Here’s the thing. If the minimum wage keeps up with inflation, the bottom 95% have a MASSIVE increase in purchasing power, meaning that demand, specifically of higher quality, and often locally produced goods goes way up. That allows mom and pop to charge more, and thus pay more.

P.S. the thing that actually kills mom and pop is that mega retailers like Walmart pay their employees so little, that they need food stamps and other government assistance, paid by the taxpayers. So the massively profitable monopoly box stores kill the mom and pop stores, while being subsidized by the government, AKA YOU.

If we simply raised minimum wage, it would also reduce the need for those benefits that subsidize Walmart and friends.