The Working Lunch

The Attorney General of New York is going big game hunting and she has her sights set on President Donald Trump accusing one of his golf course resorts of systematic wage theft. We’ll talk about how that will impact the visibility of an emerging issue. And Maine has become the first state to ban styrofoam, another important inflection point in the war on packaging. We’ll discuss why this matters not only politically, but how it impacts the move toward delivery. And why don’t the unions have more success in organizing the restaurant industry? Some new research may shed some new light on a very old challenge. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

A new study finds that the effective minimum wage in the United States is nearly $12/hr and when factored for inflation, probably the highest minimum wage in American history. We’ll talk about how that impacts the national conversation around wages as well as the political ramifications for the industry. And California has a bold new initiative for restaurants to engage in the climate conversation. Is it a forward thinking part of the solution or are restaurants setting themselves up to cast as part of the problem? We take a look at that. And the cottage food industry is on fire and lawmakers across the country seem to fanning the flames. Will the home-prep industry soon take a bite out of traditional restaurants? We’ll kick that around as well. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

With the relaxation of marijuana laws across the country, the industry workforce seems to be going up in smoke. We’ll talk to a restaurant operator in Colorado who is dealing with the impacts of recreational marijuana everyday and what it means to his business. And the Stop & Shop strike is getting very political, very fast with the labor agenda taking center stage in the Democratic primary contest. We’ll take a look at what that means for operators. And a new study has been released showing the impacts of high minimum wages on the industry. We’ll take a look at the conclusions and discuss whether the findings will impact the national conversation on wages. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Current and former CEOs from restaurants to retail to banking are jumping into the minimum wage fracas. Considering the background conversation on taxes and CEO pay, is that a good idea? We’ll kick that around. And Teens are finding their way back to the restaurant industry for that all important first job. We’ll talk about why that’s happening and if there are any public policy ramifications. And some industries are taking on big issues, while others closer to home continue to fight small ones. We’ll discuss why that is and what it means for the industry. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The Labor Department proposed their long-awaited regulation on joint employer liability potentially clarifying the law for many employers. Matt Haller from the International Franchise Association stops by the podroom to shed light on what’s happening. And the City of Chicago held runoff elections this week and the progressive wing of the Democratic party did very well - including winning the mayor’s office. And the labor community was active this week protesting McDonald’s pivot on minimum wage claiming it doesn’t go far enough. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

McDonald’s has single-handedly turned the minimum wage issue on its head with its announcement that it will no longer oppose minimum wage increases. We’ll have a long discussion getting to the bottom of why they did it, how they did it, and what it means going forward. And the gig economy employers are on the move. Uber and Lyft are literally driving the future of work conversation and traditional employers are getting left behind. We’ll take a look at that and what it may mean for the industry. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The unions are back at it. Another chain of burger joints has been targeted in Oregon. We’ll discuss the ramifications for the rest of the industry. Shake Shack is running a test in markets across the country, examining the pros and cons of moving to a four-day work week. We’ll take a look at how that may play out and potentially impact other brands. And we’ll talk to Jeremy Bess from Revenue Management Solutions about the operational challenges and opportunities of recycling at the unit level and what that may mean politically. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

California is looking to require food handler certification for third-party delivery drivers and there are all kinds of implications, not the least of which is joint employer liability. And cities are increasingly getting into the anti-corporate game. We have two cities that are attempting to influence who your suppliers are. And how are we doing on the minimum wage front and what does a win look like these days? We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

It’s baaack. The dreaded EEO-1 form that companies have to submit to the EEOC divulging pay and gender data has been revived by a federal judge. What does this mean for companies and can the Administration do anything about it. And it's International Women’s Day and we’ll discuss the current state of play on gender issues relative to the industry. And it looks like another activist attorney general is taking aim at brands- this time on companies participating in the labor department’s voluntary wage compliance program. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

The war for control of data is raging and restaurants are finding themselves in the middle of it - especially when it comes to third-party delivery. We’ll discuss what’s happening and why it matters. Also, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate that establishes pilot programs regarding portable benefits. We’ll discuss the implications. And artificial intelligence is working its way through the drive thru. We’ll take a look at what that may mean for brands. We’ll talk about those stories and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.