Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
Restaurant Website SEO – What You Need To Know
Organic SEO helps drive the right traffic to your restaurant website.
Just the mention of those three little letters, SEO, can send many restaurant owners and managers into a slight panic.
The term, search engine optimization (SEO), carries with it an aura of mystery that only a few individuals seem privy to.
In this article, we look at restaurant website SEO and what you need to know. We demystify the term and show you that there are things you can do to optimize your restaurant website for search.
Defining SEO
Let’s succinctly define SEO. It’s the focus on and strategy you use to grow the visibility of your restaurant’s website through organic, non-paid ways.
SEO encompasses several different technical and creative elements to:
- Improve search page rankings
- Drive traffic to your site
- Increase search engine awareness
You’ll find several aspects to SEO as well. These can include the text on your page, the user experience and the way your site is structured.
Why Does It Matter?
If you want the major search engine in the world, Google, as well as Bing and Yahoo! and others to help you generate traffic to your restaurant site, then it matters.
While social media, paid ads and email marketing can generate traffic to your site, search engines are the most common way users get to your site.
This is especially true for restaurants. Why?
Well, everybody needs to eat, and whether they’re eating in their hometown or while on the road, your potential customers are looking for a restaurant They’re searching for your address, your menu and your phone number.
This is why SEO is important.
Search engine traffic, or lack of it, can make or break your business. (tweet this)
You’ll also find that search engines are working hard to provide relevant search results. If you haven’t fine-tuned your SEO, you aren’t going to show up at the top of search results or even on the first page.
Studies show that web searchers view less than 2% of searches below the top five results on the first page. So, you can see what happens if you don’t pay attention to your restaurant website’s SEO.
Now, let’s look at some tips for improving your SEO.
Website Basics
First, your website should have some basic information on it.
- Your address and your phone number. This should be right at the top of your page. It’s important that this is on both the desktop and mobile versions of your website. You also want to put it in your footer and most certainly on your contact page. Consider adding a Google Map to your contact page as well.
- Professional quality photos
- Your menu – do not use a pdf menu or a menu that is a graphic. Use text.
- Customer reviews and testimonials – again, use text, not images. Google loves reviews.
Inbound links from other sites like social media can help your SEO.
Best SEO Practices
Once you’ve got the basics of your restaurant website, you want to make sure you pay attention to some best practices for SEO.
- Your website must be mobile-friendly. This is non-negotiable, especially when it comes to Google.
- Build a user friendly website. This means anticipating your website visitor’s needs in much the same way you would at your restaurant.
- Pay attention to your navigation menu. Test it before launch with someone unfamiliar with your site to see if it works well for them.
- The usability of your website also matters when it comes to SEO. For example, is your navigation intuitive? Can users get where they need to go without getting bogged down and confused?
- Ensure a quick-loading site. Google is known to reward fast loading sites and penalize slow sites. Why? Because Google knows you’ve created a good user experience if your site loads quickly.
- Label your pages appropriately. You want a page for about us, contact, reservations, menu, events, etc. Label them just what they are. Your goal is a clean, clearly-labeled site.
- Pay attention to your meta tags. Each page needs its own unique title. If you’re using an SEO plugin, and you should be, make sure to fill out the keyword info, title and description.
- Use keywords and long-tail keywords on your pages, but don’t over stuff.
- Fill out image tags. Give each of your photos an alt and title description.
- Add fresh content often. A blog is a good way to do this.
- Incorporate videos.
Facebook Places
While this isn’t SEO on your website, it pays to list your restaurant here. You absolutely want a presence on Facebook because quite possibly that’s where you’ll find the majority of your customers.
In addition, you can link back to your website in your daily posts which drives traffic to your restaurant website and can boost your search engine rankings.
When creating a Facebook business page, be sure to pick the right category (local business is perfect). Then, you’ll want to completely fill out the info with:
- A description
- Map to your restaurant
- Your website, email, phone and address
- Our menu
Now, you’re all set for check-ins and reviews and linking back to your website.
Claim Your Google+ Page
Lastly, we can’t emphasize this one enough.
Google is the giant of the search engine world. If you don’t have a business listing with Google, they aren’t going to look kindly on your restaurant website.
Google gives a nod to websites with Google+ page listings. This means they’re apt to list your search results higher than restaurants without a Google+ page.
It’s easy to claim your page. Do a search for your restaurant on Google or Google Maps. If you find your restaurant listed on Google, select “Manage this page” and sign in with a Google account. Then you can verify that you are indeed the restaurant owner.
Verification can come in the form of a phone call at your restaurant or a postcard mailed to you.
If you don’t see your restaurant listed, you can create a new page on your own.
You also want to check out Google My Business. It’s another place to provide Google with information that then can be used on Google Search, Maps and Google+.
Final Thoughts
Now that you have a basic foundation in restaurant website SEO, you have what you need to get started.
Remember to keep your site clean and user friendly. Update your site frequently with reader-friendly, socially-shareable valuable content for the best search results. (tweet this)
Don’t create a website and forget it. Your restaurant website is something to revisit often to fine-tune your content for the best user experience that also enhances your SEO.
The goal of your website is to meet your customers’ needs. To do that, they have to be able to find you through their search engine of choice.
Dive into your restaurant website’s SEO today and use your Google Analytics to gauge your success.
Do you have a great website? Is it user-friendly and enticing to your website visitors? If not, or you’d like a website tune-up and refresh, contact us for your free website consultation. We’ll make sure your website works for your site visitors and is the centerpiece of your marketing.
Images: Dan Gold and Patrick Tomasso
Thursday, August 25, 2016
Top 3 Technology Trends for Restaurants
Technology is changing eating out. The use of mobile phones and online access is changing how customers find and experience eating at restaurants. But what exactly is happening out there and how can restaurants grasp onto these trends to improve their business and build better relationships with the customers?
Hello, this is Drew Adams, owner of Restaurant Engine. Restaurant Engine will have a booth at the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Expo on August 29 – 30 in Raleigh, North Carolina and I will be speaking on a panel dedicated to Restaurant Technology.
In the run-up to the being on the panel, I thought I would like to outline three trends in restaurant technology especially as it pertains to online and mobile usage and how your restaurant can leverage them.
Trend: Mobile search
In 2015 Google announced that mobile searches had overtaken desktop searches in 10 countries including the US and Japan.
Google says the results of a survey of online mobile searching shows that 55% of people using mobile devices for research want to purchase within an hour and 83% want to purchase within a day!
Of the people searching for restaurants specifically 70% considered making a purchase and 54% actually made a purchase. For restaurants being seen or shown during what Google calls these “micro-moments” is a huge opportunity to gain new business.
Consider this story from a typical restaurant customer.
