Labor and Policy: Page 16

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    booker5m via Getty Images
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    Restaurant outsourcing startup Bite Ninja raises $11.3M

    The firm has trained 12,000 workers to take orders remotely, offering savings for restaurants that don’t want to hire traditional employees. 

    By • Aug. 24, 2022
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Judge approves McDonald’s franchisee’s $1.5M settlement in sexual harassment suit

    About 100 plaintiffs, who alleged they were harassed by a Michigan store manager, will be able to claim an average of $10,000 each.

    By • Aug. 18, 2022
  • People hold signs while protesting in front of Starbucks on April 14, 2022 in New York City.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    Starbucks unionization efforts

    Starbucks requests NLRB suspend mail-in union elections

    The chain claims the labor board and Workers United engaged in misconduct during the voting process in a Kansas City-area cafe, and likely other elections.

    By • Aug. 15, 2022
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    Stefani Reynolds / Stringer via Getty Images
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    Restaurant Revitalization Fund

    73 Congress members ask SBA to immediately disburse leftover RRF funds

    Legislators have also asked the body to prioritize any of the roughly 7,000 applicants who were approved for grants last year but didn’t receive funding. 

    By • Aug. 11, 2022
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Sweetgreen lays off 5% of support staff

    These reductions could result in annual savings of $4 million and help the chain reach profitability potentially as early as 2024, according to the company.

    By • Aug. 10, 2022
  • A round red sign hanging off of a glass building that says Chipotle
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    Michael M. Santiago / Staff via Getty Images
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    Chipotle to pay $20M to employees in NYC Fair Workweek settlement

    About 13,000 workers will receive $50 for each week or part of the week they worked between November 2017 and April 2022, per the agreement’s terms. 

    By • Aug. 10, 2022
  • A picture of one of Reef's mobile kitchens.
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    Courtesy of REEF Technology
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    Deep Dive // Reef Technology's expansion

    How Reef helps shape city ghost kitchen regulations to accommodate its model

    The ghost kitchen company has devised two paths into new markets: one through city hall, and one through back doors of hotel kitchens.

    By • Aug. 8, 2022
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    Philip Kramer/DigitalVision via Getty Images
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    Seattle passes permanent 15% delivery fee cap with exceptions

    Seattle joins San Francisco in approving a permanent cap, but allows delivery firms to charge more if restaurants opt for additional services, like marketing. 

    By • Aug. 4, 2022
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    drnadig via Getty Images
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    Restaurant Revitalization Fund

    SBA to disburse $180M in remaining RRF funds

    While the Small Business Administration confirmed it would distribute the money, it has yet to provide additional details on how it will be allocated. 

    By • Aug. 3, 2022
  • Starbucks Workers United members picket outside a Starbucks in Watertown, Ma., on August 1, 2022.
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    Permission granted by Kylah Clay, Starbucks Workers United
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    Workers United says it will waive bargaining rights over some Starbucks benefits

    The union said its members want to be included in new benefits, such as wage increases, credit card tipping, faster sick leave accrual and revived training programs.

    By • Aug. 2, 2022
  • A restaurant worker wearing a clear plastic mask shield speaks with restaurant patrons.
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    Ian Forsyth via Getty Images
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    Restaurant Revitalization Fund

    NRA urges SBA to release $180M in leftover RRF funds

    Per a Government Accountability Office report, $24 million of the funding was designated for litigation, and roughly $56 million came from returned grants.

    By • July 28, 2022
  • A man and woman looking at receipts inside a cafe
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    Ridofranz via Getty Images
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    Study: Over one-third of restaurant operators implementing hiring freezes

    Despite an ongoing labor shortage, 4% of small restaurant owners said they are cutting staff, a July Alignable report also found. 

