The Working Lunch

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...

A new study is suggesting that many young people entering the workforce are more concerned with the company they work for doing good things than they are concerned with making good money. Can this be right? We’ll take a look at this 12- city case study. And on the flip side of that, some prominent conservatives are mounting a backlash against “do gooder” companies and calling for government to int...

The midterm elections are right around the corner and some key races are very tight in Virginia, Kentucky and Louisiana. We’ll take a look at how those races are playing out and what it means for operators. And on the heels of redefining their "purpose of a corporation" mission statement, the Business Roundtable has a new Chairman - and it’s Walmart’s CEO Doug McMillion. We’ll discuss the importan...

California passed landmark legislation, the long-anticipated AB 5, re-classifying Uber and Lyft and other drivers as employees. But the fallout is just beginning - and the franchise business model may be on shaky ground. We’ll discuss what this means for employers and what’s ahead in California. And new data came out this week that shows minorities are now the majority of new working-age hires in...

The Working Families party is increasingly giving traditional Democrats a run for their money in cities across the country - and their agenda is focused solely on issues directly impacting the industry. We’ll take a look at what’s going on there. And business and politics collided once again this week when Walmart made a major announcement on guns. We’ll discuss the potential implications for them...

The California legislation that would codify the Dynamex and classify millions of independent contractors as employees is lurching toward the finish line and it may run over the franchise business model in the process. Jeff Hanscom, Vice President of State Government Relations & Public Policy at the International Franchise Association drops by the podcast to get us up to speed. And the unions had...

The unions have laid down the gauntlet and have audaciously threatened to withhold their endorsements to any candidate that doesn’t tow the line - namely insisting that as president, they will force McDonald’s, Burger King and Wendy’s to the bargaining table. We’ll kick that around and discuss the impact to the industry. And the Business Roundtable rocked the political and business world this week...