Zingerman's Deli at 422 Detroit St. in Ann Arbor.
Jessica Webster | AnnArbor.com
Zingerman’s plan to develop a “thrive-able” wage got some attention this week from the website RH Reality Check.
Paul Saginaw, co-founder of the famous Ann Arbor deli, brought up the thrive-able wage idea in an interview with AnnArbor.com in February. At that time, he said it was the company’s goal to have every employee earning what he calls a "thrive-able wage" within the next year.
"We think a living wage is kind of a base minimum, and we want to have a wage our employees thrive on," he said.
The Reality Check article quoted a vision statement drafted at a retreat last year:
“Higher wages lead to higher morale and is the engine that keeps everything spiraling upward.”
The Reality Check article notes that every Zingerman’s employee receives health and dental benefits as well as paid time off.
Saginaw and partner Ari Weinzweig founded the now world-famous Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor in 1982. The Zingerman's family of businesses consists of eight businesses in Ann Arbor, including the original Deli and Zingerman's Roadhouse on Jackson Avenue.