The Working Lunch

Notch a win for the anti-corporate crowd. Amazon’s decision to pull out of New York City gives momentum to the populist wave sweeping both political parties. With Amazon, Walmart, Starbucks and now Disney in the crosshairs, could traditional restaurant brands be next? And speaking of Starbucks, we’ll discuss how his campaign is going so far and whether the business model is feeling the effects. An...

The restaurant industry is about to get Uberized. Travis Kalanick is launching Cloud Kitchens, a worldwide network of food delivery kitchens. We’ll discuss the impacts to the traditional business model. Also, New York City is becoming a labor organizers dream. Now they are proposing legislation making it harder to fire employees. And lastly, this was a tough week for retail. The worst sales in 9 y...

Format bans are in the news again. This time New Hampshire is going after chains but instead of taxing them, they are trying to repeal local preemption laws to outright ban them. We’ll take a look at that. Also, efforts are underway in states to eliminate the tip credit. We’ll assess how those efforts are going and who is winning that battle. And lastly, as we have been predicting for some time, a...

Howard Schultz is running for President. Herman Cain may join the Federal Reserve Board. Are these the Glory Days for the restaurant industry or are we running headlong into a public examination of our business model? We’ll kick that around. And Republicans out West - in Wyoming of all places - are going after big companies. Does populism have Corporate America in its sights? And this is the 100th...

The brightest new star in the democratic congressional galaxy is a former server and bartender and her agenda is becoming the party’s agenda. We’ll take a look at what impact she may have on her old employers and colleagues in the restaurant industry. And under the heading “no good deed goes unpunished”, we’ll discuss the events that led to Starbuck’s new needle disposal program and what may lay a...

The Democrats have introduced their long-awaited legislation to raise the minimum wage to $ 15/hr. We’ll discuss its prospects, particularly against the backdrop of the federal shutdown impasse. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce made news this week announcing that they will begin to rate lawmakers based in part on their bi-partisanship and willingness to compromise. We’ll take a look at how that might...

The government is shut down leaving a lot of issues affecting operators in limbo. We'll look at the politics around the shutdown, how long it will go, and what this means for operators. And joint employer is back in the news both on Capitol Hill and in New York City. We’ll get our arms around what operators should expect. And our friends in California and New York are at it again - this time compe...

The Affordable Care Act suffered a significant blow this week as a federal judge ruled against its individual mandate. We’ll discuss how this impacts the issue , the political process, and most importantly, operators. Also, immigration is back in the news and it’s not just about walls and migrant caravans. some are saying that the immigration situation is negatively affecting food safety. Also, th...

If the employer community ever wants to “win” on workplace issues, they have to reframe wages, scheduling and paid leave as components of the workplace of the future where flexibility is paramount. We’ll discuss how operators could approach those issues in a way that improves their political fortunes. Additionally, we’ll take a look out continued post-election fallout and how brands can protect th...

Republicans in some key states are having some post-election meltdowns and take a look at whether that makes for smart politics and how it could impact operators. We’ll also discuss how cash may not be king for very much longer as more restaurants are considering only accepting credit or debit cards and we’ll take a look at the possible political ramifications. Jeff Hanscom from the International...

On this episode of Working Lunch, we’ll do a deep dive on the minimum wage covering what is suddenly happening on Capitol Hill today, when the new Congress convenes in January as well as in some key states. We also have two interviews with business leaders in both Illinois and Maine discussing the prospects for anti-business legislation in those two states. We’ll talk about those stories and more...

On this episode of Working Lunch, we are joined by Jeff Brecher of JacksonLewis, one of the most prestigious law firms in the country, to explain the Department of Labor’s recent action on the 80/20 rule, and more importantly, what operators can expect with regard to this issue going forward.

On this episode of Working Lunch, we discuss corporate activism and a potential presidential run by former Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz. We’ll also discuss Bernie Sanders latest attack on the entry-level business model and steps companies are taking to diffuse some of those issues. We’ll talk about those stories and more plus the weekly legislative scorecard.

On this episode of Working Lunch, we analyze the midterm election results and discuss how the playing field - especially at the state level - will look very different in 2019. We’ll take a look at and how operators will be impacted and more importantly, how they should prepare. We’ll talk about those stories and more plus the weekly legislative scorecard.

On this episode of Working Lunch, we look one last time at the upcoming election, focusing on ballot initiatives and Attorneys General races. We’ll also look at the employee walkouts at Google and discuss the modern state of employee activism. And in the ongoing competition to attract and retain the best employees, McDonald’s has added a new employee benefit - career counseling. Will that move the...

On this episode of Working Lunch, we examine how many prominent political players in the business community are preparing for a new environment in Congress - one where a Democratic House can launch lots of investigations. Also, we will take a look at the upcoming elections, especially from the perspective of Governors and state legislatures. And a new update to the ongoing minimum wage study regar...

On this episode of Working Lunch, the Trump Administration has released its unified agenda for 2019. We’ll discuss what that means for operators. We'll also take a look at a new study from the Pew Research Center which examines the real economic value of a $15 wage in communities across America. And a settlement in a customer-focused sexual harassment suit at Costco could begin to redefine employe...

On this episode of Working Lunch, Starbucks has done it again – this time adding an additional benefit for child and elder care. Could this lay down a new marker for the industry? The election is only a few weeks away. We’ll check in on some key states important to operators as well as examine the political positioning of the industry post-election. We’ll talk about those stories and more plus the...

On this episode of Working Lunch, Austin, TX has banned restaurants from disposing of food waste and trash - forcing them to recycle. Could other cities soon follow? Amazon has disrupted the labor market again – this time setting a wage floor of $15/hr for their workers. And the Fight for $15 lost a major legislative battle this week. We’ll talk about those stories and more plus the weekly legisla...

On this episode of Working Lunch, Walmart is utilizing Blockchain to revolutionize their food supply chain. Will that create some unforeseen public policy issues down the road? Major brands are embarking on “get out the vote” drives. Is that good corporate citizenship or a veiled message to elected leaders? And Fight for $15 is at it again, this time staging national Days of Action next week. Thos...

On this episode of Working Lunch, the team discusses the recent protests against McDonald's regarding sexual harassment and what may be next for the industry. We’ll also discuss the pending midterm elections and how some key races may impact operators. And funding issue campaigns just got a little more complicated. Those stories and more plus the weekly legislative scorecard.

On this episode of Working Lunch, the team discusses how a company’s response to natural disasters can make or break their reputations. We’ll also discuss how some prominent brands are leaning into the culture wars because it makes sense for their business. And the SEIU is making another run at McDonald's. Will anyone notice? Those stories and more plus the weekly legislative scorecard.

On this episode of Working Lunch, the teams discusses a major action by the CEOs of the major hotel companies committing to the health and safety of their workers. We’ll also discuss some new strategies and tactics being utilized in the ballot initiative wars across the country and additionally, we'll break down the emerging feud between Bernie Sanders and Jeff Bezos. Those stories and more plus t...

On this episode of Working Lunch, the team discusses that after a nearly 40 year siesta, the Equal Rights Amendment is potentially making a comeback and could but large brands in the middle of an unexpected - and potentially unpleasant conversation. It’s also Labor Day weekend and we’ll discuss the state of the American labor movement and what the next few years could look like for operators. And...

On this episode of Working Lunch, the crew discusses the impact of the President’s legal situations and whether it will have a negative impact on the legislative and political agenda of the business community. Additionally, another state Attorney General has gone after franchise agreements and numerous national restaurant chains have altered their agreements. And California continues its aggressiv...