Grayson Lottes works a minimum-wage job at Iowa Chop House in downtown Iowa City, as a food runner and occasionally as a server, making anywhere from $5.25 to $7.25 an hour, plus tips.

On a good night after workers are tipped out, he said he makes up to $25 an hour on tips alone, although on average it's between $11 and $12 a night. He said Iowa Chop House makes sure all of its workers reap the rewards of busy nights, so that everybody gets paid more and the business can attract more workers.

"They don't have to do that, but let's be honest, no one is going to work for $7.25 nowadays," Lottes said.

This certainly seems to be true in Johnson County, where businesses are offering much more than the state-mandated minimum wage in order to try to find workers in an economy where jobs are plentiful. Signs at local Burger King and Popeyes restaurants are advertising starting positions for $13-$15 an hour, while postings on Indeed include a crew member at Trader Joe's starting at $14-$16 an hour and one for a concessions associate at Marcus Theatre's Coral Ridge Cinema at $11 an hour plus free movies.

It's not hard to find a job in the service industry in today's economy. Online job boards show few open positions in Johnson County advertised at below $10 an hour.

Iowa Chop House's policy, Lottes said, is meant to attract more workers by offering higher pay than is required by the state of Iowa.

"Ninety percent of the time you'll get way over the minimum wage," he said.

The...

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