Labor
Employers Deal with Wage Inflation in an Applicant’s Market
The Business Journal 8/16
Even if the pandemic hadn’t caused such a massive disruption to economies and social structures, minimum wages still would have been a hot topic for debate.
How Back-of-House Tech Can Alleviate the Labor Crunch
QSR Magazine 8/16
Despite a historical love/hate relationship between restaurants and traditional hospitality technology, the pandemic forced accelerated adoption of various technologies to keep both customers and staff safe and businesses afloat.
Food Industry Policy
Sacramento considers vaccine mandate for indoor activities. Here’s what would be covered
Sacramento Bee 8/17
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg is considering a mandate requiring people to show proof of a COVID-19 vaccine to enter bars, restaurants, concert venues and gyms.
OpenTable Adds Tool to Help Restaurants Verify Customers’ Vaccination Status
SFist 8/16
Reservation-booking platform OpenTable says it is rolling out a new feature for restaurants by the end of the month that will allow them to flag repeat customers as “Verified for Entry” once they have shown their vaccination proof once.
On the Side
Black-Owned Restaurants Hope to Get Their Slice of Proposed $60B in Aid
Black Enterprise 8/16
Black-owned restaurants, and eateries overall, have been devastated by COVID-19 to a much larger extent than other types of businesses.
Restaurant Prices Are Skyrocketing. Here’s Why.
Grub Street 8/16
The food-service research firm Technomic pegs typical annual menu inflation at around 2.5 percent, accounting for natural fluctuations in costs of goods and labor. But according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, prices at full-service restaurants have risen 4.3 percent in the past year, the largest 12-month increase ever recorded.