Labor
Tip Pooling – Is It Legal in California?
Shouse Law Group 5/27
Tip pooling is legal in California, so long as tips are not split among managers who have the authority to hire or fire employees, unless those managers do the same work as the employees in the tip pool. Funds in the tip pool have to be distributed fairly, and according to a set formula.
Denny’s Hit With Mass. Class Claims Over Underpaid Wages
Law360 5/27
Denny’s was hit with a proposed class action Thursday in Massachusetts federal court that claims the round-the-clock diner ran afoul of federal and state wage laws by paying workers less than minimum wage and keeping them in the dark about rules limiting how much “non-tipped” work they should do.
As Restaurants Scramble for Workers, It’s ‘Order Up’ for Miso Robotics and Its Burger-Flipping Robot
Dot.LA 5/27
Flippy, which can be programmed to do a growing number of kitchen tasks in addition to burger-flipping, has drawn the attention of quick-serve restaurants across the country. White Castle and CaliBurger were early adopters, and the robot was also deployed at Dodgers Stadium and Arizona Diamondbacks’ Chase Field to cook chicken tenders and tater tots.
Food Industry Policy
Why ‘ghost kitchens’ are here to stay in Triangle food scene
Triangle Business Journal 5/27
With significant declines in the restaurant industry’s dine-in business, the pandemic accelerated the growth of ghost kitchens – cooking facilities that produce food for delivery only with no dine-in areas.
What’s Next for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund?
QSR Magazine 5/27
Whether you received a grant or not, here’s what you need to know.
NRA urges states to offer grants as Restaurant Revitalization Fund runs dry
Restaurant Dive 5/27
As the Restaurant Revitalization Fund runs dry, the National Restaurant Association called on governors, mayors and state legislators Wednesday to establish a state-based restaurant grant fund.
On the Side
An outdoor night market blossoms in Lincoln Heights as L.A. recovers from COVID-19’s devastation
Los Angeles Times 5/27
As sunset nears, a temporary town appears along a short stretch of industrial Lincoln Heights. It has its own regulations, waste management system and at least 100 businesses selling acrylic nails, earrings, weed pipes and mouthwatering burgers, asada tacos and mini pancakes. Along the cracked asphalt, on weekends, a DJ plays music as crowds dance and drink out of clay cups rimmed red with Chamoy.
Raising Cane’s to open Visalia, Tulare restaurants this summer
ABC30 5/27
Popular chicken fingers restaurant, Raising Cane’s, plans to open two more locations in the South Valley this summer. The eatery will open a store in Visalia at the corner of Mooney Boulevard and Caldwell Avenue. Another location is under construction near Prosperity Avenue and Laspina Street in Tulare.
