Did you know…
Americans are hungry for diversity? According to a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, 66% of diners eat a wider variety of ethnic cuisines than they did just five years ago.
Today's Specials
How Hollywood Sees Us: Everything wrong with trendy restaurants [VIDEO]
If you aren’t rolling as you watch this piece by College Humor, you must not be in our business. This video really captures a few incredible truths about our trendiest peers. But does any of it relate to you rank-and-file full-service restaurants?
WHAT A GAME! (Sponsored by Audio Everywhere)
Why it’s important to you: 10 strategies to make sports viewing more enjoyable in restaurants & bars
We work with numerous hospitality venues to help them make sports viewing more enjoyable for their patrons. It isn’t all about the audio, however. Here are some things we have learned in our travels.
I FOUND MY THRILL
Why it’s important to you: Domino’s wage scandal is a cautionary tale
The Attorney General for NY, Eric Schneiderman, filed suit against Domino’s Pizza and three local franchisees for wage theft. The suit alleges that the company’s software system under-calculated gross wages. The total underpayment comes to $567K and date backs as far as 2011. Domino’s maintains they made a good faith effort to correct the situation and implement controls that would avoid future miscalculations.
This suit creates more questions than answers. At the heart of it stands the question as to what the relationship of the franchisor is the franchisees business practices. Schneiderman maintains that Dominos micromanaged this issue and pressed franchisees to use a flawed software. Dominos asserts that the AG doesn’t respect or understand the nature of franchising and is demeaning to small business owners.
In the end, if you run a business your moral obligation to your employees should be as important as the ethical one. You expect every guest to pay for their food and service, so why shouldn’t the same be expected of you when it comes to paying your staff for their work? This whole story just contributes to the notion that if you don’t monitor the behavior of businesses, they will do the wrong things. We believe the restaurant industry is better than this. Besides, the bad press alone should be sufficient disincentive for anyone thinking that underpaying their employees is a good idea.
HOW CAN IT BE?
Why it’s important to you: If you know a woman this matters
Another day, another major college football program displays incredibly callous behavior when it comes to the treatment of people with less power. This time it's Baylor University responding to a report from an independent investigation that describes systemic failures when it came to issues of sexual assault. Gone are head coach Art Briles, AD Ian McCaw and university president Kenneth Starr (yes, that Ken Starr from the Whitewater and Monica Lewinsky investigations of the Clintons).
The football staff is accused of a number of horrific behaviors with highlights including discrediting sexual assault accusers and protecting alleged attackers from disciplinary or legal action. It appear that no lessons have been learned from the same process playing out at major college football programs all over the US. The Baylor Regents commissioned the investigation in 2015 after serious concerns about Title IX compliance were raised.
Title IX was a bill implemented in the ‘70s which requires equal opportunities be made for women in educational programs. It brought you successes like the US women's national soccer team and has insured a generation of women can flourish. Sadly, it seems we still have a long way to go.
THROW ANOTHER SHRIMP ON THE BARBIE
Why it’s important to you: Knowing where their food comes from matters to guests.
The executive director of the Texas Shrimp Associate (yes there is such an organization) says her industry is down about 70% over the past 20 years. However, a study done by the organization shows many restaurants in Texas are still advertising “Gulf Shrimp” on their menus but serving imported product. Given that less than 2% of that farm raised stock is inspected, there are real safety concerns and the Texas Shrimp Association doesn’t want real stock confused with the imported.
If food provenance didn’t matter, then why would a restaurant advertise their product’s origins? There simply isn’t a reason to fabricate. The same thing happened in south Florida over substitute fish for grouper. Your guests have a right to know what they are buying and you have a responsibility to deliver it.
TEARS OF A CLOWN
Why it’s important to you: Trump is an actual candidate for president
Two weeks ago we offered you some insights into the rough week that presumptive Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump was suffering. It seems time has been no kinder to The Donald as this week comes to a close. First, his campaign abruptly parted ways with veteran Republican insider Rick Wiley. They claim he was always a short term hire, but insiders claim an imbroglio with entrenched campaign staff caused the early departure.
Second, Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has been throwing shade on Trump relentlessly all week. Ms. Warren has been using Trumps own favorite platform, Twitter, to excoriate him. Diddies, like, “your words and actions disqualify you from being president” and “I fight for working families every day. You fight for Donald Trump.” She capped it all off in a speech Tuesday, calling him small, insecure, and a money grubber. Have no fear. Would be President Trump shot back claiming that Ms. Warren had done little during her time in Congress and referred to her as Pocahontas, a reference to a questionable Native American claim made on an application completed by Ms. Warren.
It’s all great theater, but will mean little until we see the nominees go live on the campaign trail and the debate stage. Until then, enjoy the pregame warm-up, the real fun begins this summer.