“If I am in a town I do not know I do an internet search, “best restaurants Charleston”, and I always go to Trip Advisor…sometimes Yelp….and ask for the top restaurants, read the ratings, check the budget, often then I will go to the restaurant’s website check out the menu, see the ambiance, and sometimes I call directly. If it is before hours I will use Open Table to check availability and make a reservation. If there is not availability and I really want to go I will call the restaurant. I do all this on my phone.”
But the most important part of the diner’s description above is probably, “I do all this on my phone.” Think about that. Checking location, menu, reviews, setting reservations – things that back in the 90s would have taken several conversations among friends, a subscription to Zagat, a phone book, and, yes, a push button phone – all done now on a 5 inch x 3 inch screen in the palm of a hand!
According to Google’s Think Insights, 59% of those researching online will visit the business’s website and the ones who actually make a purchase come an average of 6 times to the website. An OpenTable survey says that 86 % of diners regularly check out menus online before they dine out.
The bottom line is that it all re-inforces the upmost importance of having a good mobile website. And in a world with Yelp and TripAdvisor and the like, the restaurant’s website is the restauranteur’s chance to “make the case” to the customer directly on why they should visit the restaurant and give them an idea of what they will experience when they come.
Studies have shown the most enjoyable part of a vacation is the anticipation. Considering this, I would propose that the restaurant’s website has another function, and that is to set diner excitement. In doing that, you are actually creating the first moment of the diner’s experience and influencing the overall enjoyment of the meal.
What technology to use to be a part of the trend
- Make sure you have a website that is optimized for mobile.
- Make sure you are in Google Location.
- Make sure the basics like your address and phone number are easily accessible.
- Use images that convey the experience the customer can have coming to your restaurant.
Trend: Mobile apps
An OpenTable survey earlier this year found that 56% of consumers said they were “very unlikely” or “unlikely” to download an app for an individual restaurant, compared with 6% who said they were very likely to download such apps.
But, that being said, it’s impossible to ignore the mammoth success of the Starbucks app. Consider these statistics:
- 16% of total transactions in quarter ending December 2014 were paid for by the app
- 21% of total transaction in quarter ending December 2015 were paid for by the app
In fact, customers have preloaded $1.2 billion dollars onto their Starbucks accounts, which makes Starbucks the same size as a healthy mid-sized bank!
Its clear that customer will use apps. Mobile apps give customers several advantages that they love including:
- Gaining rewards for purchases
- Pre-order ability (avoid lines)
- Quickly finding locations close by
Likewise restauranteurs also gain from being able to:
- Reward repeat customers
- Increase efficiency
- Have a detailed order history data on customers
- Send App notifications – via GeoFencing or Beacons
Clearly, it is working for franchise like Starbucks, but how important is having an app for single independent restaurants? I believe this questions is playing out in the marketplace today. There are some relatively cheap options so you can experiment with having an app if you want one. If you have take-out and delivery or a chain with multiple locations, I would advise experimenting with one and see how it affects your total take-out volume and speeds adoption of your loyalty programs.
What technology to use to be a part of the trend
Here are a few ways to tackle the app building task:
- Hire your own app developer and incorporate the features you want.
- Use a third party solution that has pre-built features. Here are some companies that offer these services.
- Levelup
- MojoBistro
- OpenDining
Trend: Online Ordering
Panera, which defined online ordering as ordering done via kiosks, mobile or the web, says that in cafes that have been converted to the 2.0 model specifically, they account for more than 20 percent of retail sales, and it reaches 30 percent for 2.0 cafes converted more than a year, he said.
LevelUp research indicates that customers who have placed an order online visit the restaurant 67 % more frequently than customers who haven’t.
Our partner OpenDining says that online orders are 22% larger than comparable call-in orders and also add on average an 18% increase in total, non-dine-in orders.
Online ordering gives advantage for consumers to
- Skip lines
- Saved preset likes and dislikes
- Get items delivered
Online ordering has increasingly been a no-brainer for restaurants that offer take-out or delivery.
What technology to use to be a part of the trend
Online ordering consists of subscribing to online ordering provider and then putting your menu into their system.
Online orders can be received via fax, text or email as a baseline, but even better is if they are connected directly to your point-of-sale systems on site so the orders can appear in your systems as if keyed in by waitstaff. This is supported by most point-of-sale system. Here at Restaurant Engine we partner with Open Dining to provide online ordering features and then we integrate the ordering into a restaurant’s website.
Conclusion
Use of online technology in the process of eating out has been increasing and signs show will continue to increase. Customers want to use mobile phones and online media to locate and research restaurants, make reservations, order their meals, pay for those meals and earn rewards. Keeping up with these technology trends can be daunting but can reap big rewards for companies with increased traffic, order size and customer satisfaction.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Now You Can Have Lady Gaga’s Meat Dress and Eat It Too
This is a pretty daring look for Barbie
Remember when Lady Gaga wore a dress made of raw meat? (It was flank steak, FYI.) While high-end designs worn by celebrities are often replicated by fast-fashion brands and sold to the masses, a cheaper version of Gaga’s carnivorous couture gown sadly never popped up at Forever 21. But finally, six years later, you can order your very own miniature replica of the frock at a hotpot restaurant in China.
Chinese hot pot restaurant, taking the Lady Gaga #meatdress to whole new extremes #火锅 #becauseChina pic.twitter.com/jN0bL32T7w
— Elyse Ribbons 柳素英 (@iheartbeijing) August 21, 2016
As RocketNews explains, "The idea is that you’ll peel the layers of meat off of the doll to put into the hotpot. As you do, the doll’s body will become more and more exposed with each slice removed."
The idea of eating mutton dressed as lamb Barbie isn't sitting well with everyone, however: Some diners have complained that the gimmick is sexist and/or unhygienic. Nonetheless, this may be the best shot you've got at fulfilling your meat dress fantasy.
Watch: The Last of France's Underground Mushroom Growers
There's a network of quarries where the crops grow
Berkeley’s Soda Tax Is Working
Residents are drinking less soda and way more water
Despite whatever Coca-Cola’s shady scientists may have claimed, soda is bad for you. One controversial solution to getting Americans to drink less has been to tax it — and guess what? It seems to be working.
The famously liberal city of Berkeley, California became the first in the U.S. to enact a soda tax last year, at a rate of one cent per ounce (so 12 cents on the average can). While it’s only been 18 months since Berkeley’s tax went into effect, so far it seems to be accomplishing exactly what was intended: As Vox reports, a new study published this week in the American Journal of Public Health shows soda consumption by low-income residents fell by 22 percent; meanwhile, water consumption surged by a whopping 63 percent.
