While the labor shortage has impacted businesses across the board, franchisees know firsthand how the hospitality space is getting hit especially hard. Many workers in hospitality, who lost their jobs during the pandemic, don’t intend to return to work in the industry, according to research from the career site Joblist that examined the second quarter…
At no point since Independent Joe began publishing in 2012 has there been as strong a push to unionize quick-service restaurants as there is today. In the last edition of this magazine, with the cover echoing patriot Paul Revere’s call, “The unions are coming! The unions are coming!” we saw how a nascent effort to…
For a time last year, Dunkin’ customers across the country were sliding clear plastic straws into their cold beverages. Most probably didn’t notice the typical orange and purple stripes were missing. Others, no doubt, chalked it up to something else that had changed during the pandemic. Indeed, straws are just one piece of a complicated…
In the face of a historic labor shortage, there are several levers franchisees can pull to help recruit and retain workers. One that may not be top of mind is to communicate their plight to state and federal lawmakers. “They are aware of the labor shortage, but they need specific examples from their constituents,” says…
“You have to ask yourself, ‘Do we really even need dining rooms?’” That question, from Florida franchisee John Griffey, is on the mind of virtually every QSR operator. “I think the world has changed forever. More and more, people don’t really want to come inside the stores, and Covid moved everybody to the digital world,”…
We began work with Dunkin’ franchisees over 30 years ago. We have grown up together. Our community of achievers has reaped the personal and professional rewards from hard work, dedication to growth, attention to detail and clear intent. But pressure from regulatory changes and higher operating costs have weighed on the entire community. Beyond labor…
For two years, Dunkin’ franchisees have had to operate under unprecedented regulatory conditions due to the pandemic – from mandatory store shutdowns to proof-of-vaccination orders. But could the regulatory nightmare finally be coming to an end? It sure looks like it, based on political and coronavirus-immunity trends of late. Still, there will be no shortage…
Since the coronavirus pandemic was first declared an emergency here in the United States, we’ve been making slow, but steady progress and we’re now starting to see the fruits of those efforts. Oh, not with regard to COVID. I’m talking about the FTC Franchise Rule and government efforts to clamp down on abusive franchisors, and…
Since the coronavirus pandemic was first declared an emergency here in the United States, we’ve been making slow, but steady progress and we’re now starting to see the fruits of those efforts. Oh, not with regard to COVID. I’m talking about the FTC Franchise Rule and government efforts to clamp down on abusive franchisors,…
Many business interests from around the country are applauding bipartisan legislation filed in Congress this week that would restore the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) retroactive to September 30, 2021. You will recall the ERTC was passed as part of the CARES Act back in 2020 to help businesses retain workers during the shutdowns of…
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