Labor
Immigrant Restaurant Workers are Organizing
SF Weekly 8/25
Dishwashers, servers and cooks recently won a $2.6 million settlement from the now-shuttered Kome Buffet.
Food Industry Policy
Officials to Bay Area Diners: ‘Remain Indoors With Windows and Doors Sealed’
Eater, San Francisco 8/25
Improvements to weather conditions allowed crews to make progress against the complexes of wildfires burning in the Bay Area, officials said Tuesday morning. But while there’s a glimmer of home for the NorCal counties in the fire zone, the air across the entire region remains too dangerous to breathe, officials say, making outdoor dining — and working inside or outside at a restaurant — an increasingly risky proposition.
Why three Daily Grill restaurants in Southern California are on pause
The Orange County Register 8/25
Three Daily Grill restaurants in Southern California have closed temporarily. A spokesperson for the restaurant said closures in the chain were due to the capacity restrictions for dining in. Irvine, Studio City and Santa Monica are closed. Palm Desert, Burbank and Los Angeles (Century Boulevard), locations remain open.
L.A. extends outdoor dining program through the end of 2020
Los Angeles Times 8/25
L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti last week announced an extension of the city’s Al Fresco program, an initiative that permitted restaurants to set up outdoor dining areas in public spaces such as sidewalks and parking lots, until at least the end of this year. The permits were initially set to expire at the end of August.
On the Side
Toxic Ash Means Bay Area Produce Buyers Should Get Ready to Scrub
Eater, San Francisco 8/25
If concerns about foodborne illnesses or the (slight) risk of surface-spread COVID-19 weren’t enough to convince you to wash your fruits and vegetables before eating them, perhaps a new threat will finally get you scrubbing: the fine coating of ash that’s covered produce not just as it grows in California, but as it rests outside shops or on farm stands.
Consumers worried their restaurants will not survive pandemic
Restaurant Business 8/25
A new survey by the National Restaurant Association found that 89% of adults fear for the future of local restaurants.
McDonald’s adds two new menu items, including spicy McNuggets
NBC News 8/25
McDonald’s is debuting two new menu items that will bring plenty of heat and something cool and sweet to customers in an effort to boost falling sales due to coronavirus impacts.
Papa John’s sales are still in the stratosphere
Restaurant Business 8/25
Customers are still ordering a lot of pizza. Papa John’s on Tuesday said that its same-store sales in North America rose 24.2% in August, continuing a months-long surge as consumers stayed home and ordered delivery.
KFC temporarily stops using iconic slogan ‘It’s Finger Lickin’ Good’
Verdict Foodservice 8/25
American fast-food restaurant chain KFC has decided to temporarily pause using its iconic slogan ‘It’s Finger Lickin’ Good’ in the advertisements worldwide. The brand said that its more than six-decade-old slogan ‘doesn’t quite feel right’ this year in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Some Good News for Restaurant Sales, But an Uneven Path Ahead
FSR Magazine August 2020
The restaurant industry remains in a holding pattern, with no end in sight. And it’s troubling consumers. In a recent nationwide survey commissioned by the National Restaurant Association, 89 percent of adults said they were concerned businesses in their community, like restaurants, would not survive the economic fallout of COVID-19.
