Labor
Business Pleas Fail to Delay Virus-Era Minimum Wage Increases
Bloomberg 10/5
Covid-19 hasn’t slowed the march toward a $15 an hour minimum wage in several states and cities, as business groups mostly strike out at persuading public officials to postpone scheduled increases.
Pre-Election Economy: Unemployment Falls, But Hiring Slows
NBC, Bay Area 10/2
The final jobs report before Election Day a month from now showed hiring slowed in September even as the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 7.9% — a mixed result for President Donald Trump, who has staked his reelection in part on the economy.
It’s Time for Diners to Ask the Servers: How Are You Doing?
The New York Times 10/2
As indoor dining returns to New York, the danger to restaurant workers increases. So does the need to protect them.
Food Industry Policy
Santa Barbara restaurants resume indoor dining
KEYT 10/3
After many months of operating outside, restaurants throughout State Street have finally opened their doors for indoor dining.
55% of small businesses worry about staying open amid capacity restrictions, study says
Restaurant Dive 10/2
Fifty-five percent of small businesses said they have concerns about staying open long term under social distancing regulations that limit business capacity.
On the Side
Some of the Bay Area’s most anticipated restaurants for 2020 are in COVID-19 limbo
San Francisco Chronicle 10/5
Oakland chefs Julya Shin and Steve Joo were biting their nails waiting for building permits so they could finally make their dream restaurant a reality.
194 Restaurants, Vineyards, and Businesses Destroyed by Fast-Moving Wine Country Fire
Eater, San Francisco 10/2
The Glass Incident Fire has been burning for less than a week, but it’s already wrought a remarkable amount of destruction.
To Find Hope in American Cooking, James Beard Looked to the West Coast
Eater 10/2
In an excerpt from The Man Who Ate Too Much, the culinary icon returns to his hometown and begins to articulate his vision for American cuisine.
How Food Festival Organizers Are Creatively Pivoting in the Midst of a Pandemic
Thrillest 10/1
From drive-in theaters to virtual cooking classes, here’s how festivals are adapting.
How Off-Premises is Changing Everything for Restaurants
QSR Magazine Oct. 2020
Delivery, curbside pickup, and other off-premises service methods were already becoming popular drive-thru alternatives. COVID-19 has launched their momentum into the stratosphere.