    By Alicia Kelso • July 28, 2022
  • Aerial view of the Bay Bridge in San Francisco, California with skyline in background
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    Melpomenem via Getty Images
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    San Francisco weakens 15% delivery fee cap

    The San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a law Tuesday enabling delivery services to charge more than 15% in restaurant commissions if eateries opt for additional services. 

    By • July 27, 2022
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s CEO: Robots aren’t practical in vast majority of restaurants

    Though 10% labor inflation and staffing levels are challenging the chain, CEO Chris Kempczinski said automation won’t be a “silver bullet” solution. 

    By • July 26, 2022
  • An image of a bike rider with a yellow backpack that says "Lunchbox" on it
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    Courtesy of Lunchbox
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    Lunchbox reportedly lays off 60 employees

    The job cuts reduced the restaurant tech firm’s staff, including engineering and technology roles, to 120 workers, Business Insider reports.

    By • July 22, 2022
  • A woman in a green apron at a coffee counter waves off camera
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    Retrieved from Starbucks on July 11, 2022
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    Starbucks faces 'indefinite' strike at a Boston cafe

    Baristas are refusing to work for an unspecified amount of time, demanding that the chain replace a store manager and bolster staffing across shifts.

    By • July 21, 2022
  • A bank of windows below a red sign that says "Chipotle." A man stands in the background inside the restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Chipotle permanently closes unionizing Maine store

    Chipotle wrote in a message to employees that the Augusta, Maine, unit was shuttered due to lack of labor availability. 

    By • July 20, 2022
  • Ordering takeout and delivery convenience food from an online Asian restaurant delivery meal from a smart phone.
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    YinYang via Getty Images
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    ChowNow CEO: More restaurant tech industry layoffs are coming

    The company had one of its best sales months in June, but rising interest rates and more expensive capital has Chris Webb preparing for a financial hurricane.

    By • July 19, 2022
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    Retrieved from sunday on July 15, 2022
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    Restaurant payments app Sunday cuts staff, exits 60% of its markets

    The startup, which launched just 16 months ago, will pull out of four of its seven markets to focus on the U.S., U.K. and France. 

    By • July 15, 2022
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    Courtesy of Gopuff
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    What's next for Gopuff and rapid delivery as the young industry hits 'an inflection point'?

    The company’s struggles and those of newer startups in the space could offer an opening for established grocers, sources say.

    By Jeff Wells , Sam Silverstein , Catherine Douglas Moran • July 15, 2022
  • Gopuff
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    Courtesy of Gopuff
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    Gopuff laying off 10% of global workforce, closing dozens of US warehouses

    The company, which is eliminating jobs for the second time in just a few months, is taking action as instant delivery faces an “inflection point,” according to a memo sent to investors.

    By Jeff Wells • July 13, 2022
  • An image of two signs, one that says "Please be patient we are understaffed" and "Now hiring cooks, wait staff, bartenders. Apply now."
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    HABesen via Getty Images
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    4 ways to face labor shortages

    From recruitment and retention to operational efficiencies and employee communications, learn how executives are fighting to retain workers and improve costs.

    By • July 13, 2022
  • A group of people are enjoying their meal at a bright restaurant while one looks on a smartphone.
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    Geber86 via Getty Images
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    Study: Dine-in tips have increased despite inflation

    Tip percentage growth has slowed, however, and tips on online orders have shrunk even as the number of online orders has risen, Lightspeed data finds. 

    By Alicia Kelso • July 12, 2022
  • Chipotle in Savannah, Georgia
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    Thai Phi Le/Restaurant Dive
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    Q&A

    How Chipotle plans to identify and grow future leaders

    A class of 45 “emerging leaders” will participate in the chain’s inaugural, nine-month development program, according to Chief Diversity, Inclusion and People Officer Marissa Andrada.

    By Ryan Golden • July 12, 2022
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Starbucks to permanently close 16 stores over safety issues

    Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, SVPs of U.S. operations, emphasized the company’s commitment to employee safety in a letter to workers on Monday. 

    By • July 12, 2022