Proposed soda taxes have been struck down in a number of U.S. cities (largely thanks to well-funded lobbyists), with opponents arguing that such taxes actually hurt lower-income households the most or decrying them as a "nanny state" tactic. But with rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes both surging, soda taxes do double duty by discouraging consumption and raising funds for public health programs.
Philadelphia became the second U.S. city to pass a soda tax in June of this year, though only time will tell if it will be as successful as Berkeley’s in reducing people’s dependence on sugary drinks. But as Vox points out, "the really urgent question is whether these taxes will make a dent in obesity over the longer term."
• Berkeley Put a Tiny Tax on Soda. Consumption Plummeted by 21 Percent. [Vox]
• The Nation’s First Soda Tax Passed in Berkeley, California [E]
• All Soda Tax Coverage [E]
Watch: Try the Fish Sauce Ice Cream at Salt & Straw in L.A.
Sampling mastermind Tyler Malek's funky flavors
The 13 Hottest Restaurants in Toronto Right Now
Where to get tortas, barbecue, and fine French food in the Ontario capital
Today, Eater returns to Toronto, Canada to discover the newest drinking and dining destinations the Ontario capital has to offer. (Want to learn about the city's absolute standbys? Consult the Toronto Eater 38.) As like last time, freelance writer/food photographer Gizelle Lau offers her picks, and she notes that "the city has seen an ever-growing trend of communal dining" in recent months, "be it small snack-style foods for sharing or large family-style platters for the whole table."
Among those pioneering that emerging trend: Chef Patrick Kriss, an alum of Daniel Boulud's New York City kitchens, is dishing up five-course tasting menus at Alo, while his former boss has introduced a Toronto outpost (Café Boulud) serving whole rotisserie chickens for the table. That French fervor extends to other concepts like a Parisian-style bistro complete with bocce ball court (Bar Begonia) and a restaurant deemed the Yorkville neighborhood's best-kept-secret (Chabrol). And those communal vibes continue inside other hotspots like J&J Bar-B-Que, a Central Texas-style joint with massive platters of brisket and ribs, the boisterous sandwich shop Torteria San Cosme, and the "super-casual" taco spot Campechano Taqueria.
Here now, and in geographical order, the Eater Heatmap to Toronto:
[Discussion] Would you hire an entertainer?
I'm a 17 year old magician (performing at dinner parties and the like for 2 years) and was hoping to get a job at a restaurant. Nothing crazy, but maybe a Saturday night gig or something, entertaining the guests as the wait for their food.
So far, the restaurants I have approached have been cold towards the idea and I was wondering whether there were any restaurant owners who would be excited for something like this?
Those who are, what kind of things are you looking to hear from me when I try and get myself hired by you?
Thanks for all the help! :)
[link] [comments]
PSA: Business owners in CA, ask "For here or to go?" and tax your non-taxables correctly, because the BOE WILL come for you.
Obviously "for here" is always taxed, and "to go" for non-taxables is generally not taxed.
If you are a small dessert shop, bakery, cafe, or some business that sells items that are generally non-taxable to-go: drinks, bakery items, cold food, etc, you MUST ask the customer: "For here or to-go?" and tax accordingly. You cannot assume. Doesn't matter if it's packaged to-go and meant to be eaten outside. Doesn't matter if you don't have seating. Doesn't matter what they actually do after. You must ask. The BOE will one day come out and audit, stand behind the register for the entire day, for 3 days, to bill you on the last 3 years of business, and you have 3 years to pay.
Several businesses in my area are being audited. Pretty much a majority of them will be hit with a huge bill to pay, enough to put some out of business. Why? Because many of them never ask "for here or to go?" and assume to-go for all sales. And why is this so common? It's not written in the tax law, but the BOE will expect you to know that's just how it's done. The BOE knows how common this is, and still doesn't put it in the updated general publications (most recent is Mar 2016). It is, however, in the audit manual that is dated Feb 2001. They have been leaving this out since then, with what I assume to be a "backdoor" of sorts to audit and fine small businesses. The law is being unlawful here.
Also, make sure your non-taxables are 100% non-taxable. There are many exceptions, like the 80-80 rule, carbonated drinks, combination meals, sold where admission is charged, etc. Some things are just not written anywhere, and if you can't get it in writing from BOE, you may want to tax it.
Fun Sales Tax Fact: Bakery item sold to-go is not taxed, beverage item sold to-go is not taxed; but if you sell them together, it is taxed!
Publications on Sales Tax related to restaurants can be found here: http://www.boe.ca.gov/pdf/pub22.pdf http://www.boe.ca.gov/lawguides/business/current/btlg/vol1/sutr/sales-and-use-tax-regulations-art8-all.html https://www.boe.ca.gov/sutax/manuals/am-08.pdf
First post, be gentle :)
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Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Watch: Gordon Ramsay Teaches Actress Martine McCutcheon the Art of Roast Beef
Complete with Yorkshire pudding, roasted potatoes, carrots, and gravy
Kevin Durant’s Old Restaurant Will Soon Honor People Who Aren’t Kevin Durant
The revamped eatery salutes 'great Oklahomans'
People in Oklahoma are still being mean to Kevin Durant. The NBA superstar broke the hearts of basketball fans in the Sooner State when he spurned the Oklahoma City Thunder after eight years with the franchise, signing to play with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The reaction was, predictably, negative. Sporting goods stores sold Durant's jersey for $0.48 each. Fans gave his restaurant, KD's, terrible Yelp reviews. Durant admitted he didn't want to leave his house during the backlash. KD's eventually closed.
But now, Durant's former business partners are reopening the restaurant under a new name, and instead of celebrating the basketball icon, it will be a shrine to pretty much everyone else. Hal Smith Restaurant Group will debut Legacy Grill in September, reports the Oklahoman, and it will honor "the contributions of great Oklahomans," according to the official website. So, don't expect to see Durant's jersey hanging on the wall.
"Starting in September, join us at Legacy Grill for top-notch cuisine, a relaxed, service-oriented atmosphere and an ambience that surrounds you with artifacts commemorating more than 200 past and present Oklahoma greats," reads the website, "from astronauts and actors, to civil rights activists and civic leaders, to sports stars and singers, and many more."
"Being founded and headquartered here in central Oklahoma, we've wanted to introduce a concept like this for a long time," Hal Smith, founder of the restaurant group, told News 9 Oklahoma. You hear that, KD? They don't even miss you. Your leaving actually gave them a chance to finally open the restaurant of their dreams. Man.
Announcing these plans right after Team USA won the men's basketball gold medal at the Rio Olympics is the bitter icing on the mean-spirited cake. Durant has feelings too, jerks, and winning with his friends cheered him up after his former fans let him have it. "He's been under a little bit of pressure and duress," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told USA Today. "To see him bust out like he did here was wonderful. It's going to help his psyche going forward, and I couldn't be happier for him."
