Monday September 11, 2023, 18:28:30

Quick-Service Restaurants: Reaches Agreement with Unions Regarding California’s Fast Act

By Mark Kalinowski

Restaurant Business reports that “Representatives of the restaurant and franchise businesses have secured an agreement to kill California’s controversial Fast Act in exchange for accepting one of the law’s most contentious provisions, the creation of a panel to set wages and working conditions for California fast-food restaurants. The agreement also calls for shelving a legislative proposal currently under consideration that would have held restaurant franchisors accountable for the employment policies and practices of their franchisees, a measure blasted as an existential threat to restaurant franchising. The call for legislating a joint-employer standard is contained in a pending piece of legislation, AB 1228. The joint-employer provision would be killed, and the bill would be amended to include the various provisions of the new pact between industry, organized labor and pro-labor members of California’s legislature.”

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Friday September 1, 2023, 09:13:50

Restaurants: Black Box Index Starts Lapping Tougher Comparisons

By Mark Kalinowski

Black Box Intelligence has released its latest monthly Black Box Index – an index which aggregates same-store sales for 175+ domestic restaurant concepts. Black Box notes that its data represents over 50,000 restaurant units, $75 billion in annual sales, and 300+ clients.

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Tuesday August 15, 2023, 08:55:38

Restaurants Set Another New All-Time Record for Market Share vs. Grocery Stores

By Mark Kalinowski

Data out today from the U.S. Census shows that restaurants’ market share (with grocery stores/supermarkets making up the other component) was 55.3% in July 2023. This is the best-ever monthly market-share showing for the U.S. restaurant industry, surpassing the previous record of 55.1% from June 2023. This shows that, despite restaurant prices gaining steam at a more meaningful rate than grocery prices as of late, consumers have – at least through the end of July – not meaningfully shifted food dollars back to grocery stores and supermarkets.

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