During the COVID-19 outbreak, Happy Plate Concepts' co-founders worked out a plan to ensure their employees never make below $18 an hour. They launched a pilot program to ensure the roughly 150 employees at their seven restaurants make about $5 an hour above the average food-service worker in Oklahoma. The intention is to draw long-term employees by offering security. But if it works, the one-of-a-kind approach could quickly clear a path for others to follow.