Labor
DoorDash to Pay $2.5 Million to Settle Lawsuit over Tipping Policy
QSR Magazine 11/29
In a lawsuit filed in 2019, the Washington D.C. Attorney General’s Office alleged that the third-party delivery provider was using tips to cover the base pay of workers. According to the office, that means the more customers tipped, the less DoorDash had to pay drivers out of its own pockets. An investigation was launched in March 2019, and the case examined DoorDash’s tipping practices from July 2017 to September 2019.
Restaurant employees face another spell out of work as coronavirus resurges
CBS 11/27
Waiters and bartenders are being thrown out of work — again — as governors and local officials shut down indoor dining and drinking establishments to combat the nationwide surge in coronavirus infections that is overwhelming hospitals and dashing hopes for a quick economic recovery.
DOL Tips Rule Nears Release in Latest Eleventh-Hour Deregulation
Bloomberg Law 11/27
The restaurant industry’s years-long push for eased regulations on paying tipped workers for time spent on side work that doesn’t generate gratuities is closer to reality just as the Trump administration is about to exit.
Food Industry Policy
Cottage Industries Thrive In Face Of Pandemic
The Grunion 11/28
Since 2013, California has allowed the preparation and packaging of food in non-commercial kitchens. Within certain parameters, the state’s “cottage food law” permits chefs to cook from home. In Long Beach, several home-based businesses began to blossom during the COVID-19 quarantine.
Some restaurants hate delivery apps like Grubhub and Uber Eats. So they’re seeking out alternatives
CNN 11/27
For these services, they often charge restaurants around 30% per order. But profit margins in the restaurant industry are often razor-thin, so these fees can wipe out the restaurant’s profits or put them in the red. And if they choose to outsource delivery to these platforms, restaurants also hand off valuable customer data and control over how delivery orders show up at their customers doors.
Fight to halt LA dine-in ban isn’t over, restaurateurs vow
Fox Business 11/27
The California Restaurant Association says its fight against Los Angeles County’s dine-in ban isn’t over even after an initial request to block the measure was denied by a judge.
On the Side
Looking for a heat lamp for outdoor dining in the Bay Area? Good luck
San Francisco Chronicle 11/28
How do you keep customers warm and comfortable while they dine outside? Simple: heat lamps. But with so many restaurants in the Bay Area limited to outdoor dining, stores are running out.
Craving Burgers, Chinese, or Burritos? You can Order them all from this New Vegan Concept in Los Angeles
VegNews 11/27
As the city shuts down sit-down dining, chef Matthew Kenney opens a new takeout and delivery only concept that allows customers to sample dishes from upcoming brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Why Cannabis Is Flying High In Foodservice and Catering
Total Food Service 11/27
According to a recent National Restaurant Association survey, three out of four chefs believe that cannabis-infused edibles are likely to emerge as some of the hottest food trends. Some of the world’s biggest brands in the food and beverage industry, such as PepsiCo, Diageo, and Mondelez International, have been keen to join in on the cannabis craze.
