Labor
California just reached a $15 an hour minimum wage. Are voters ready for $18?
Sacramento Bee 2/25
The fight for $18? It’s on, say supporters of raising the minimum wage in California.
California’s $15 minimum wage begins this year. Debate on the next increase has already begun.
Restaurant Dive 2/25
In the world of labor and employment law, California is a bellwether. The state’s legislative activity on HR issues such as pay, time off, discrimination and a host of other issues have spurred similar laws across the U.S. — and minimum wage laws are no exception.
Food Industry Policy
California restaurant owner ordered to pay city, perform community service for disobeying COVID orders
The Mercury News 2/25
The owner of the Restauration restaurant, who was criminally charged last year after keeping her business open while defying Long Beach’s coronavirus mandates, has been ordered to pay restitution to the city and perform community service.
California restaurant ordered to close until it regains permit lost over COVID violations
Sacramento Bee 2/24
A Northern California restaurant that has operated without a valid health permit for more than 18 months after flouting COVID-19 restrictions has been ordered by a court to cease operations.
On the Side
On the Brink of Closure, Customers Stepped in to Save Taco Vega
Eater LA 2/24
On January 22, Jared Simons announced on Instagram that his plant-based Fairfax restaurant Taco Vega would close in a matter of days, ending a run that lasted just over a year along one of the city’s most celebrated stretches.
A Culinary Tour of Santa Barbara, The Most Underrated Dining City in America
Inside Hook 2/23
If you want to taste the best pizza in Los Angeles, you’ll need to leave the city. Head about 90 minutes north, and pull into a little country mart tucked into Montecito’s quaint downtown strip.
