Labor
Southern California Restaurant Companies Cited for Wage Theft Violations Affecting 188 Workers, California Labor Commissioner Announces
Sierra Sun Times 3/30
The Labor Commissioner’s Office has cited G & D Investments, Inc. dba Baja Fresh, 7 other legal entities and their CEOs $375,806 for wage theft violations affecting 188 workers. The Westlake Village-based corporations operated multiple Baja Fresh restaurants in the greater Los Angeles area where a group of cooks and cashiers had to work without proper pay.
Opinion: The $15 Minimum Wage Isn’t the Only Way to Raise Worker Pay.
POLITICO 3/29
Requiring disclosure of take-home pay could be a wake-up call for executives, workers and investors and heighten pressure to increase wages.
Food Industry Policy
Restaurant Marketing and COVID: Owning the Social Conversation
QSR Magazine 3/30
Restaurant marketers have faced COVID-19 disruption like anybody else. And perhaps the biggest battle today is waging in the social arena. A race to own the virtual conversation. Social analytics platform BrandTotal recently found, despite the increased popularity of food delivery as a result of the pandemic, few players are leaning into paid social to drive conversions. Most efforts are focused on mid-funnel communications.
First-Ever Dine Latino Restaurant Week Launches
FSR Magazine 3/25
The Latino Restaurant Association (LRA), a national nonprofit, introduces Dine Latino Restaurant Week 2021, an initiative that showcases the depth and diversity of Latino restaurants in an effort to help draw customers to Latino restaurants. Dine Latino Restaurant Week will be held two different weeks this year beginning Tuesday, April 6 through Sunday, April 11, and a second week during Latino Heritage Month, from Tuesday, September 28 through Sunday, October 3.
On the Side
Cudahy Man Takes Street Vendor Protection Into His Own Hands
NBC Los Angeles 3/30
Recent attacks on Los Angeles street vendors inspired a man to step in and help by providing the vendors with pepper spray, stun guns and personal security items.
5 Biggest Fast-Food Menu Changes You’ll See This Year
Eat This 3/30
As the pandemic wanes, fast-food chains are trying to maintain the momentum they’ve enjoyed during 2020, when lockdowns and the demise of full-service restaurants contributed to a fast-food renaissance.