Sorry, KD, the basketball fans of Oklahoma are staying mad.
• Former Kevin Durant restaurant will reopen with homage to famous Oklahomans [Oklahoman]
• Hal Smith Restaurants To Open Legacy Grill In Bricktown [News 9]
• Angry Basketball Fans Lash Out at Kevin Durant's Restaurant via Yelp [E]
• Kevin Durant's Career as an Oklahoma Restaurateur Is Over [E]
5 Things Great Product Managers Do Every Day
My favorite product managers are quietly powerful. Every day they take small steps that move their teams and business forward in a meaningful way. But they do it without a lot of hoopla, taking a confident yet unassuming approach.
After all, product managers have a lot on their plate every day. They are responsible for the strategy, roadmap, and feature definition for their product. It is a big responsibility that requires facilitating and collaborating with many different teams — both internal and external — without the formal authority to manage those teams. It requires a unique mix of humility and strength.
However, that quiet power does not mean leading product is easy. I realized early on that the daily life of a product manager is unpredictable, hectic, and sometimes very tough.
In the late 1990s, my first product management job was helping to roll out high-speed internet nationwide when it became a viable (and highly desired) alternative to dial-up services. We went from providing 300 lines monthly to more than 3,000 — all in a window of about 60 days. I quickly learned how to balance staying on a strategic course and managing the endless minutiae that was required to get each customer up and running.
I had always been a leader, so handling the stress and responsibility was natural for me — but I had a lot to learn about focusing my efforts on what mattered most. I soon realized that with great accountability comes great autonomy. It was up to me to prioritize what needed to get done and when.
This is great news for ambitious product managers: You have more control than you might think, no matter how hectic each day feels.
Here are five things great product managers do. Used consistently, these actions can help you prioritize your work every day and thrive.
1. Align actions to goals
To succeed as a product manager it is essential to take a goal-first approach. Prioritize what must get done that day and assess and align new work against your goals. Swiftly break through the endless tasks and chatter by evaluating each request or demand through the lens of your goals. This does not mean you should shut down disruptions as “noise” to be silenced. Embrace the interruptions that align with your goals — one may be the missing idea that makes your product wildly successful in market.
2. Connect the dots
Understand how your product serves your business — the big picture of why you are building it. This may seem obvious, but without that connection, product managers are often led astray by differing opinions, demands from internal teams, and conflicting customer feedback. Identify why your product matters to your business and to customers so you can navigate with a steady mind.
3. Solve one simple problem
You may be tempted to solve every problem for your customers. But you cannot be all things to all people. You will spread yourself too thin and lose that firm direction. Instead, focus on solving one problem at a time. I like to say, “Focus on one problem, and solve the second for free.” Tackle one problem well and new opportunities will emerge.
4. Learn from others
Invest the time and effort to learn about your product team’s core work so you can set realistic deadlines. This is especially important for teams that share resources. Ask questions and get to know the full scope of their experience and tasks. It is also important to admit what you do not know. Rely on the expertise of your extended product team to help you deliver on the promise of your product.
5. Say “no” with confidence
Not every idea will be meaningful. And, in fact, most will be lousy. Great product managers understand that saying “no” is not a one-word answer. This is your chance to explain why the idea does not make sense within your strategic direction. Do not hide from these conversations or be dismissive. Take each “no” as an opportunity to recommit to your goals — and to re-evaluate whether your aim is true.
I know this advice to be effective — but hard to follow. So be kind to yourself when you feel cornered or stuck. Stick out your chest and remember that you have more control than you think and a team at your side.
You too can achieve the quiet power that separates good product managers from great ones. Never lose sight of your goals and embrace each day with humility and strength. Now go get busy.
Discover your own power as a product manager.
Learn More About Product Management at GA
The post 5 Things Great Product Managers Do Every Day appeared first on GA Blog.
Watch: Prickly Pear Cacti Are the Key to Great Vegetarian Tacos
Removing the thorns is the hardest part
Brace for 'Connoisseurs,' an Hourlong Drama About Wine Fraud
Starring John Cho, and seemingly inspired by actual events
The recent bankruptcy of California’s Premier Cru seemed like something ripped from a television script. The retailer, which sold collectible wines at attractive prices, was found to be indebted to some 5,000 customers, all of whom had ordered wines and never received them. The high number of complaints eventually led to an FBI investigation and now, seemingly, to an actual TV show.
USA Network, well-known for its high-stakes dramas revolving around sexy con artists, is developing a television show centered around events that sound a whole lot like the Premier Cru fiasco. Variety reports Connoisseur will be an hourlong drama starring John Cho of Star Trek Beyond and Harold and Kumar fame.
According to Vulture, Cho will play Clay Park, “a con artist who dupes the wealthy into paying millions for fake wine” and eventually attracts the attention of the FBI.
The Premier Cru story follows a similar plot line: It scammed clients out of some $45 million by selling wines on a "pre-arrival" basis, accepting payment without actually having bottles in stock. Customers complained about long waits and eventually began filing lawsuits. That led to the FBI investigating Premier Cru’s bankruptcy as a Ponzi scheme; owner John Fox plead guilty to wire fraud earlier this month, and faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Will Connoisseurs make it into USA’s lineup? Will Cho’s character face a fate similar to that of real-life fraudster Fox? Stay tuned.
• USA Network Developing Con Artist Drama Starring ‘Star Trek’s’ John Cho [Variety]
• John Cho Will Play a Wine Connoisseur–Con Artist in a Series Based on Your Private Fantasies [Vulture]
• Wine Shop Owner Pleads Guilty After Scamming Customers Out of $45 Million [E]
The Most Politically-Minded Restaurants and Food Brands
For some brands, politics isn't always a taboo topic
The old adage that "politics and the dinner table don’t mix" has become one so ingrained in American culture that it’s difficult to pinpoint when it began slipping away. Today, it isn’t just Aunt Phyllis who is unafraid to spout her love for a particular candidate. Even some of the biggest corporations in the country aren’t afraid to talk politics — or weave them into the way they do business.
It’s rare for a corporation to expressly endorse a candidate, even during a heated Presidential campaign. But brands do flex their political muscle in a number of other ways: through employee programs, support of certain pieces of legislation, or even new products inspired by or modeled after candidates.
Does mixing politics and business yield a recipe for disaster? According to restaurant consultant Aaron Allen, that depends on "the company, the tonality, and the issue."
Below, a list of the most politically-minded restaurant and food brands in recent history.
Ben & Jerry’s
Jerry Greenfield and Ben Cohen have never shied away from politics. In January, Cohen released a limited-edition ice cream flavor (unaffiliated with the Ben & Jerry's company) called "Bernie's Yearning." The frozen treat — a mint ice cream base below a "one percent" layer of chocolate that forces eaters to break through the upper crust to get to the good stuff — was named for Vermont Senator and former Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders.
