The Working Lunch

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...

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...