Labor
With millions of Americans looking for work, why can’t businesses find employees?
The Mercury News 7/16
As California emerges from the business restrictions put in place during the pandemic, employers have said they are struggling to fill jobs, even as millions of people in the U.S. report they are looking for work.
Unemployed people must look for work to continue receiving benefits, EDD says
ABC 7 News 7/15
As the economy opens up, so are more jobs — yet more than two million Californians are still collecting unemployment. But now the EDD is nudging folks to get back to work.
Food Industry Policy
Parklets vs. parking: Permanent outdoor dining in S.F. sets off debate over street space
San Francisco Chronicle 7/15
Wade Warrens, a West Portal resident for more than two decades who’s watched local businesses close, said his neighborhood is livelier now than even before the pandemic. That’s thanks to a dozen parklets that popped up as part of the citywide Shared Spaces program that let businesses open outdoor eating areas, he said.
As costs rise, Bay Area restaurants are adding new fees to bills – on top of diner tips
San Francisco Chronicle 7/15
Diners who frequent Refuge in San Mateo, a popular pastrami restaurant that opened in late June, might have noticed a new charge on their checks: a 2% “wellness” fee.
On the Side
How the Work-From-Home Movement Changed Restaurants
QSR Magazine 7/16
At the outset of the pandemic, lines defining the traditional three dayparts quickly began to blur at la Madeleine.
This Berkeley restaurant owner was against takeout. Now, he’s going all in on ghost kitchens
San Francisco Chronicle 7/15
Before the pandemic, popular Berkeley tapas bar La Marcha never offered takeout or delivery — and in fact, co-owner Sergio Emilio Monleón was staunchly opposed to putting his Spanish food into to-go boxes. He believed his paellas and tapas were meant to be eaten in the restaurant.