Greenfield is politically active, too. In fact, earlier this year, both men were arrested in D.C. during a march organized by liberal-leaning organization Democracy Awakening. That might seem like it would be bad for business but because of Ben & Jerry's history with politics, the stunt didn't make much of a difference.
"With Ben & Jerry’s, there's a certain irreverence to that brand," says Allen. "Their brand was built on that [kind of behavior]. There can be a lot of positive to controversies like those, actually. The challenge is to make sure it reflects back on the company."
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A first burst on to the political scene when its CEO Dan Cathy proclaimed his opposition to marriage equality back in 2012. The comments came on the heels of reports revealing that the chicken chain’s charitable endeavor, the WinShape Foundation, had donated millions of dollars to organizations hostile to LGBT causes.
The move was incredibly divisive, with politicians on either side of the aisle coming out against or in support of Cathy's comments. And while some activists called for boycotts of the chain, counter-protesters rallied behind Chick-fil-A.
"That move actually worked for them," says Allen, "and I’ve heard that they even saw an increase of 29 percent in sales at some locations in the wake of the scandal." Chick-fil-A doesn’t release its financials (it’s not publicly traded), but a consulting firm estimated that "the average Chick-fil-A had a 29.9 percent spike in sales" during the first big event it held after Cathy’s quotes were reported.
Chick-fil-A sales may have gone up, but Allen warns CEOs should still shy away from being too vocal when it comes to controversial topics. "It’s important to note that it was tricky for them in the beginning," he adds. "It took them a few weeks to steer the message in the right direction. And, they ended up walking several of those statements back."
The company responded to the controversy in a statement released in July 2012: "Going forward, our intent is to leave the policy debate over same-sex marriage to the government and political arena."
In the end, the move served as a cautionary tale for many other restaurants: Don’t get involved explicitly in politics unless you’re willing to get some flack for it. "When you get into politics — whether you're Republican or Democrat — you’ll end up alienating half of your customers," says Allen.
Chipotle
Chipotle was the first restaurant chain to announce it would say farewell to genetically-modified ingredients, back in 2015. Though the company’s anti-GMO stance was viewed by some as pretty bold, it had its critics, too. Was the announcement further proof that the company was serving "food with integrity," or was it just a marketing ploy — much like its Pixar-style ads which turned the chain into a poster child for sustainability?
Marketing ploy or not, the move resonated with millennials, an important component of Chipotle’s customer base. "Millennials are much more responsive to sustainability than the average customer," says Allen. "Things that deal with the supply chain, the humanity of animals, sustainability, supporting species extinction — those are all things that are positive and make sense for a restaurant."
Of course, many scientific studies have found that GMOs have no adverse effect on human health. Some critics have even argued that Chipotle’s stance against genetically-modified ingredients further muddies the waters by using questionable science to sell food.
A 2016 suit filed in U.S. District Court alleged the company’s anti-GMO stance wasn’t exactly all it was cracked up to be. According to the suit, the animals Chipotle uses have been fed genetically modified foods, making the menu not entirely free of GMOs.
The company’s "food with integrity" promise was further called into question during its 2015 E. coli outbreak, which sickened dozens of customers and caused Chipotle’s stock to plummet.
Still, the company has managed to attract customers back to its restaurants — and the subtle political messaging is still there, though some of it might not be planned. (Case in point: That time Hillary Clinton went all-but-unnoticed while she grabbed a burrito bowl in April of last year.)
"Traditionally, there’s more of a liberal bias in restaurants," says Allen. "And Chipotle is, I think, viewed as the most liberal of the group. That’s maybe why it wasn’t exactly coincidental that someone like Hillary Clinton shows up there to grab lunch."
Shake Shack
Shake Shack’s politics might be the most subtle of the bunch, and hinge mainly on the way the company pays its employees. Last year, CEO Danny Meyer announced he would ban tipping at all his restaurants (including Shake Shack). He raised prices to make up the difference.
Meyer has taken business cues from the social landscape before — at Union Square Cafe, he banned smoking more than a decade before the city put it into law — but the no-tipping policy was seen as especially controversial. Meyer’s reasoning is that tipping isn’t consistent. Different people do it differently, in some countries not at all, and it tends to be discriminatory toward people of color.
The tipped minimum wage (which is lower than the standard minimum wage) has been heavily disputed over the past few years, especially as many cities and states have worked to raise wages. Meyer injecting his own company into that dialogue could have been risky but so far, customers don’t seem to mind.
"For restaurants, there are just so many other battles that it’s usually best to stay away from fighting political ones," says Allen. "But when it has to do with helping the Earth or helping workers or other people who are disadvantaged, those things tend to actually drive revenue increases."
Starbucks
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz has worked to inject his company into many political dialogues in the past. Some — like Starbucks’ emphasis on raising wages for its employees — have been successful. Others have not. Take the company's attempt at opening a national dialogue on race relations, for instance, which wound up being a flop.
The coffee chain recently announced it would be raising wages for thousands of employees, adopting a more lax dress code, and evolving its online benefits platform. Those sorts of announcements are overwhelmingly viewed as positive, says Allen, even if they aren’t that massive a change for employees: "If Starbucks is speaking out, generally it’s for the welfare of the people working in their organizations and a worldview that resonates with their customers."
Starbucks has also become an important part of the conversation on global warming. It's invested heavily in studying beans that can thrive in hotter climates and distributing rust-resistant coffee plants to areas affected by rising temperatures.
"There was a study of the 50,000 top publicly traded companies," says Allen. "And the top 50 most profitable shared something in common: They have a sense of purpose." In other words, that sense of "purpose," no matter how vague, can often translate to higher sales.
Whole Foods
From the outside, Whole Foods seems to be a fairly liberal company. After all, the grocer offers generous wages to its employees and has progressive environmental policies in place. But CEO John Mackey’s politics (he's called himself a libertarian in the past) might not be what one would expect.
Whole Foods shares some commonalities with Starbucks: Both are viewed as having a similar sense of purpose, worldview, and care for their employees. The similarities don't stop there, says Allen, "They also have terrific communications teams that will help them craft their message in an opinionated but still measured response."
That message doesn’t always turn out the way the team had hoped, though.
In an op-ed penned for theWall Street Journal in 2009, Mackey argued against the Affordable Care Act, writing, "the last thing our country needs is a massive new health-care entitlement that will create hundreds of billions of dollars of new unfunded deficits and move us much closer to a government takeover of our health-care system."
The backlash was almost immediate and led Mackey to allege that editors at the Journal had changed many of his words and that Whole Foods as a company didn’t have an official position on the matter. But the CEO has become so outspoken on political issues it is often difficult to distinguish between his personal politics and those of Whole Foods.
