Ummm... Isn't this already true of McDonald's? They aren't at $18 an hour everywhere, but I believe the average is $15+ for starting wages. I would guess they haven't hired anyone for anything successfully at minimum wage. (Edit: my guess is wrong. Can't even serve fries with dignity in oklahoma. Crazy.)

This isn't generosity; several market forces push fast food in this direction. In fact, it makes a lot of sense for this CEO to lobby for it. It will cost competition more than it will cost them.