Labor
Op-ed: I’m a Restaurant Worker, Not a Robot
Civil Eats 10/28
In 2021, I worked in a restaurant that promoted itself as the future of dining. Diners would sit down and immediately download an app to browse the menu, place their order, and pay with a credit card, all on their phones.
California union alleges that fast-food effort to block new labor law is ‘willfully misleading voters’
Los Angeles Times 10/27
California’s largest union on Thursday lodged a complaint with state officials alleging that a fast-food industry coalition violated state election rules in its campaign to block a landmark labor law from going into effect.
Food Industry Policy
Long-awaited San Diego polystyrene foam ban expected to take effect in April after litigation delay
San Diego Union-Tribune 10/28
Long–awaited San Diego polystyrene foam ban expected to take effect in April after litigation delay.
Where do restaurant “service fees” really go?
Vox / Recode 10/28
Service charges have become commonplace for things like online delivery and concert tickets, but they’re increasingly showing up in unexpected places — namely restaurants.
On the Side
Report: 47% of Americans tip 20% at dine-in restaurants
Restaurant Dive 10/27
Forty-seven percent of Americans are tipping at a 20% rate at restaurants with table service this year, according to September survey of roughly 1,000 Americans from PlayUSA.
Restaurant operating hours are still shorter compared to 2019, report finds
CNBC 10/27
It’s not just your imagination. Restaurants aren’t open as long as they used to be.