Lovina opened in the historic home that formerly housed local favorite restaurant Calistoga Kitchen in 2017, shortly before the Tubbs Fires. Despite the challenges of the next five years (including fires, evacuations, PSPS outages, and of course Covid19) Lovina continued to grown and expand. We added the second floor of our historic home as additional seating space, embracing the original built-ins and woodwork of the 1904 home. We remodeled our front patio and added another patio with Louvered Roof and mounted heaters in 2022, enhancing our outdoor seating areas and creating beautiful sites for large parties and events. Lovina is proud to join her sister restaurant in San Francisco, Zazie, in taking tips out of the equation in favor of revenue shares and full benefits for everyone. 30% of every menu item at Lovina is paid out directly to staff as revenue share, and no tips are expected. We are proud to have a family of hard-working, creative, dedicated staff with all the responsibilities and benefits of "real jobs." Thank you for supporting our work, and we hope to see you soon! |
Articles about Tip Free Businesses Vince Dixon For Eater: The Case Against Tipping in America The New York Times: Tipping is a Legacy of Slavery Brandon Ambrosino for Vox Article about Zazie's Employee Benefits Program KALW Public Radio Hoodline SF Gate Jennifer Bennett Bio Since her first job in her stepmother's restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee in 1989, Jennifer has worked every position in the restaurant industry from dishwasher to pastry chef, learning in that time the value of treating employees with the respect and appreciation that is too often lacking in the industry. Jen was awarded "Woman Entrepreneur of the Year- San Francisco" in 2010 by the Women's Initiative and is proud to be recognized by the Young Worker's United "Dining With Justice" award, for which she received a letter of commendation from California Majority Whip Fiona Ma. In 2010, Jen filed an amicus brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting "Healthy San Francisco" against a suit filed by the Golden Gate Restaurant Association. SF City Attorney Dennis Herrera credited the amicus brief as instrumental in the Court's refusal to hear the GGRA's petition. In 2014, Jen was invited to speak at the White House Summit on Working Families, hosted by President Barack Obama. Jen continues to support hourly workers' rights to a living wage, full benefits, and predictable scheduling in both word and deed, setting an example and offering free consulting to restauranteurs who are interested in learning about "high road" employment practices. |