Since his op-ed was published, Mackey continued to speak out on the health law, even calling it a form of "fascism" in an interview with NPR (like portions of his op-ed, he eventually walked back those comments, too).
Allen says that getting too specific — endorsing a specific candidate, or speaking out against a piece of legislation in an op-ed — isn’t the best route for a company CEO to take. Instead, companies like Whole Foods are often better served by letting lobbyists lead the fight. "That’s really the better way to go so you don't have people resenting the company," says Allen. "It’s best to stay away from things that are so controversial in the political realm — not just because you could alienate customers, but you could also create political enemies."
During the height of the Mad Cow scare in the ‘90s, Oprah Winfrey famously devoted an episode to some of the beef industry’s more controversial practices, saying at one point they had "stopped [her] cold from eating another hamburger." Beef prices plunged, and the cattle industry came after Winfrey with a $10.3 million lawsuit. She eventually won, but the beef people will likely hold a grudge against her for a long time.
And that is perhaps the biggest drawback with getting too political, says Allen. "Restaurateurs that overstep their bounds run the risk of being viewed differently in the marketplace. Hospitality is really about empathy, inclusion, and tolerance. Taking political battles out in the public realm is kind of like using your beach photos as your LinkedIn profile pic — it’s not appropriate."
• All 2016 Presidential Election Coverage [E]
• Do Presidential Politics Affect U.S. Restaurant Sales? [E]
• Quiz: Do You Eat Like Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? [E]
Try Spicy Thai Street Food in a Buddhist Temple Parking Lot
The Wat Thai Temple weekend food market is a destination for traditional pad Thai and papaya salad
Starbucks Iced Drink Lawsuit Will Not Have Its Day in Court
It's just one of several underfilled beverage suits currently pending against the company
Starbucks' legal department ought to be sipping celebratory Frappuccinos right now, because a proposed class-action lawsuit against the coffee giant was just dismissed.
Filed back in May in California federal court, the suit alleged Starbucks misrepresents the size of its iced beverages: While the menu advertises a tall as 12 ounces and a grande as 16 ounces, et al, the plaintiffs said that customers were being defrauded because ice takes up approximately half of that volume.
The judge presiding over the case disagreed. As Law360 reports, U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson said the lawsuit had "no weight," writing in his decision:
If children have figured out that including ice in a cold beverage decreases the amount of liquid they will receive, the court has no difficulty concluding that a reasonable consumer would not be deceived into thinking that when they order an iced tea, that the drink they receive will include both ice and tea and that for a given size cup, some portion of the drink will be ice rather than whatever liquid beverage the consumer ordered.
Reached for comment, a Starbucks spokesperson says, "We are pleased with the court’s decision and the judge’s comments on the matter."
Unfortunately for Starbucks, a multitude of other underfilled beverage lawsuits are still pending against it: Another remarkably similar class-action suit regarding its iced drinks was filed in Illinois in May. This litigious trend began back in March, when Starbucks was served with a class-action lawsuit in California claiming that it knowingly and systematically serves customers (hot) lattes that are 25 percent smaller than the menu claims.
Here's a thought: If you don't like paying $5 for a few measly ounces of coffee, maybe just make it your damn self?
• Starbucks Wins Dismissal of Calif. Underfilled Ice Drink Suit [Law360]
• Starbucks Is Being Sued for Underfilling Its Lattes [E]
• Starbucks Faces Copycat Lawsuit Claiming Its Iced Drinks Are Also Underfilled [E]
The Biggest New Cookbooks of 2016
Fall is cookbook season, when the majority of famous faces, trailblazing restaurants, and next big things hit bookstores and kitchens across the country. 2016 is looking to be an especially exciting year. Like, thick slabs of Sqirl toast exciting. Bourdain's first-ever cookbook exciting. Ina cooking for Jeffrey exciting. This year's fall cookbooks appeal to budding restaurant historians, technique-obsessed cooks, pop culture enthusiasts, and even novice chefs. Everyone — yes, including you — should make room on those bookshelves.
Table Of Contents (all h2's added automatically)
Restaurants in Book Form
The range of American restaurant culture is on full display in this year's two biggest releases: Jessica Koslow of Sqirl's Everything I Want to Eat and the long-awaited book from high-end temple of pasta Del Posto. Other standouts you'll want to snap up include Raleigh empire-builder Ashley Christensen's take on her iconic diner, Poole's, Atlanta chef Asha Gomez's My Two Souths, and a visually stunning release from Chicago sensation Fat Rice.
See fall 2016's most important restaurant-inspired cookbooks >
Power Players
This year, cooking by even the most well-known personalities skews toward the (hyper-cultivated) intimacy of Instagram. Ayesha Curry is the latest celebrity to make a bid for domestic goddess-hood, based on her family life with her basketball-star husband. Cultishly loved culinary figures Ina Garten and Anthony Bourdain, who both could sell bonkers amounts of books with little more than their names on the cover, aim to connect with readers by focusing on recipes they cook at home for their loved ones.
See fall 2016's cookbooks from your favorite big names
Deep Dives
Even if you're not looking to get to know a known (or unknown) cook through their recipes, there are still plenty of exciting books to pick up this fall. Lucky Peach throws down the vegetable-cooking gauntlet, Fuschia Dunlop dives into Jiangnan cuisine, and finally someone offers an answer as to why, exactly, we are in the midst in a craft cocktail revival.
See the fall 2016 cookbooks to take your cooking to the next level
Header photos: Helen Rosner
Editors: Hillary Dixler and Meghan McCarron
The GOP's Love Affair With KFC; A Brief History of the Toaster
Five things to know today
Happy Tuesday, and welcome to a special deep-fried edition of Eater Today that's been seasoned with a secret blend of 11 herbs and spices.
In today's food news: The Republican Party loves fried chicken; who invented the toaster?; a former Colonel Sanders' show gets the axe; Hillary Clinton's feat of strength; and people apparently want to slather themselves with the smell of greasy fast food.
— KFC is not the official fast food of the GOP, but perhaps it should be: Donald Trump recently posed with a bucket of chicken on his private jet, and now running mate Mike Pence has followed suit.
Shoutout to @realDonaldTrump. My mom and I also enjoy @KFC on the plane. #TrumpPence16 pic.twitter.com/9m03FHDR2D
— Mike Pence (@mike_pence) August 22, 2016
— But do they love KFC enough to rub it all over their bodies? Yesterday the chain launched a fried chicken-scented sunscreen giveaway, and supplies were exhausted in just two hours. (Be warned: Early testers of said sunscreen say it kinda smells like pee.)
