Labor
Minimum Wage Increases Are Still Coming in July 2020
The National Law Review 6/15
The start of the year brings a lot of new laws and in the past few years the increase of the State of California’s minimum wage.
Food Industry Policy
Oakland Restaurants Open for Outdoor Dining This Week
Eater, San Francisco 6/15
Alameda County, the county that’s home to cities like Oakland, Alameda, and Hayward, will allow outdoor dining as of Friday, June 19. It’s the last Bay Area county to allow sit-down dining to resume, following a March 16th shelter-in-place order that only allowed delivery and takeout service from restaurants across the region.
At least 1,000 L.A. County restaurants not following coronavirus safety rules, inspections show
Los Angeles Times 6/15
As more sectors of the economy are poised to reopen in Los Angeles County this week, public health officials visited some of the establishments that are already open to check whether they are meeting the county’s requirements to do business.
In-N-Out Burger Sues Its Insurance Company For Denying Its Claims
LAist 6/15
Irvine-based In-N-Out Burger is suing its insurance company, making it one of the most famous combatants in a high-stakes battle between restaurants and their insurers over coronavirus-related claims.
Maryland to put off implementation of styrofoam ban
WTOP 6/15
The deadline for Maryland schools and restaurants to stop using polystyrene foam food containers and cups has been extended from July 1 to Oct. 1, the Maryland Department of the Environment decreed in an order this week.
On the Side
National Restaurant Association: 75% of restaurant operators don’t expect to turn a profit in near future
Nation’s Restaurant News 6/15
About 55% of operators with temporarily closed restaurants said there are not enough customers to justify reopening; the industry has lost $120 billion since the onset of the coronavirus crisis, according to the latest NRA survey.
One Restaurant’s Survival Guide
The New York Times 6/15
The pandemic has forced restaurants to confront an urgent question: Was technology helping or hurting them? For Glasserie, a Mediterranean restaurant in Brooklyn, N.Y., the answer was both.
After Confirmed Coronavirus Case, Hollywood’s Osteria la Buca Asks: Now What?
Eater, Los Angeles 6/15
A worker at Melrose Italian restaurant Osteria la Buca has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, prompting the long-running neighborhood restaurant to shut its doors completely for the time being.
The Vault Garden aims to be the safest S.F. restaurant during coronavirus
San Francisco Chronicle 6/15
As California started talking about reopening restaurants for outdoor dining, Ryan Cole of Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group began dreaming up the ideal dining experience during the COVID-19 era.
Here’s How SF Restaurants Created New Spaces for Outdoor Dining
Eater, San Francisco 6/15
June 12 marked the first day since the March 16 shelter-in-place order that restaurants in San Francisco were allowed to serve sit-down meals — as long as diners remained outdoors and followed appropriate social distancing protocols.
