Archive for the ‘Public Policy’ Category
Restaurant business and the campaign trail
Every four years, politicians, reporters, volunteers and activists head to Iowa and New Hampshire as the presidential campaigning begins in earnest, and restaurants are most often the venue for candidates looking to take their messages to the people. Google “restaurant” today and odds are the first page of results will include more than one story [...]
What food legislation is on tap for 2012?
Legislatures across the U.S. passed almost 40,000 laws on a variety of issues in 2011, per data from the National Conference of State Legislatures. Many of these laws went into effect Jan. 1, and here are a few that are food-related. In Oregon and California, two new laws make it a crime to possess, sell, [...]
Tougher immigration laws hit home for restaurants
This year, Chipotle Mexican Grill learned firsthand the potential costs of immigration issues. Audits that started in Minnesota and spread to other markets led to the loss of about 500 workers because their documentation could not be verified, as Reuters and other news outlets reported. Restaurants nationwide are potentially subject to Immigration and Customs Enforcement [...]
Tax-free lunch plan would kick-start economy and incentivize restaurant customers
This guest post is by Shashi Bellamkonda, director of social media and public relations — employees call him Social Media Swami — at Network Solutions, a company that helps small businesses establish an online presence and conduct online marketing. Having worked in the hotel and restaurant business for more than a decade, his love affair [...]
Case study: How Panera is handling menu labeling
Sometime in the near future, most of the industry will have to comply with menu-labeling legislation. Panera Bread‘s Scott Davis showed in an NRA Show 2011 session that menu labeling isn’t necessarily going to result in a consumer revolt. Here’s what the fast-casual chain’s chief concept officer had to say. Panera started looking at menu [...]
What you missed at the #AtlanticFood Summit
Food policy players large and small met this week at The Atlantic’s Food Summit in Washington, D.C. In attendance were chefs, including Alice Waters of Chez Panisse and Jose Andres of ThinkFoodGroup, and lawmakers such as Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., and FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods Michael Taylor. The recurring theme of the day is [...]
Al fresco dining options bloom with spring
Spring popped up on the calendar more than a month ago, but it’s taken longer for the weather to get with the program. Now, though, it seems like things are warming up, and with the warmer weather comes the annual return to the patio. Restaurants in Boston and markets around the country are ready to [...]
Most restaurants wouldn’t post calorie counts if not required
Our weekly reader poll in Restaurant SmartBrief — SmartPulse – tracks feedback from restaurant owners and managers about current trends and issues. Last week’s poll question: Would you post calorie counts even if you weren’t required to do so by law? No — 65.16% Yes — 22.58% I’d have to think about it — 12.26% [...]
Restaurants split on tip-sharing policies
This post is by SmartBrief’s Linsey Isaacs. SmartPulse — our weekly reader poll in Restaurant SmartBrief — tracks feedback from restaurant owners and managers about current trends and issues. Last week’s poll question: Is there a tip-sharing policy in place at your restaurant? Yes – 45.71% No – 48.57% While federal laws state that dining [...]
Immigration audits take aim at restaurant chains
Illegal immigration has long been a serious area of concern for restaurant chains trying to comply with federal documentation requirements in an industry plagued with high turnover and the need to fill jobs quickly. Recent federal immigration audits at Chipotle restaurants in Minnesota resulted in several hundred firings, followed by back-pay lawsuits by fired workers [...]
