The Working Lunch

The CARES ACT is now the law of the land and while the rulemaking process is underway, guidance from the agencies is coming out by the day. We’ll discuss the Small Business Administration loan programs and what operators will need to know as the program goes live. And the labor community is staying active - now targeting Amazon, Instacart and other entities in the supply chain arguing for greater...

Congress passed the largest relief package in American history this week to address the economic crisis brought on by the health crisis. We’ll take a look at what’s in for operators and what’s coming down the pike next. And no matter what the crisis, restaurant owners always meet the challenge. We’ll talk about how the industry is coming to the aid of their communities in this time of need. And wi...

We have three important guests joining the pod today and they will share their expertise and insights on the crisis at hand. Mike Whatley from the National Restaurant Association will update us on how the industry is managing through the public policy aspects of the crisis and how they are interacting with lawmakers at all levels of government to protect the industry. And Chris Burgoyne from the A...

We’re going to talk Corona - what’s going on at the state and federal level, what’s going on with major operators, and more importantly, what we think is coming next with this very serious national challenge. And Lynn Minges, the head of the North Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association stops by the pod to talk about how her state is navigating the corona waters as well as some other legislative...

Well, it’s official now. We are all freaking out about the Coronavirus - and rightfully so. Consumers, employers, employees and markets are getting extremely nervous and trying to figure out what they should be doing next and, of course, not doing. We’ll talk about the challenges to operators as they try to navigate some increasingly dangerous waters. And a new study is out from the Pew Research C...

The labor community has intensified its efforts to get a foothold in the restaurant industry. The target? Airports and the concessionaires who operate there. We’ll discuss the status of their campaign and how brands need to prepare. And big companies across the business spectrum are pulling out of longtime trade association relationships over disputes in issue management strategies. How can tradit...

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 increas...

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 aff...

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 currentl...

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 ye...

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...

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...

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 import...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

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 commu...

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...

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 wha...

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 frie...

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...

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 bot...

The Align team interviews an old friend of ours and industry veteran, New York City labor attorney Carolyn Richmond who runs the Hospitality Practice Group for Fox Rothchild. She stopped by the pod to help us understand the likely next steps of the SEIU’s organizing campaign in New York and how area employers should prepare if organizers end up on their doorstep. And we’ve seen the inevitable push...

It’s finally happening. The SEIU has begun their long-threatened campaign to organize McDonald’s workers, starting with outlets in New York City as well as some Chipotle restaurants. We’ll discuss what’s next and what the ramifications could be. And speaking of New York City, at the behest of the restaurant industry, Grubhub has found itself in the sights of the mayor and city council. Is this a o...