Labor
Denny’s Says Ex-Server Can’t Represent Proposed Class
Law360 6/23
Denny’s says a former waitress who got a win in her lawsuit against the restaurant in Pennsylvania federal court over wage law violations can’t go on to represent a class of employees, because she lacks standing and suffers from credibility problems.
US Department Of Labor Proposes Rule To Limit Federal Tip Credit Application
JD Supra 6/23
The proposed rule places the work that a tipped employee performs into three buckets: (1) tipped work (i.e. a busser bussing a table or server waiting on a table), (2) work directly supporting the tipped work (i.e. busser cleaning the restaurant dining area or preparing tables for the next day), and (3) work not part of the tipped job (i.e. busser cleaning the restaurant kitchen/bathrooms or a hotel housekeeper cleaning nonresidential parts of a hotel, such as a spa, gym, or the restaurant).
Food Industry Policy
Uber Eats Pushed By Attorneys General in Two States to be Transparent With Food Costs Upon Checkout
Tech Times 6/23
Uber Eats users in Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania will now see a pop-up message on the app’s checkout page saying that the total cost of the food they are about to order may be more expensive compare to ordering in restaurants. The Uber Eats app will also display a “Prices may be lower in store” disclosure after two attorneys general pushed for the company to be more transparent to its customers about prices.
Palo Alto Keeps Streets Closed for Outdoor Dining
NBC Bay Area 6/23
People can continue to dine al fresco on certain streets in Palo Alto. The city council voted this week to keep portions of University and California avenues closed to cars through the end of September.
On the Side
39% of restaurants can’t afford June rent, report finds
Restaurant Dive 6/23
Staffing shortages have caused restaurants to pull back on operating hours and reallocate funds to pay employees more than pre-pandemic levels, which is squeezing general and administrative expenses. Fifty-one percent of business owners said they’re paying employees more than they did during COVID-19, according to Alignable’s May rent report. Even with pay increases, restaurants continue to struggle filling positions.
I ate a 4-course meal at a weed pizza parlor and got stoned to the bone
Business Insider 6/23
Walking into Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza, I got the impression I was entering a stoner’s speakeasy. I was greeted with the sweet smell of marijuana and the pumping bass of a Snoop Dogg song the moment I stepped in. The restaurant was pretty full for a weeknight, and towards the back of the space, a group of guys were passing around a pre-dinner blunt.
