Recap of July 28, 2023: Restaurant Industry’s State of Tipping, The Rise of Salt Bae, Amazon’s Palm Scanning Payment Technology

Welcome to Restaurant News Roundup, your go-to source for the latest updates and happenings in the restaurant industry. In this special recap article we roundup stories on Casa Bonita's Employee Demands, Delivery Robots' Nightmares, AI Analytics' Guest Experience, LA Spirits Awards Winners, Pork Standards Legislation, USDA Approved Meat-Veggie Burgers, Gen Z Tipping Shift, Minimum Wage Debate, and more breaking news. Our mission is to bring you a rapid-fire of the ten top stories covered in under ten minutes. We strive to keep restaurant professionals informed of the current affairs of the industry.

To watch the Videocast of this installment of Restaurant News Roundup, click here

1. Casa Bonita Responds to Employee Demands by Oscar Contreras - Denver7 News

Casa Bonita, the iconic Colorado restaurant, purchased by South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, has been in the news for removing tipping and paying its servers $30 an hour. 

Now it is grappling with a list of demands from its employees, dubbed #WeAreTeamCasa, which include issues of pay and non-tipping, clarity on hours of operation, health benefits, and transparency from ownership. 

"We want the restaurant to reopen well, not fast, "We want to make sure that we are doing things right for our employees, our guests, and our community."

Question:

Where do you fall on the debate over hospitality workers labor organizing? 

Article Link: Read More

2. Amazon One Palm Payment Tech Coming to Every US Whole Foods by Alex Bitter - Business Insider

The technology allows customers to pay with a scan of their palm. Amazon says One Palm is more convenient and secure than traditional payment methods. Privacy advocates say the way that Amazon collects and keeps palm data raises concerns.

Question:

Which side do you fall on, are you concerned with your biometrics being used by Amazon or do you appreciate the speed and convenience of this method? 

Article Link: Read More

3. Why delivery robots face a regulatory ‘nightmare’ by Max Garland - Restaurant Dive

States aren’t aligned, some saying Bots as heavy as 500 pounds can roam as fast as 4 miles per hour on Georgia sidewalks. In New Hampshire, robots can travel up to 10 miles per hour on sidewalks, but they can’t weigh more than 80 pounds. 

Variance in state laws often depends on which bot operator led the charge to pass a particular bill, said Carl Hansen, VP of delivery bot company Coco.

Question:

Are you onboard with the use of delivery robots? 

Article Link: Read More

4. Paytronix's New CEO Says Restaurants Can Close Service Gap with AI Analytics by Pymnts

Jeff Hindman, says “How do you use technology to have a relatively new employee get up to speed and understand the guest experience like a tenured veteran within the restaurant?”

He cited a consumer who orders the same thing every time they go to a restaurant, noting that digital platforms can harness consumer data to offer that diner their favorite order right away.

A PYMENTS survey of more than 2,200 U.S. consumers, says between 83% and 90% — of restaurant purchases come from returning customers.

Question:

Will using AI for processing customer data and purchasing patterns make for better training and guest experience? Or not?

Article Link: Read More

5. The 2023 L.A. Spirits Awards: A Competition for a Modern Industry by Sylvie Baggett - VinePair

2023 LA Spirits Awards have been announced, The awards are continuing to innovate with their inclusion of NA beverages, ready-to-drink categories as well as the debut of the High Spirit Awards featuring Canna brands. 

Congrats to our own partners over on Restaurants In Pop Culture, Squared Sodas, powered by Rexis took home 13 awards including a Platinum medal for Sparkling Grapefruit and a Gold for “Gin and Tonic”

Question:

Are there standouts or snubs for you with this year’s winners? Does this further signal the power shift to cocktail culture over beer culture? 

Article Link: Read More

6. U.S. Interstate Pork Commerce Faces Uncertain Future by Restaurant News Resource

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) upheld a lower court’s ruling to preserve California Proposition 12 (Prop 12), which prohibits the sale of pork not produced according to the state’s production standards. 

California requires that all pork sold in the state must come from farms that house sows with at least 24 square feet each and ensure their ability to stand up and turn around in their pens.

The Restaurant Law Center (RLC) filed a brief in support of the pork producers arguing Prop 12 unconstitutionally allows a single state to impose massive costs on a multi-state commodity.

Question:

Are you for or against these types of bills setting new pork standards? 

Article Link: Read More

7. Exploring the Rise of 'Salt Bae' and His Nusr-Et Steakhouse Concept by Ben Coley FSR Magazine

The Turkish born restaurateur has more than 53 million followers on Instagram. Nusret opened his initial restaurant with 20 seats back in 2010 in Istanbul. 

In 2017 the internet became obsessed with the unique way he sprinkled salt. It's a popularity surge that he's used to widely expand Nusr-Et, his global steakhouse chain.

The brand has 31 restaurants in seven countries with nearly 2,000 employees. 

Question:

What do you think, are Salt Bae and his restaurants “Steak” or “Flake”?

Article Link: Read More

8. BOTH Debuts First Blended Burger To Market 50% Beef & 50% Vegetables by Matt Newberg - Hngry.tv

A study by Peter Scarborough, professor of population health at Oxford, showed that plant-based eaters accounted for 75% fewer greenhouse gasses than those who eat 3.5 oz of meat per day. 

Meanwhile, 50/50 Foods announced an exemption from the USDA to list the percentage of meat in its blended BOTH Burger patties made of 50% beef and 50% veggies. 

Brands large and small like Teton Waters Ranch and Hormel currently sell patties blended with veggies, the USDA doesn’t allow them to list the percentage of each ingredient, instead the amount of vegetables per serving. This requires a heavy lift from the consumer and has likely contributed to the lack of traction in the category.

Question:

Is a meat-veggie blended burger preferable to a traditional minced veggie burger or a plant-based extruded burger or even a cell-cultivated burger as a way to reduce meat consumption? 

Article Link: Read More

9. Gen Z is rejecting everything they’ve been taught about tipping. It could be the start of a big shift by Jane Thier - Fortune 

Just because inflation is finally cooling doesn’t mean Americans have financially recovered. Last summer, it hit a 40-year high, coinciding with Gen Z entering the workforce and generally curbing their spending. With economists debating whether inflation will be “sticky,” another habit is sticking around, according to a recent Bankrate survey: The 26-and-under crowd are the stingiest tippers. 

Question:

Do you recognize a generational shift in attitudes towards tipping?

Article Link: Read More

10. Lawmakers propose raising the federal minimum wage to $17 and killing the tip credit by Peter Romeo - Restaurant Business Online

The “Raise the Wage Act of 2023”, introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Bobby Scott, calls for raising the minimum wage for restaurant employees, and eliminating the “tip credit”, starting with a $2.25-an-hour bump in the pay floor. That wage of $9.50 would increase by $1.50 an hour every year thereafter until reaching $17.

"Eliminating the tip credit as a compensation model is a non-starter," said NRA’s Sean Kennedy "This would have the perverse effect of lowering the take-home pay for countless workers who have tipped restaurant jobs.”

Question:

What do you think about the proposal to raise the federal minimum wage and eliminate the tip credit? Is this good or bad for the restaurant industry?

Article Link: Read More

Thanks for joining us for this week's recap from Restaurant News Roundup. We hope these summaries keep you informed about the latest industry updates. Remember to follow along with our fast-paced show every week, where we deliver ten stories in under ten minutes. Fridays at 8am EST on Best Served Podcast Facebook and YouTube pages.