Labor
Low-wage workers face retaliation for demanding COVID-19 safety measures at work
Los Angeles Times 8/15
In early June, Lizzet Aguilar went on a four-day strike. She demanded that the McDonald’s location in Boyle Heights where she worked provide employees with adequate protective equipment and enforce social distancing to fight the coronavirus.
Workers win $2.6 million wage theft settlement with Bay Area restaurant
San Francisco Chronicle 8/14
More than 130 restaurant workers have won a $2.6 million settlement from former employer Kome Japanese Seafood Buffet in Daly City, according to the California Department of Industrial Relations.
Food Industry Policy
NRA applauds Sen Schumer’s move to co-sponsor $120B Restaurants Act
Fast Casual 8/14
New York Democrat and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is co-sponsoring the Restaurants Act — a very good move, according to the NRA.
See how close your California county is to getting off — or on — the COVID-19 watch list
The Sacramento Bee 8/14
As the California Department of Public Health continues to correct the state’s coronavirus data following the data glitch that complicated COVID-19 reporting at the beginning of August, most of the state’s 58 counties are showing elevated transmission of the virus.
Oakland McDonald’s Ordered to Step Up COVID Precautions
NBC, Bay Area 8/14
A judge ordered a McDonald’s restaurant in Oakland that was hit by a coronavirus outbreak that workers said infected 35 people to follow increased health and safety protocols to help stop the spread of the virus.
On the Side
Heat Wave Melts Away Business at Outdoor Restaurants in East Bay
CBS, SF Bay Area 8/15
It’s the first weeklong heat wave to hit the Bay Area since the pandemic forced restaurants to start outdoor dining. The hot weather wasn’t all bad for businesses.
One food critic looks back on L.A.’s surreal pandemic summer
Los Angeles Times 8/15
When I consider this surreal, disorienting summer, I’m struck by the image of restaurant workers in protective gear — the semi-anonymous faces behind plastic face shields and surgical masks loading your car trunk with takeout cartons of stringy pancit, gold-brown fried chicken or fresh-baked lasagna.
Highlighting local Black owned restaurants in Los Angeles
Fox 11 8/15
Perhaps you heard the call to support Black owned businesses, but weren’t quite sure how. From August 7 to August 16, Black Restaurant Week highlights participating black owned restaurants in the Los Angeles area.
What Restaurant Franchising Will Look Like in 2021
Entrepreneur 8/14
For restaurant founders looking to expand through franchising, the pandemic offers unique challenges, but for those who are prepared, the opportunities for expansion might never be better.
Michelin Guide to award restaurant stars in California — based on pre-pandemic dining
San Francisco Chronicle 8/14
Michelin Guide’s first California publication in 2019 was a timely snapshot of the region’s fine dining scene, yet when it comes to the upcoming 2020 edition, the Michelin stars won’t necessarily reflect the reality of a local restaurant landscape being reshaped by a global pandemic.
