for transparency purposes.

Brasa Peruvian Kitchen, a local chain serving bowls and smoothies with Peruvian influence recently broke down each of their worker's wages, to uphold their values.

"We believe that transparency in all aspects of our business is essential to creating a strong company culture."

A chart was shared on their Instagram account, outlining each employee's salary and "employee journey," showcasing their growth with the company.

From the owner of the company all the way down to the "team members," including those actually serving and prepping food in their three restaurants.

The starter of the company, Michael Falcon, is claimed to not have taken a salary to build a strong "company for the long-term" and is "not looking to make a comfortable salary today."

The operations analyst was originally hired as a team member for $18/hour and progressed to their current role in the head offices, where she now makes $60k.

The peoples operations manager, who has a 15-year background in hospitality, started at $60k and advanced to $65k through the way of a recent promotion.

The chart documents several more employees, like 12 team members, district managers, accountants, and team leads.

Of note, the lowest documented wage ($19) - which goes to just two team members - is still above the provincial minimum wage at $15.50.

According to the Ontario Living Wage Network, the living wage is much higher than that, at $23.15/hour during the fall of 2022.

And with the price of food rapidly increasing, it's safe to say $15.50 is not cutting it. 

Brassa's $19/hour is their "starting income" and doesn't need employees to rely on tips; it's actually a no-tip policy establishment.

"Our team members, both full and part-time, are given benefits on their first day of employment, not after a three-month probationary period," read's Brasa's website.

Considering that wages, tips, and the restaurant industry have always been a taboo topic (especially in fast, casual establishments) Brasa's public admittance should garner applause and it's something Falcon said he always had the intention of doing.

"What we're announcing today as a company is something that I've wanted to do since 2009. I'm proud to say I'm finally in the position to incorporate this new, possibly radical, way of doing business."

It's something he hopes other restaurants start to do, while of course, paying their employees better and providing more benefits.

"My industry typically experiences 100 per cent year-over-year turnover, exploits minimum wage workers to maximize profits, and offers few growth opportunities. There’s a more equitable path to be taken."

Comments on Brasa's post supported and applauded their decision, saying the chain was "leading by example" and hoped to see others follow suit.

Lead photo by

Fareen Karim


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