The Working Lunch

California is leading the way on property tax reform but not in a way that will make operators happy. An initiative is on the November ballot that could significantly increase corporate property taxes and it may be impossible to stop. We’ll take a look at that. And, as we know, the recycling industry is in big trouble. As cities have less flexibility on what to do with the waste, they have increasing flexibility on how to curb it in the first place - and targeting the restaurant industry is becoming their favorite tool. We’ll discuss what's going on in that space and how operators should be prepared. And Philadelphia has followed some west coast cities and essentially established a local department of labor to handle all manor of workplace issues usually handled at the federal level. We’ll take a look at that trendline and why it matters. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

There is legislation pending in both Rhode Island and California regarding third-party delivery that would place new requirements on delivery platforms to protect operators. Dale Venturini, the President & CEO of the Rhode Island Hospitality Association and Sarah Bratko, the Association’s Vice President of Advocacy & General Counsel drop by the pod to talk about their bill and how the issue is affecting the industry both in Rhode Island and elsewhere. And the SEIU is ratcheting up their corporate campaign in New York City against Chipotle. We’ll discuss why companies with operations in the city need to pay close attention. And the Democratic primary continues to surprise the pundits and we’ll update you on the events of this week, forecast next week, and discuss why it matters to operators. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

It was a political week for the ages - the Iowa Caucuses, the State of the Union and an impeachment acquittal all at once. We’ll talk about each of them and their impact on 2020. And speaking of the State of the Union, the President used his speech to highlight the issue of federal paid leave. But he also went further than he ever has on the issue, openly endorsing bi-partisan legislation currently before the senate. We’ll talk about that and discuss what might happen next. And its not like restaurants needed any additional competitive challenges but here come a couple more. The rapid expansion of recreational marijuana and online sports betting are poised to take a big bite out of the disposable income pie, further tightening an already tough market. We’ll kick that around as well. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The Iowa caucuses are just a few days away and we’ll take a look at what’s likely to happen there and how it will affect the process going forward. And another old friend drops by from the DC bubble. This week, Jason Straczewski, the Vice President of Government Relations & Political Affairs for the National Retail Federation stops by to talk about 2020 and his organization's priorities for the year. And this week we got to meet Therese Gearhart, the new President & CEO of the Women’s FoodService Forum. She stopped by our pod booth and we talked about her new role and her plans for the organization going forward. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

In response to their growing pollution problems, China announced this week aggressive steps to crackdown on single-use utensils, straws and packaging. By next year, most of those products will be either heavily restricted or banned outright. Why does that matter here? Because many domestic policy makers will say to the multinational brands - particularly QSR brands with a large footprint in China - “if you can do it there, then you can do it here”. We’ll discuss the ramifications. And Edelman unveiled their annual Trust Barometer and the business community fared very well. But with those high marks come high expectations. We’ll explain. And Starbucks is at it again, redefining the conversation around their brand and the role they play in communities. We’ll see what they’re up to now. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

We are joined by Troy Flanagan, the Senior Vice President for Government Affairs & Industry Relations for the American Hotel & Lodging Association who will share with us how his team at the AHLA is approaching 2020 and the legislative and regulatory challenges coming at us this year. And as legislatures are convening, governors are delivering their annual State of the State addresses and one issue close to our industry is at the top of each of their priority lists - workforce development. Whether it's a blue state or red state, governors are desperately trying to upskill their workers and the restaurant industry is uniquely positioned to jump in and help. We’ll discuss those opportunities. And New Jersey has passed a significant piece of legislation that would compel employers to give more notice and pay severance to laid-off workers. The so-called “Toys R Us” bill comes after a public backlash against the treatment of workers who lost their jobs in the retail apocalypse. We’ll examine the ramifications for all employers. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The Align Public Strategies team is joined by Mike Whatley, Vice President of State & Local Affairs for the National Restaurant Association who will share with us how his team at the NRA is approaching 2020 and the legislative and regulatory challenges coming at us this year. And the industry had a really great run in the news cycle this week with numerous national stories highlighting some important wage and benefit initiatives currently underway, essentially underscoring the message that this is in fact, an industry of opportunity. We’ll discuss how we can translate those headlines into meaningful political capital. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

2020 is here and with it a presidential election for the ages. But it’s the down-ticket races that may impact the industry the most. We’ll discuss the political landscape and what operators can anticipate in 2020. And the tipping issue has gotten a little more interesting lately. New polling data suggests that while Millennials tend to eat out more than others, they tend to tip significantly less, if at all. Are there social and cultural implications at work here and could they ultimately impact the national conversation on tipping? We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

There is an important new study released by the National Bureau of Economic Research that outlines significant unintended consequences from mandated wage increases. We’ll take a look at what that study says and if and how it can change the conversation. And we’ll look back at 2019 and discuss the highlights and lowlights and whether or not the industry is in a better position to tackle the issues coming at us in 2020. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The franchise business model had a major win this week when the NLRB settled the longstanding claims against McDonald’s and determined that they are in fact, not a joint employer with their franchisees. We’ll discuss the implications both legal and political. The District of Columbia has had enough of waste and we aren’t talking about Congress. The city is considering a “zero waste” law mandating that all restaurants offer reusable serviceware to customers and only provide disposable service ware upon request. We’ll discuss the state of play in not only DC but with regard to the broader issue. And the ICE man really has cometh. The President is touting new data showing that workplace immigration investigations are up more that 4 times than the previous administration. Will employers continue to be viewed as the culprits in the immigration battles? We’ll take a look. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.