Labor
Forget the wine list: Foodies should ask how restaurants treat their workers
The Washington Post 7/16
If we can be fussy enough to send a medium burger back for not being rare, we can be discerning enough to ask managers questions about CDC dining guidelines.
Is a federal $15 minimum wage virtually a done deal?
Retail Wire 7/16
Amazon.com, Costco and Target have all raised the minimum wage they pay hourly workers to $15, and the reality is that many, most or even all retailers will be doing the same in the near future despite doing business in a labor market where millions of Americans are out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Food Industry Policy
One of SF’s Most Powerful Billionaires Wants Fines for Mask Law Violations
Eater, San Francisco 7/16
While many Bay Area counties have announced fines for bars and restaurants that fail to enforce mask and social distancing laws, San Francisco officials said Wednesday that their enforcement policy for businesses is focused on “education,” not citations.
Prioritize restaurant workers for testing and vaccination, NRA says
Restaurant Dive 7/16
Though much of the NRA’s Blueprint for Restaurant Revival recommendations echo the association’s April guidelines, specifically in regards to the creation of a restaurant-specific recovery fund and calls for changes to the Paycheck Protection Program, these testing and vaccination suggestions are new.
‘The PPP thing was a joke’: Why gov’t loans did nothing for this SF neighborhood
SF Gate 7/16
When Elizabeth Leu applied for a Payment Protection Program loan in April to help her children’s boutique Fiddlesticks make it through the pandemic, she was rejected.
On the Side
KFC Expands Vegan Beyond Fried Chicken To Southern California
Veg News 7/16
The chicken chain is expanding its test market with a limited sneak peek of vegan chicken at more than 50 locations in Los Angeles, San Diego, and Orange County.
Farm to Fork festival canceled, set to resume fall 2021
The Sacramento Bee 7/16
Wine lovers and foodies alike will have to wait until fall 2021 to enjoy Sacramento’s annual Farm to Fork Festival.
SF’s Slow Streets program adds 14 more roadways to free up space during pandemic
San Francisco Chronicle 7/16
Fourteen more streets will be added to San Francisco’s Slow Streets network, which aims to slow traffic through residential neighborhoods during the coronavirus outbreak to create more room for exercise and improve access to essential services.
Flippy, the burger-cooking robot, has a cousin with a White Castle gig
Pasadena Star News 7/16
Flippy has a cousin and he’ll soon be flipping burgers at White Castle. “Flippy,” for those who may not remember, is a robotic cook.
Is Consolidation the Future of Restaurant Technology?
QSR Magazine July 2020
At the same time online business is becoming an increasingly important source of restaurants’ revenue, there is jockeying for dominance of the marketplaces and technology that serve them.
