Todd Carpenter is the owner of The Last Stop Saloon, a bar and restaurant in The Dalles that dates back to the 1880s. He also owns two other taverns in Beaverton and Portland. He and his partner were drawn to The Dalles nearly six years ago by its “300 days of sunshine,” a community that rallies together and the proximity to myriad outdoor recreational opportunities. But one thing he doesn’t care for is the low pay service sector workers make, along with a lack of affordable housing, affordable daycare and medical services such as vision and dental care. So Carpenter offers his staff a minimum salary of $17.25 an hour and provides paid time off. He also entered into an agreement with The Dalles to redevelop three downtown properties, including an outdoor event space scheduled to open in the spring. He also plans to refurbish two floors above the dining space in The Last Stop Saloon to convert them into rental units for service sector workers.

But Carpenter’s business decisions have not been without controversy. Last June, Oregon OSHA issued Carpenter a nearly $9,000 citation for his decision to allow indoor dining in violation of a public health order to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Wasco County. Carpenter joins us to share what the experience has taught him and why he thinks businesses in The Dalles need to play a greater role in making it a place where workers can afford to live and raise their families.