Labor
Darden Invested $75 Million in its Employees During COVID Crisis
FSR Magazine June 2020
Darden CEO Gene Lee said employees are the company’s greatest competitive advantage. But the sentiment is more than just a platitude. In other words, Darden has put its money where its mouth is.
Food Industry Policy
Newsom hints at renewed restrictions in California: ‘We don’t like the trend line’
San Francisco Chronicle 6/29
California added four more counties Monday to its watch list of places with concerning growth in their local coronavirus outbreaks, including Solano County, as Gov. Gavin Newsom hinted that he could renew some restrictions on public life.
Half of LA Bars, Restaurants Still Not Following Rules as COVID-19 Cases Top 100,000
Eater, Los Angeles 6/29
Los Angeles County officials are once again urging residents to ramp up their social distancing efforts, to wear masks in public, and to stay home whenever possible as a means of limiting further community spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Food trade groups push for early vaccine access
Politico 6/29
More than a dozen food industry trade groups sent a letter to President Donald Trump late last week asking him to make sure the federal government — not states — coordinates vaccine distribution, and to make sure workers at the companies are prioritized.
When Restaurants Go Rogue with COVID Regulations
FSR Magazine June 2020
While the vast majority of restaurants are taking great pains to follow state and local mandates surrounding COVID-19, there exists a small contingency of operators who are flouting those regulations.
On the Side
For ‘Top Chef’ Alum Rogelio Garcia, Being a DACA Recipient Is a Central Part of His Personal Story
Eater, San Francisco 6/29
A little over a week ago, the Supreme Court voted to uphold the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, allowing the roughly 670,000 young, undocumented immigrants who are part of that program — the so-called DREAMers — to continue to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.
Bars are in spotlight as coronavirus cases rise. But in this Bay Area city, they’re open and hopping
San Francisco Chronicle 6/29
A couple embraced, masks pushed aside, and kissed outside the Roaring Donkey in Petaluma. Inside the bar, under low lighting, unmasked patrons filled nearly every seat sipping cocktails, many of them seemingly oblivious to the blue tape on the floor marking the 6-foot distance they were supposed to keep from each other.
We shadowed a restaurant server for a full shift. This is their new normal.
SF Gate 6/29
Late afternoon on a Tuesday, the newly reopened Farmhouse Kitchen in Oakland looks peaceful. A light breeze blows across the sunny patio overlooking Jack London Square while foghorns blare in the distance. A handful of diners sit on floral-patterned chairs under yellow umbrellas, sipping Thai iced teas and nibbling papaya salad.
Four Months Into COVID: More Uncertainty than Ever for Restaurants
FSR Magazine June 2020
As implausible as this might sound, we’ve now spent roughly a third of a full year under COVID-19 conditions. Today, pretty much the entire county is in some form of reopening stage—paused, backtracking, or moving forward. And it’s been a bouncy ride.
Postmates Mulling $2.6 Billion Offer from Uber
QSR Magazine June 2020
After plans with Grubhub fell through, Uber is reportedly seeking to purchase Postmates for approximately $2.6 billion.