— In further KFC-related news, former Colonel Sanders Jim Gaffigan is singing the cancellation blues: The Jim Gaffigan Show has gotten the axe from TV Land after just two seasons. That's a shame, because watching the comedian stuff his face was awfully enjoyable.
— Despite plenty of evidence to the contrary, the Trump campaign alleges that Hillary Clinton's health is failing. The Democratic candidate went on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night to prove them wrong:
— Depending on your perspective, the fancy toast trend is either awesome or super-obnoxious. Regardless, here's a brief history of the modern toaster that explains how the appliance came to reside in practically every kitchen in America.
— And finally, here's where to eat the best fried chicken if you like it hot:
Is Japan's Wagyu Beef Bubble Bound to Burst?
Prices are skyrocketing, and many fear it’s not sustainable
Bad news for high-end beef lovers: Japan’s Wagyu bubble could be on the verge of bursting. Prized Wagyu calves are currently fetching wildly inflated prices, says Nikkei Asian Review, and "If sky-high beef prices start dipping, cattle breeders will find themselves operating in the red."
Wagyu calf auction prices have surged by some 50 percent from just two years ago. According to Nikkei, "Prices have reached levels where producers can barely turn a profit, but with employees to pay, they have no choice but to buy at high prices."
Even inferior quality cattle are currently fetching unreasonably high prices, thanks to dwindling populations fueled in part by aging farmers who are retiring without successors. (For that same reason, Japan is currently experimenting with autonomous tractors and other robotic farming technology.)
Japan’s beef industry isn’t the only one having problems: Thanks to a years-long drought, Australia is currently facing a long-term cattle shortage that has resulted in layoffs and a number of producers shutting down. Closer to home, U.S. beef prices hit an all-time high last year due to a drought-related shortage, though they’ve recently returned to more reasonable levels (and accordingly, red meat consumption is on the rise).
• Wagyu Beef Under Threat [Nikkei Asian Review]
Anthony Bourdain Thinks Cookbook Authors Are a Bunch of Liars
And more quotable quotes from his new feature in Nuvo
And now, your daily dose of Anthony Bourdain. America's fantasy BFF is on the cover of Canadian lifestyle magazine Nuvo's fall issue, and is interviewed by Eater contributor Joshua David Stein for the accompanying feature.
As Stein points out, it's been 16 years since Kitchen Confidential catapulted Bourdain to fame — meaning "there are young adults who have grown up in a wholly post–Bourdain world." The Parts Unknown host discusses his upcoming cookbook, having famous friends, family life, and how he's not the man he used to be — and that's a good thing. Here now, the best lines from both Stein and Bourdain:
Stein on Bourdain's distinctive walk: "His loping gait approaches Clint Eastwood badassery, the likes of which I’ve only seen once before. Thomas Keller, chef of the French Laundry, walks this way too. Each step is leisurely and ready for accolade. It is the gait of the adored."
Stein on Bourdain partying with music legends: "'I don’t usually go out,' he admits when I first meet him in the morning, 'but my friends were in town.' When pressed, he admits his friends were the Stooges, as in Iggy and the Stooges, one of the most seminal punk bands of all time."
Stein on Bourdain's six-pack: "At one point, he raises his soft grey T-shirt to polish his reading glasses and reveals a torso that seems transplanted from a man half his age. Those are some calendar-level abs."
Stein on Bourdain's mid-aughts habit of trash-talking celebrity chefs: "During those years, not a week went by that he didn’t make headlines by saying something wildly provocative about them . . . Wild hyperbole, very entertaining, morally outraged. This was Bourdain’s thing back then, and that’s hard to reconcile with the Bourdain of today."
Stein on Bourdain's upcoming cookbook, Appetites: "The opening layout, a debauched tableau, features a decapitated boar’s head wearing novelty glasses and Bourdain, mid-bite with his tie undone; his wife, face full of chicken, is wearing a rash guard."
Bourdain on family life: "As somebody who cooked professionally for 30 years, I only saw the normal world as dark silhouettes in the dining room. I was never home. I had no idea what people did on weekends or what it’s like to have a family."
Bourdain on the problem with cookbooks: "Everyone lies in cookbooks. That’s why they’re generally so frustrating. Nobody ever tells you, for instance, that you’re going to screw up hollandaise. It’s not gonna happen for you the first time. It takes professionals many repeated times."
Bourdain on Parts Unknown: "When I ask simple questions like, ‘What do you like to eat,’ people all of a sudden start telling you the most extraordinary things."
• United States of Bourdain [Nuvo]
Restaurant owners, how can I - an average local Joe - help you to get more business?
A local restaurant and bar has just opened up and it's gorgeous, and the staff are lovely. The food and drink is great. But there's never ANYONE in there. Last time I walked past the owner ran out to hand me a free drink ticket. I feel awful for them. I've done lots of research but I don't know what I can do. They only have 4 reviews on Google. Their website is riddled with spelling errors and I proofread professionally... maybe I could offer them that for free? I dunno, I just feel terrible for them. Sorry if this is really dumb, but I want to know if I can help.
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Monday, August 22, 2016
Five Game-Changing Companies Dominating Their Industry
In today’s fast-paced lifestyle and sky-high expectations, companies are more challenged than ever to come up with the best, most innovative solutions to our problems. We become more demanding every day (can we say donut delivery?), and more dependent on technology to do, well, anything. There has been a shift in the real estate arena […]
Five Game-Changing Companies Dominating Their Industry is courtesy of Greg Mikesell
Five Game-Changing Companies Dominating Their Industry syndicated from http://www.gregmikesell.com
Harlem Globetrotters set to tip off in San Antonio later this year!
Ninety years of fancy ball-handling and trick shots will land in San Antonio near the end of 2016. The Harlem Globetrotters, “featuring some of the most electrifying athletes on the planet,” will showcase their talents in the AT&T Center on Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. as part of their 2017 World Tour. Check out the […]
The post Harlem Globetrotters set to tip off in San Antonio later this year! is available on http://www.GregMikesell.com/
Harlem Globetrotters set to tip off in San Antonio later this year! syndicated from http://www.gregmikesell.com
Beer Pong Gets a High-Tech Upgrade to Satisfy Modern Frat Bros
It's called Pongbot
Beer pong, the favored drinking game at house parties and tailgates everywhere, may be in line for a technological advancement that brings it up to date in the 21st century. Two developers have launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund what they're calling "Pongbot." It takes the classic game and adds a new level of difficulty by sending the Solo cups in motion.
"Pongbot is a robotic cup holder that creates a moving target," according to an explanation on Kickstarter. "Instead of tossing a ping pong ball at a group of stationary cups, Pongbot spins, darts, and randomly changes direction. This makes beer pong more fun, more exciting and a lot more challenging!"
