CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A Charlotte restaurant owner will now pay employees a "living wage" instead of just minimum wage.

• Jeff Tonidandel pays $12.37 to all employees who are not tipped
• The state and federal wage is $7.25
• He says some products at his restaurant may increase by a few cents

Jeff Tonidandel and his wife own four restaurants including Reigning Doughnuts and they say all the employees that are not tipped will make $12.37 an hour instead of the state and federal amount of $7.25.

Tonidandeal says he used the MIT calculator to figure out what the living wage is for Mecklenburg County and he moved his employees up to that number. He says all of his employees are more like family and he wants to do whatever he can to make sure they’re taken care of.

"These are our people. We want to make sure they can get to work, and they can live, and they can have a car, and they can enjoy life a little bit,” the restaurant owner said.

Tonidandeal says some products at his restaurant may increase by a few cents, but it’s worth it to be able to pay the employees what they deserve.