Catherwood LibraryILR School

The first big hit to the San Francisco restaurant industry came three years ago this month -- a $1.75-an-hour increase in the minimum wage. The second came last Monday when the city became the first in the country to require all businesses to provide paid sick leave to their employees. The third is due in July when the city's plan to require health coverage for uninsured residents kicks in -- assuming the employer mandate portion of the ordinance survives a legal challenge by restaurant owners. The three new mandates, restaurant owners say, will have the unintended consequences of reducing workers' hours and blemishing the city's reputation for hospitality.