For all intents and purposes, the union movement began in the United States back in the early 20th century with a host of strikes leading up to the start of the “Roaring Twenties.” Strikes in the coal industry mostly lead the way at that time with the mines being shut down due to labor unrest…
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The pandemic may have receded as a public health crisis in the U.S., but it has left in its wake a number of labor and economic challenges that franchisees of quick-service restaurants will be dealing with for months and even years to come. From union agitation to higher food prices to employee wage and benefit…
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What a time to be in business. As the pandemic recedes and we emerge from the past two years of COVID, many are looking for silver linings in the economic cloud. The job market is robust, the unemployment rate has fallen close to pre-pandemic levels at 3.6 percent, wages are rising and consumer spending is…
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Last fall, marked 50 years since a college student named Mike Cobler opened a sandwich shack in San Jose, Calif. Togo’s has survived the decades – including its 10-year marriage to, and divorce from, Dunkin’ and Baskin-Robbins that was arranged by then-owner Allied Domecq. Today, Togo’s boasts more than 100 locations with more in the…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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“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,”…
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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…
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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…
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