As of this posting, 31 days remain in the campaign, and 34 backers have raised $1,785— there's plenty of work to do in order to reach Pongbot's $100,000 goal. If this invention sounds familiar, it's because another ingenious group of partiers recently came up with the idea for Roomba pong, which takes the same concept and executes it via Roomba vacuum cleaners. Though, the Pongbot set-up appears to be a little more customizable and user-friendly.
Watch the Kickstarter video below to get a peek at Pongbot in action.
• Pongbot... The New Way To Play Beer Pong [Kickstarter]
• Today in Beer Tech: Self-Serve Taps, Roomba Pong, and More [E]
Is Alcoholic Seltzer the Next Big Thing?
We probably have La Croix to thank for this trend
Last year, flavored seltzer was declared the new soda, thanks to the popularity of brands like La Croix and Topo Chico. So, now that some time has passed, what’s the new flavored seltzer? Flavored seltzer with booze in it, of course.
According to Bloomberg, the rise of alcoholic seltzer drinks can at least be partly attributed to the rise of fitness culture. Many of the fizzy, alcohol-infused drinks soon to hit shelves come with half the calories of standard cocktails, and ingredients like cane sugar and “natural” flavors.
MillerCoors counts two healthy-sounding alcoholic drinks among its roster: Easy Tea and Zumbida Mango, the latter of which is a fruit-flavored fermented drink (perfect for the kombucha-swilling crowd). Meanwhile, Smirnoff will soon introduce a Spiked Sparkling Seltzer line — not to be confuse with SpikedSeltzer, a brand already sold in Whole Foods and Target stores that touts itself as “all natural, low carb, and gluten-free” (and contains six percent alcohol, right on par with most beers).
As Vox notes, La Croix’s popularity has a lot to do with health-mindedness — carbonated water is viewed as a healthier, and still inexpensive, alternative to soda. Carbonated, fruit-flavored seltzer spiked with alcohol seems like a natural extension of that trend.
Alcoholic seltzer also calls to mind another recent beverage trend trend: hard soda. Adult versions of childhood classics, like easy-to-chug alcoholic root beer, are finding an audience — and big sales growth — with drinkers looking for something new. Only time will tell if boozified seltzer can resonate in the same way.
• Big Alcohol Tries to Go on a Health Kick [Bloomberg]
• Big Beer Hopes to Lure Millennials With Hard Soda [E]
• More Booze News [E]
Chipotle Employees Are Now Free to Complain on Twitter
The company can no longer fire workers for airing grievances on social media
When a Chipotle employee in Havertown, Pennsylvania found himself dissatisfied with his job last year, he did what many people do: aired his grievances on Twitter. But after tweeting about wages and circulating a petition asking managers to give workers their legally mandated breaks, James Kennedy was fired for violating the burrito chain’s social media policy. Now, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has found that the policy in question (which bans employees from “spreading inaccurate information”) violates federal labor laws.
According to the New York Post, Kennedy’s first tweet came in response to a customer who tweeted her thanks for a free food offer in January 2015. In response, he wrote: “@ChipotleTweets, nothing is free, only cheap #labor. Crew members make only $8.50hr how much is that steak bowl really?”
He eventually took the tweet down after being warned by management, but shortly after began circulating a petition that alleged workers weren’t able to take breaks. Kennedy was then fired.
In a decision delivered August 18, the National Labor Relations Board said the chain went too far — not just in firing Kennedy, but for having such stringent social media policies in place at all. As a result, the NLRB has ordered Chipotle to cease and desist from, well, just about everything when it comes to how employees interact on social media.
The decision itself is lengthy, but it orders Chipotle to stop “prohibiting employees from circulating petitions regarding the company’s adherence to its break policy or any other terms and conditions of employment.” Petitions regarding pay, breaks, and overtime have cropped up a lot recently. In some cases, they’ve proven successful, at least in terms of getting the attention of company CEOs; one Starbucks employee received a personal phone call from CEO Howard Schultz after he penned his own petition on coworker.org.
According to the NLRB, not only must Chipotle stop enforcing its petition rule, but it can no longer fire employees, like Kennedy, for circulating such a petition.
The NLRB decision also cites a number of other company rules that Chipotle must cease, such as a “Political/Religious Activity and Contributions” rule, which prohibits employees from “discussing politics and from using [Chipotle’s] name for political purposes.”
As Bloomberg notes, the judge also ordered the chain to post signs acknowledging that some of its employee policies (specifically the social media rules) were illegal.
The NLRB further ordered the burrito behemoth to offer Kennedy his job back within 14 days and provide him with any lost earnings he suffered “as a result of the discrimination against him.”
The NLRB decision is the latest bout of legal trouble for the embattled fast-casual chain. Earlier this month, a Washington D.C. jury found that a Chipotle worker had been discriminated against for being pregnant. A separate suit — which accuses the company of deceiving customers with its claims of a GMO-free menu — is moving forward in federal court.
• National Labor Relations Board Order [NLRB]
• Chipotle Must Take Worker Social Media Policy Off the Menu [Bloomberg]
• All Chipotle Coverage [E]
No One Wants Grape Ice Cream; Stop Mispronouncing Wine Words
Six things to know today
Happy Monday. The Olympics are officially over, although the scandal involving a particular silver-haired swimmer promises to haunt us for weeks to come. In brighter news, at least we can all now slip back into our old Netflix-and-chill habits without being shamed by the sight of athletes in peak physical condition.
In today’s food news: Shake Shack’s newest novelty burger; why grape ice cream doesn’t exist; how to order hard-to-pronounce wines; Airbnb is now giving restaurant recommendations; and more.
— You haven’t truly made it until Shake Shack names a burger after you. Today the chain debuts a burger inspired by Today Show fixture Al Roker. The Roker Burger comes topped with Niman Ranch barbecue pulled pork, two slices of American cheese, red-eye mayo, and pickles; $1 from each one goes to No Kid Hungry. (Brace for a Matt Lauer burger, also.)
— 2016 dining trends, as spotted by Bon Appetit: nut milks galore, onigiri, crowlers, and khachapuri, just to name a few.
— How the hell do you pronounce Gewurtztraminer, anyway? Here’s how to properly say some of the toughest wine words, from Chateauneuf du Pape to Viognier.
— Airbnb is getting into the restaurant recommendations game. It’s currently testing a new app called Airbnb Trips that offers city guides and happy hour listings, among other things. It will reportedly be rolled out in November.
— Why isn’t grape ice cream a thing? According to the folks at Ben & Jerry’s, grapes’ high water content makes it difficult — but mostly, it’s just because no one wants it.
— Country music cookbook alert: The Brooks half of Brooks & Dunn releases his first cookbook at the end of August. No word on whether or not it will include a recipe for Boot-Scootin’ Baked Beans, but Honky-Tonk Tequila Steak is definitely in there.