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BELMONT, N.C. – A major chain restaurant is raising its minimum wage to attract more workers. McDonald’s in Belmont, North Carolina is advertising up to $20 an hour for new employees.

“I think it’s good for the employees,” customer Brant Hyde told Nexstar-affiliate WJZY-TV. “The owners have made a fortune over the years.  It’s time to give a little bit of it back.”

The fast-food chain said it is raising the minimum wage for more than 36,500 employees by about 10%.

The company said pay will range from $11-$15 an hour for entry-level employees and $15-$20 for managers.

“I was surprised. I think it’s good for the economy. I think it’s good for the people. I think it will put more people to work,” customer Ruvell Oxendine said.

Customers WJZY-TV spoke with said while workers should be making a living wage, they are concerned about how the pay increase will impact smaller businesses that cannot compete with the food chain.

“People would love to make $15, $20 an hour but if they pay $20 at McDonald’s, then you got Bojangles, you got Wendy’s, everybody else is going to have to match,” customer Jerry Bumgardner said.

McDonald said it plans to hire 10,000 new employees within the next three months.

Click here to read WJZY-Tv’s full report.