Labor
Robots are infiltrating restaurants to… help?
The Takeout 8/16
“I don’t have enough employees to be running around food and serving tables,” Ortiz told NBC News. “So, let’s say I’m at table two, I’m taking the order for table two while the robot is running the food for me to table seven. I load up the robot with dirty dishes, and it takes it right back to the dishwasher.”
Cash is disappearing. Here’s what that means for tips
CNN Business 8/14
Gone are the days of running to the ATM in order to get cash to tip your server or hair stylist. If cash was going out of style before the pandemic, consider its reputation ruined by infection concerns that have pushed consumers toward cashless alternatives — especially when it comes to tipping.
Food Industry Policy
Restaurants Become the New Covid-19 Vaccine Enforcers—for Better or Worse
The Wall Street Journal 8/15
Dining out in some places now requires proof of vaccination, putting workers in tough spots; ‘people scream at us through the phone’
San Francisco has a new vaccine mandate. Here’s everything you need to know
San Francisco Chronicle 8/13
San Francisco will soon become the first major city in the United States to require proof of full vaccination against COVID-19 for a variety of high-risk indoor activities that involve eating, drinking or exercising.
On the Side
Climate change hits sushi supply chain amid California water war
Business World 8/16
If you’ve eaten sushi anywhere in the US, chances are the rice came from California’s Sacramento Valley. Fritz Durst, a sixth-generation farmer, has grown the grain and other crops there for more than four decades. But this year, amid a historic drought, Durst is planting only half as many acres of rice as usual.
The Cost of Doing Business for Restaurants Has Gone Up
FSR Magazine 8/13
And just like that, we’re officially approaching late summer. The economic and social recovery in America has soared to new heights—even while some states revisit mask mandates and threats of potential restrictions due to the Delta variant loom eerily in the not-too-distant distance.
