Another perspective is that a 3% increase in prices - even without non-labor inflation - to pay people closer to a living wage reflects a more accurate cost of that dining experience. It could be that the public is subsidizing those restaurants’ labor through social programs that make up the difference vs a living wage
As you noted, with the real (or at least more realistic) cost of eating out reflected in the pricing, consumers will decide if that experience is worth it. And some businesses may close. And that’s called capitalism
Huh? It’s a survey
Sure, they could be lying, but why would they?
And your employee anecdotal stories mean zilch