Labor
Employers require coronavirus liability waivers as conflict mounts over workplace safety
San Francisco Chronicle 7/31
As employers in California and across the country ask employees to return to the workplace, many have considered and some are requiring employees to sign similar waivers, employment lawyers say.
Food Industry Policy
With loan money gone, restaurants are at mercy of virus
The Fresno Bee 8/3
The check has arrived and beleaguered restaurant owners across America are looking down on their empty wallets.
A Beverage Alcohol Tariff War Of 2020 May Not Yet Be Over
Forbes 8/1
According to DISCUS, the dispute and tariffs have brought Scotch Whiskey imports to the U.S. down by almost 33% between October 2019 and May 2020, compared with the same period a year earlier.
McDonald’s CEO says law enforcement may be called on customers who refuse to wear masks
Fox News 7/31
McDonald’s appears to be serious about face masks. McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski recently spoke about recent decisions the company has made amid the coronavirus pandemic. He specifically suggested that law enforcement may be called during situations when a customer won’t wear a mask.
Some of SF’s most popular restaurants are turning away diners as coronavirus cases surge
San Francisco Chronicle 7/31
At a time when restaurants in the Bay Area are struggling to generate revenue, some of San Francisco’s most celebrated chefs and restaurant owners are doing what previously might have been unthinkable: telling diners to stay away.
Anonymous Tips Help California Counties Enforce Virus Orders
NBC, Los Angeles 7/30
After weeks of stressing education over enforcement, California communities say they are now issuing fines and relying on anonymous tips to make sure businesses and residents are complying with health orders requiring masks, disinfection and social distancing as the state tries to contain the coronavirus.
On the Side
Restaurants are taking over parking spaces. Here are 6 ways to make them look better
San Francisco Chronicle 8/3
First things first: The restaurants that are converting parking spaces to dining patios in cities across the Bay Area aren’t focused on aesthetics. With local governments’ blessing, they’re trying to survive the coronavirus-ravaged times in which we live.
‘Twilight Zone’ of dining: Robots are coming to a restaurant near you
San Francisco Chronicle 8/2
With every compostable bowl that Sally the salad-making robot fills with chicken and romaine lettuce, the Bay Area food scene inches closer to the singularity: the widespread integration of dining with high-end technology.
18th Street Could Become a Giant Outdoor Cafe
Eater, San Francisco 7/31
A Castro District street could completely close to allow outdoor dining, but some merchants are against the plan.
Restaurant Industry Facing Financial Struggles During Pandemic Closures
CBS, Los Angeles 7/31
The restaurant industry is in trouble as indoor dining remains shutdown throughout Los Angeles County during the coronavirus pandemic.
