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| President Obama. Pix:Reuters.com |
President Obama praised one of
the Twin Cities’ favorite pizzerias during his State of the Union address.
Punch
Pizza founder and co-owner John Soranno and kitchen worker Nick Chute attended
Tuesday’s State of the Union address as guests of First Lady Michelle Obama — a
month after all eight of Punch’s Twin Cities’ locations raised the minimum wage
for employees to $10 an hour.
In
prepared remarks, President Obama said: “In the year since I asked this
Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states have passed laws to raise
theirs. Many businesses have done it on their own. Nick Chute is here tonight
with his boss, John Soranno. John’s an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and
Nick helps make the dough. Only now he makes more of it: John just gave his
employees a raise, to 10 bucks an hour — and that’s a decision that has eased
their financial stress and boosted their morale.
“Tonight,
I ask more of America’s business leaders to follow John’s lead: Do what you can
to raise your employees’ wages.”
Punch
Pizza’s announcement came Dec. 10, the same day that thousands of workers took
to the streets in cities across the country to rally for a raise in the minimum
wage.
The
Twin Cities-based company’s decision to boost pay for its 300 workers
encapsulated one of the narratives of Obama’s speech: boosting middle-class
prosperity.
Soranno,
a St. Paul resident, founded Punch Pizza in 1996.
A
recent University of Minnesota graduate and a Minneapolis resident, Chute
started working at Punch Pizza about 18 months ago, the White House said. He is
a cook now, but hopes to move into management.
“Our
decision had nothing to do with politics,” said co-owner John Puckett. “That’s
what makes the recognition by the president and first lady such an honor. Punch
made the decision to give raises purely based on what is best for our business
and our employees.”
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