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.

The 2020 legislative sessions are starting soon and we’ll take a look at what the industry will be facing and more importantly, where they will be facing it and how it may impact the industry. And the Retail Industry Leaders Association released a new study looking at why the traditional brick-and-mortar business - like retail and restaurants - are losing workers to the gig economy. Evan Armstrong from RILA stops by the program to discuss what they learned. And McDonald’s settled a huge lawsuit in California over pay discrepancies involving meal and rest breaks. What can the industry learn from their experience? We’ll take a look at that. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The mandated scheduling issue is at a critical inflection point and like the trajectory of paid leave, leading thinkers on the right are beginning to weigh in and are moving the issue to the center of the political spectrum. We interviewed Dr. Aparna Mathur, Resident Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, to discuss the current state of play of the issue and the role that the business community should be playing in finding the sensible center of the issue. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

A new piece from the business-friendly American Enterprise Institute is making the business case for some type of reasonable mandated scheduling legislation. We’ll discuss how companies in the heat of those battles might view those proposals and, more importantly, how elected officials in key battleground cities might as well. And federal apprenticeship programs are in the news this week and it's not the kind of news we would like. We’ll discuss some new challenges facing the Labor Department with regard to apprenticeships and if and how it affects the industry. And Louisiana will decide on a new governor tomorrow and considering what happened in Kentucky, if the incumbent Democrat hangs on, national Republicans will be in panic mode. We’ll kick that around.  We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

It was Election Day this week in five states and numerous cities throughout the country and we’ll discuss the results, the impacts for restaurant operators and what it all means for 2020. We’ll have a particular focus on Virginia where the results will have the biggest impact on the industry. We’ll have a conversation with Chris Lloyd with McGuireWoods Consulting in Richmond to walk us through what we need to be prepared for. And the CEO of McDonald’s stepped down this week after details of a relationship with a fellow employee became public. We’ll discuss how this plays into the ongoing narrative pushed by the labor community that the company and the industry have a culture of sexual harassment and hostility to women. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Starbucks is making an innovative investment in Chicago, providing seed money for local entrepreneurs to start small businesses and reinvest in neighborhoods. We’ll take a look at that and discuss its implications. And next week is Election Day in numerous cities throughout the country as well as in five states. We’ll discuss the national landscape and what restaurant owners can expect. And a friend from Silicon Valley stopped by the pod to talk about the role technology is playing in employers’ ability to provide additional educational opportunities and upskilling for their employees. We’ll discuss that with Chris Mancini from study.com. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

There was major movement this week on the portable benefits issue as lawmakers both in Congress as well as in cities debate the future of work. Policymakers from both the political left and right are increasingly addressing the issue and we’ll discuss how the industry should be reacting. And in the midst of a union organizing campaign, Chipotle appears to have shot themselves in the foot again and there is a major lawsuit pending. We’ll take a look at that situation. And while Big Tech is getting beaten up in Congress everyday, it appears that cities are increasingly taking the lead in Tech Lash. We’ll kick that around as well. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Elections are just weeks away in a number of key states and we’ll discuss how things look coming into the home stretch and how the results may impact 2020. And we recap the MUFSO conference in Denver where a couple of industry veterans dropped by the pod room to say hello and hang out with us a little bit including Bloomin' Brands CEO Dave Deno and longtime industry journalist Ron Ruggless who both shared their observations about the state of the industry and the important issues we are facing. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.