McDonald’s leaves NRA over policy differences

The National Restaurant Association confirmed McDonald's terminated its membership after CEO Chris Kempczinski criticized the tip credit — a political keystone for the NRA — on CNBC.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Sept. 4, 2025

Why consumer confidence is the leading restaurant traffic indicator

Dwindling confidence in macroeconomic growth means consumers are more price-sensitive than ever, in a potential win for value-oriented brands, Revenue Management Solutions said.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Aug. 27, 2025

Uber Eats settles Seattle labor claims for $15M

The delivery aggregator denied allegations by city authorities that it misled workers about potential earnings and paid them less than required.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Updated Aug. 27, 2025

What restaurant operators are prioritizing in the face of 2025’s mounting pressures

Labor, food costs, tariffs—here’s what restaurant leaders are doing to stay ahead for the rest of 2025.

Aug. 25, 2025

Tips drop as consumer spending stalls

Average tip size has shrunk from 15.5% in 2023 to 14.9% in the second quarter of 2025, leaving workers with less pay, a July report from Square showed.

By Julie Littman • Aug. 8, 2025

Starbucks pledges $500M in additional labor as sales slide continues

The coffee chain’s same-store sales dropped for the sixth consecutive quarter, but CEO Brian Niccol said the brand is seeing positive indicators in its operational metrics.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 30, 2025

DC city council limits tipped wage hikes

The municipality voted to cap the tipped wage at 75% of the city’s minimum wage, gutting a law passed by referendum in 2022 to end the tip credit.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 29, 2025

Worker says Dunkin’ franchisee retaliated after she researched tip law

“That’s AI,” the worker’s supervisor allegedly said in response to her findings. “That’s not real.”

By Emilie Shumway • July 21, 2025

Starbucks shifts to 4-day RTO for corporate employees

Starbucks won’t require individual workers to relocate, but new positions or lateral moves within the company will come with an in-person requirement.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 14, 2025

Undocumented workers say Cheesecake Factory recruited them, furnished fake work papers

The five employees alleged in a lawsuit that the business forced them to work unpaid hours, denied them breaks and more.

By Laurel Kalser • July 7, 2025

Restaurant groups split over No Tax on Tips until 2028

The Senate passed a tax and spending deal that will exempt up to $25,000 in cash tips annually from federal income tax for some service workers.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • July 2, 2025

Pita Pit faces EEOC charges after firing a pregnant worker following her WFH request

Management allegedly called the charging party’s pregnancy “a distraction.”

By Caroline Colvin • June 30, 2025

Former general manager can proceed with age bias case after Chili’s failed to retain documents, 6th Circuit rules

A former restaurant general manager raised trial questions over whether he was fired because Chili’s wanted a more youthful culture, the appeals court held.

By Laurel Kalser • June 27, 2025

Panera operator in Florida sued by DOL over child labor

The suit alleges that a 29-store franchisee subjected 240 minors to “oppressive” and illegal working conditions. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • June 18, 2025

Starbucks cafes are getting more managers

The cafe chain is launching a full-time assistant manager program, which will be systemwide in 2026, to fill a critical gap in store-level leadership.

By Julie Littman • June 11, 2025

Las Vegas restaurant operator ordered to pay more than $215K for alleged racial slurs against Black line cook

Olives, Inc., allegedly took no remedial or disciplinary action after an HR manager came to the “spurious” conclusion there was no “malicious intent” behind the conduct.

By Laurel Kalser • June 10, 2025

Slurs, stalking and shoddy pay: Culver’s franchise settles slew of EEOC claims

The settlement includes one case alleging sexual orientation-based discrimination, despite EEOC’s recent enforcement shifts affecting LGBTQ+ workers.

By Ryan Golden • June 10, 2025

The many faces of automation at the NRA Show

This year artificial intelligence appeared in forms ranging from a cat-eared delivery robot to a generated analytics dashboard.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • June 5, 2025

DC city council pauses tipped wage hike

In a possible prelude to repealing Initiative 82, a plan to eliminate the tipped minimum wage, the council voted Tuesday to delay a $2 wage increase scheduled for July 1.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Updated June 4, 2025

No taxes on tips may happen soon. Here’s what it could look like for hospitality workers.

Congress could pass legislation that includes eliminating taxes on tips as soon as this month. But what the legislation will look like — and its effects — are still up for debate.

By Noelle Mateer • June 3, 2025

How tariffs could impact 11 major restaurant companies

While a bulk of chains, including Sweetgreen and Chipotle, expect minimal impact to food costs because of domestic supply chains, the cost of new equipment could rise.

By Julie Littman • May 30, 2025

US court blocks Trump’s sweeping tariffs

The Court of International Trade said the president overstepped his authority, halting various duties. After an appeal, the ruling has been paused.

By Edwin Lopez • Updated May 29, 2025

Reporter’s notebook: 3 unanswered questions from the NRA Show

Can a robot really replace a worker? Will tariffs trigger a recession? Can you charge $14 for a mocktail?

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 28, 2025

Independent restaurants urge Congress to exempt service charges from taxes, not just tips

The “No Tax on Tips” provision in a proposed budget reconciliation package only benefits customer-facing staff, not dishwashers or other back-of-house workers, the IRC said.

By Julie Littman • May 20, 2025

Chuck E. Cheese sued by West Virginia workers over sexual harassment, retaliation

 A manager at the family eatertainment brand allegedly retaliated against an assistant manager for reporting sexual harassment of women employees.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • May 16, 2025