The Working Lunch

Restaurant relief appears to be dead for now. This week, the President abruptly cancelled negotiations on a stimulus package that included many industry priorities leaving thousands of restaurant operators and other small business owners to fend for themselves. And the associations that represent them in Washington, DC were not shy about showing their displeasure. We’ll discuss the bleak situation...

The U.S. House passed their long-awaited relief bill this week and while it is unlikely to pass the Senate in its current form, it is noteworthy because Democratic leaders championed and included many of the Independent Restaurant Coalition’s priorities while chains and franchisees were deliberately left out in the cold. Is there a political divide developing in the industry that may reshape our t...

Important players in the conservative intelligentia are calling for a new approach and relationship to the labor community and making the conservative case for not necessarily traditional unions but worker empowerment. We will sit down with Eli Lehrer, President of R Street Institute and discuss his recent joint statement in the American Compass calling for a new paradigm in labor relations. And D...

We interview Sean Kennedy, Executive Vice President for Public Affairs at the National Restaurant Association and get his perspective on the likelihood that Congress will come to the aid of the industry anytime soon. He’ll let us know where things stand in Washington and how the industry is working to support operators. We’ll also discuss the recent CDC report and how both operators and corporate...

It’s happened again in Minneapolis. This week yet another brew pub in the city became a target for UNITE HERE and, as we discussed last week, we are not overly surprised. What was surprising, however, was how that particular management team reacted. We’ll discuss what they did and what the potential implications could be. And Samantha Padgett, General Counsel for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging A...

This week saw our industry’s first successful union election in the post-Covid era when a Tattersall Distillery and cocktail bar location in Minneapolis overwhelmingly voted to organize. We’ll take a look at the factors that contributed to this, the vulnerability of that particular market and what operators need to pay attention to going forward. And we talk automation with Jamie Richardson, the V...

The Independent Restaurant Coalition and the Restaurant Opportunities Center strengthened their alliance this week with a joint event held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention. We’ll discuss this budding partnership and the potential impact it may have on the industry’s traditional political and policy agenda. And the franchise business model has once again been pulled into the o...

Restaurants and bars continue to find themselves at the center of the national debate over recent spikes in the COVID-19 pandemic putting the industry in a precarious political and reputational position. We’ll discuss how the industry is going to have to thread the needle and be vigorous advocates for the business model while being sensitive to the health and safety challenges communities are faci...

Delivery Platforms are under the gun across the country as policymakers are significantly altering their business models. We’ll discuss how they have tried to change the conversation, their reputation and their role in the industry. And states are stepping into the health and safety space that critics feel has been abandoned by the federal government and mandating significant COVID-related worker...

The next Coronavirus relief package seems to have stalled in Congress leaving displaced workers and business owners in a precarious position. Matt Walker, Vice President of Government Affairs for the National Restaurant Association joins us to sort it all out and help us understand what’s ahead. And as a result of the uncertainty facing workers right now, operators need to be extremely cognizant o...

Of all the impacts that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the labor model, one of the more lasting ones may be the acceleration of the adoption of technology. White Castle is aggressively experimenting with a robot named, “Flippy” that can handle a lot of the back of the house duties. We’ll discuss what this could mean going forward. And speaking of labor, the pandemic may have also but the nail in...

Media coverage around Monday’s “Strike for Black Lives” continues to intensify signaling that the unions and their labor community allies will be pulling out all the stops to ensure a signature event. We will bring you the latest on that and how operators should prepare. And the politics of masks took a significant turn this week as major retailers took unilateral action and mandated that customer...

The Black Lives Matter coalition in partnership with major labor unions and other advocacy organizations is planning a major day of action on July 20 focused on quick service restaurant, gig economy and healthcare workers. We’ll discuss how the Strike For Black Lives as it is called has the potential for major workplace interruptions and how operators should prepare. And the labor community has un...

A number of states including New York and Kentucky went to the polls this week for their primary elections. We’ll discuss the winners and losers and what it all means - if anything - for November. And states across the country are reacting to what’s happening - or in their opinion not happening - at OSHA with regard to worker protections and are empowering their state agencies to fill the void. We...

The restaurant and retail space has found itself literally at the center of the national conversation on systemic racism and the spark that set off both the police-related incidents in Minneapolis and Atlanta was lit in a convenience store and quick service restaurant, respectively. How frontline managers and employees handle these incidents at the beginning can determine how events can be set in...

The delivery space blew up this week with significant developments in courtrooms, statehouses, city halls as well as in social and cultural activism. All in one week. We’ll try to get our arms around it and what it all means for operators. And Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, stops by the pod once again to discuss the state of the industry’s finances and what the...

The country finds itself mired in widespread protests and social unrest and corporate brands are under pressure to engage in the conversation. We’ll discuss the corresponding expectations as well as the potential pitfalls facing operators. And the campaign to modernize alcoholic beverage law regarding off-premise alcohol sales - namely to-go beverages and home delivery - is hitting its stride. We’...

Without the ability to operate at full capacity, many restaurants may not be able to go the distance and survive the reopening process. We’ll discuss what lays ahead for operators. And the war on single-use plastics has come to a screeching halt and in fact, has retreated as the CDC and other health experts are calling for their use in stemming the tide of the pandemic. We’ll take a look at that p...

The Independent Restaurant Coalition is emerging as a force to be reckoned with. We discuss how and why the group got started, how effective they’ve been, whether or not their agenda is a good or bad thing for the industry, and whether they are in it for the long haul. And there’s growing bi-partisan consensus on the changes that need to be made to the Paycheck Protection Program, especially with...

The state of Colorado is attempting to codify some significant joint employer liability into their labor code and this could have major ramifications for employers. We’ll talk to Jeff Hanscom from the International Franchise Association to better understand what is happening and how employers should engage. And Republicans on Capitol Hill are fighting for a business liability shield for employers...

The COVID-19 pandemic has turned everything upside down, including the 2020 election cycle. We’ll discuss the volatile political environment heading into 2020 and what operators need to prepare for. And the industry has seemingly found itself in the middle of every debate during this pandemic - essential businesses, essential employees, the food supply, blowback from the loan programs - you name i...

The country is slowly reopening but a patchwork of state and local guidelines is making it rough going for operators. We’ll discuss that and additional challenges around rehiring, liability and delivery. And the First of May brings us May Day - a traditional day of action for labor groups. We’ll discuss why the pandemic may make this year’s edition look and feel a little different. And the politic...

The Small Business Administration and other agencies are quickly releasing new rules, regulations and other guidance around the Paycheck Protection Program following public backlash over the perception that large companies were receiving more than their fair share. We’ll discuss the political situation and what we think is potentially unfair vilification of some employers who thought they were pla...

While the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted many business models, even destroyed some, it's also offered up new opportunities for the industry to leverage its political capital to force systemic changes long desired by the industry - namely around pushing back against the third-party delivery platforms and the delivery of alcohol. We’ll discuss those possibilities. And the President is vigorously advo...

Congress is attempting to shore up the Paycheck Protection Program by infusing an additional $250 Billion into the program. But no good deed goes unpunished in Washington and partisan politics have bogged down the effort. We’ll discuss the legislative prospects for more assistance and what changes may happen with the program. And while we are focused on the now, we can’t lose sight of what's comin...