Labor
Hiltzik: Why Starbucks has become a huge unionization target — and why the company is in a panic
Los Angeles Times 4/24
On April 7, Madison Hall, a barista and union organizer at the Starbucks store on Long Beach’s bustling 2nd Street commercial strip, was invited to a session the next day to “meet with and co-create with upper-level management,” Hall says.
‘Are you breathing? Hired.’ Why SoCal restaurants are still deeply short-staffed
Los Angeles Times 4/22
In the fall of 2021, assistant restaurant manager Jamie Wongaroon witnessed a disgruntled customer berate a host during a busy dinner service at Uzumaki, the small sushi restaurant she manages in Culver City.
Food Industry Policy
Are there still places where proof of COVID vaccination is required in the Bay Area?
San Francisco Chronicle 4/25
Dear Readers: I recently went to a pizza place in San Francisco and was able to dine inside without needing to prove my vaccination status. And yet, across the bay in Oakland, an outdoor beer garden asked me to show my ID and screenshot of my digital vaccine card.
Chick-fil-A’s Crazy Long Drive-Through Lines Have Santa Barbara Residents Squawking
Wall Street Journal 4/23
SANTA BARBARA, Calif.—Business has boomed for Chick-fil-A franchisee Travis Collins during the pandemic, thanks to surging appetite for chicken sandwiches from his drive-through window.
On the Side
Is the Future of Restaurants Grassroots Funded?
Eater 4/25
When Reesa Kashuk was ready to take the next step toward growing her Bay Area bagel business, she knew that she’d need to raise some money.
California’s beloved Gilroy Garlic Festival canceled
Associated Press 4/24
GILROY, Calif. (AP) — This year’s edition of California’s beloved Gilroy Garlic Festival has been canceled and the annual event’s future is uncertain, organizers announced.
