Today's Specials
Use Facebook Live to turn your restaurant into its own show [Hack #057]
Facebook Live is the biggest content marketing tool in 2016 and it's ripe for creative restaurant operators looking to engage and delight their diners.
EXPERT ADVICE [Infographic]
It’s no secret bars host a lot of business transactions and meetings. But are there protocols that those doing that business should follow?
Maybe…check out this great guide to Do’s and Don’ts of Doing Business in a Bar. Some of it is silly, but much of it is actually right on point.
If you do strong “after work” trade, then this might be fun to post on your social media. Who knows, you may be home to the next big transaction that changes the world and cements your location’s place in business history.
Have you registered for our free webinar streaming tomorrow and Wednesday?
AN OBJECT IN MOTION
Why it’s important to you: $15/hr minimum wage as a part of the Democrat’s platform brings it one step closer to a reality.
Bernie Sanders has a few things to show for his improbable challenge to Hillary Clinton’s coronation as Democratic nominee for president. The main ones are national recognition of his various policies, an energizing of young voters to his causes and, of course, some very funny parodies of his quirky style. But the chief achievement of his campaign may be his influence on forming the party platform for the next four years.
In one plank he won a modest victory that is very relevant to restaurant operators…minimum wage. The platform draft committee took a first step toward giving Sanders a major concession, voting to adopt language in support of a $15 minimum wage. While it will be included, it’s a fairly watered down version and may end up being symbolic at best. However, it’s just another example of the momentum towards great employee rights, and we can’t ignore the reality of how it will impact our industry.
LONGHORNS, LONG TO BE GONE?
Why it’s important to you: Could your state be next to leave?
As the Brits began to mull what they’ve actually done by voting to leave the European Union, it appears there is another state mulling its sovereignty….Texas. The Texas Nationalist Party seized the example of Brexit to coin their own momentum inspiring contraction, Texit. While you may think a Texas exit sounds far-fetched, the folks behind it fell just two votes short of having a resolution in favor of leaving the Union brought to the Republican State Convention floor. That basically means they almost voted to make secession a part of the Texas Republican Party Platform for the next few years.
While the precedents that preclude a state from dissolving its association to the Union are well established, the momentum from the Texas Nationalist Party’s efforts is undeniable. The White House was even forced to comment on a petition demanding Texas’ independence. “More than 600,000 Americans died in a long and bloody civil war that vindicated the principle that the Constitution establishes a permanent union between the States,” the White House wrote in response to a 2012 petition. While it’s not likely to happen soon, growing concerns from Texas to California about the solvency of our Union shouldn’t be ignored.
ARGENTINA’S COPA AMERICA LOSS GETS MESSI
Why it’s important to you: It’s like LeBron James choosing not to play for USA Basketball…oh wait…
Lionel Messi is undoubtedly the best player of his generation. He has accumulated five Ballon d’Or Trophies (think MVP), four Champions League Titles (think NFL) and nine Spanish La Liga Titles (think Divisional Championship). He truly knows how to win. Unfortunately, that winning way has not seemed to translate into success with his national team, Argentina. After their loss in Sunday’s 100th Copa America final to Chile (again!) he made very clear that he isn’t interested in losing for Argentina any longer.
“The national team is over for me,” he told the Argentine network TyC Sports. “It’s been four finals, it’s not meant for me. I tried. It was the thing I wanted the most, but I couldn’t get it, so I think, it’s over.”
Whether that’s true or not, he has experienced his share of finals disappointment, including a combined four World Cup and Copa America losses since 2007. It doesn’t help that he missed a key penalty kick after the teams failed to score in a full game and 30 minute overtime. The next major competition is the Brazil World Cup in 2018 which puts him right in his own backyard. It may be hard for a player of Messi’s caliber to ignore the continued calls to play. Maybe Maradona will be able to convince him to return.
EDIT: Oops...The next World Cup is in Russia in 2018. Brazil was in 2014.
IT’S SPRINGTIME FOR HITLER AND GERMANY [Song]
Why it’s important to you: A contentious election cycle could breed more violence.
When British Member of Parliament Jo Cox was stabbed to death in the run up to the Brexit vote, there was both public shock and incredulity that it even happened. Violence surrounding political disagreement is nothing new, but it would seem things are more violent than ever. This year’s US election cycle has been the most contentious in recent memory and you need look no further than Sacramento, CA on Sunday to see a live example. Protesters clashed at the foot of the California State Capitol with seven stabbed at a scheduled Neo-Nazi event.
There is little doubt the resurgence of white supremacy and profoundly nationalist groups has been coupled with Donald Trump’s rise to the Republican candidacy, but they have also given rise to their own opposition. This march by, so called, white nationalists and Skinheads had been planned for months, giving both sides ample time to prepare. In the end, the counter-protesters were just as aggressive as the Neo-Nazi marchers which exacerbated a dangerous situation. There appears to be an assault on civil discourse and this could get worse as the elections draw closer and the animosity grows larger between competing groups.