Joseph Grimaldi, who has owned the Manchester Tailor Shop for 60 years, says the minimum wage is not a livable income compared to when he opened his shop in 1964.
Connecticut’s minimum wage was $1.25 when Grimaldi opened.
Back then, Grimaldi recalled, he was able to live off the $400 a week the tailor shop would make. Now, earning at most $700 a week, Grimaldi said that’s why he still works at 90 years old – it’s not enough to cover all of his expenses.
“As a matter of fact, sometimes people say, ‘You still charge that kind of price?’ Which means I’m happy where I am. … What do I want to do? Take advantage of people to put an extra $50 in my pocket? It doesn’t work because those poor people can’t afford it,” Grimaldi said.
In the past few months, Grimaldi has had to raise the shop prices slightly to at least break even. However, he stressed the importance of not raising prices substantially because it would cost businesses their customers.
In Spring 2024, UConn Journalism senior Kaily Martinez photographed a series of portraits of business owners in Manchester, Connecticut as part of a story about the increase in Connecticut’s minimum wage to $15.69 and the impact on local small businesses.