States are mandating restaurant closures. Here's 3 ways brands can prepare.

Whether a restaurant is closing just its dining rooms or halting operations completely, lease agreements, perishable inventory and off-premise strategy will need to be assessed to weather COVID-19's impact. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 16, 2020

Starbucks offers 'catastrophe pay' to workers impacted by coronavirus

The temporary benefit includes 14 days of paid sick leave for workers diagnosed with or exposed to COVID-19, and also for those who are at elevated risk due to age or preexisting medical conditions. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 12, 2020

Postmates will cover coronavirus medical costs for delivery fleet

The delivery platform will also let restaurants in San Francisco partner with it at no cost as foot traffic declines, giving small businesses an opportunity to protect profits as the virus spreads.

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 11, 2020

McDonald's corporate stores offer quarantined workers 2 weeks paid leave

Labor advocacy group Fight for $15 wants the company to do more and issued a list of demands, including paid sick leave for all employees and better training on cleaning standards.

By Julie Littman • March 11, 2020

Olive Garden parent adds paid sick leave amid coronavirus concerns

Darden's permanent benefit grants 180,000 employees an hour of sick leave for every 30 hours worked, and new employees will be able to use accrued sick leave after 90 days on the job. 

By Julie Littman • March 10, 2020

Chipotle to expand paid parental leave, test unlimited PTO

The restaurant chain has been expanding its benefit offerings over the past year, but it has faced scrutiny at the state and local level.

By Aman Kidwai • March 6, 2020

Starbucks predicts coronavirus will gut Q2 comp store sales in China by 50%

Starbucks China's comparable stores sales fell 78% in February, a direct result of temporary store closures due to the outbreak of COVID-19.

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 6, 2020

NYC Chipotle worker gets job back in sick leave settlement

The employee will also receive $2,500 in restitution, and Chipotle will remove disciplinary marks on her record for using paid sick leave offered under New York City law.

By Lisa Burden • March 4, 2020

Union: Workers at airport Starbucks locations face racial pay gap, LGBTQ discrimination

Starbucks has attempted to make strides to improve equity among its employees, but airport employees are not employed by the coffee chain itself.

By Ryan Golden • March 4, 2020

Union Square Hospitality Group walks back arbitration agreement mandate

The staff contract, which would bar employees from filing class action lawsuits against the restaurant company, was dropped when rumors of a planned protest of the policy arose.

By Lauren Manning • Feb. 26, 2020

NLRB finalizes ruling that reduces joint employer liability for franchisers

Restaurants will now only be considered a joint employer of an operator's employees if they have direct control over workers' essential terms of employment, including wages, benefits and work hours.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Feb. 25, 2020

McDonald's faces more racial discrimination accusations

A group of current and former McDonald’s franchisees has retained a law firm to investigate the chain, just a month after a racial discrimination lawsuit was filed by two senior company execs. 

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 24, 2020

Wendy's pays $400K to settle Massachusetts child labor charges

Several of the nation's biggest restaurant chains, including Chipotle and Qdoba, have been charged with violating Massachusetts' child labor laws. 

By Lisa Burden • Feb. 21, 2020

Burgerim drama mounts as WA, MD revoke franchise registration

Franchisees of the beleaguered burger chain, once considered one of the hottest and fastest growing brands, face additional challenges as states revoke the franchisor's right to sell licenses.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 13, 2020

Proposed CA bill would require food delivery apps to share customer data with restaurants

The bill will be amended to require delivery apps to gain agreement from restaurants before listing them on their platform, Lorena Gonzalez's office told Restaurant Dive, echoing proposed Rhode Island legislation.

By Julie Littman • Updated Feb. 20, 2020

Proposed RI bill would fine delivery providers for listing non-partnered restaurants

Companies would be penalized $1,000 each day a violation occurs, and any merchant could bring action in superior court to recover actual damages or up to $5,000. 

By Julie Littman • Updated Feb. 12, 2020

Chipotle to pay more than $1M to settle Massachusetts child labor violations

The news comes just months after a competitor faced child labor law violations in the same state.

By Ryan Golden • Jan. 28, 2020

New York City bans cashless stores

New York City is now the largest city in the U.S. to ban cash-free stores, joining Philadelphia, San Francisco and New Jersey.

By Julie Littman • Jan. 24, 2020

McDonald's app connects workers to education benefits, growth opportunities

The mobile application may touch on a few trends: employer branding, talent pathways and retention.

By Katie Clarey • Jan. 22, 2020

Indiana McDonald's workers can learn on the job via 'crosswalk credits'

Three hundred of the restaurants will partner with Ivy Tech Community College to help employees advance their education.

By Katie Clarey • Jan. 14, 2020

DOL narrows 'joint employer' definition in final rule

The new standard is effective March 16 and looks to reduce questions of responsibility that sparked recent lawsuits against restaurant chains for their franchisees' wage and scheduling violations.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Jan. 13, 2020

Only 34% of operators 'very confident' they can identify food safety concerns

Comparatively, in 2018, 50% of operators felt they could identify food safety risks before they became an issue, according to a study from Zenput and Technomic. 

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 9, 2020

Judge denies Uber, Postmates injunction in AB-5 case

U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee said the law doesn't target app-based businesses, as the two companies argued, and doesn't violate the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. 

By Jennifer Carsen , Emma Liem Beckett • Updated Feb. 11, 2020

Starbucks to pay NYC employees $176K over sick leave violations

The coffee chain also agreed to provide informational posters about its sick leave policy inside all city stores, provide plain language information on its policy and follow up with the city in six months.  

By Julie Littman • Dec. 20, 2019

McDonald's lands major labor win in 2-1 ruling

The National Labor Relations Board absolved McDonald's as a joint employer from responsibility for labor violations brought forward in 2012 by Fight for $15 and other labor groups. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • Dec. 12, 2019