Summer 2021 is being billed as a return to “normal,” as vaccinations against COVID-19 continue and businesses resume regular operations. But, behind some of the rosy projections for the resumption of life as we knew it, there are some hard realities facing business owners in every sector, particularly quick-service restaurants. In this edition of “What’s…
Read More »After supporting minimum wage increases just about anywhere and everywhere that they are proposed, organized labor is now looking at the resulting turn toward automation with an eye on restricting or limiting such business options. In Oregon, where the current minimum wage for most counties is $11.25 an hour ($11 in non-urban counties and $12.50…
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Plastic straw bans, predictive scheduling, and the increasing use of automation in quick-service restaurants. These are some of the trends Dunkin’ and other quick service franchisees can expect to be hearing more about as we head into 2019. The big Democratic gains in the mid-terms are the biggest new development on the political and regulatory…
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Sure, the franchise world is tough, but measuring success isn’t all that complicated, according to Don Fox, chief executive of Firehouse Subs. “Growth is not an option,” Fox told Dunkin’s franchise owners gathered at the DDIFO National Conference, held this year at Foxwoods Resort Casino on Oct. 30-31. “In business as in most things in…
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Whether it’s using self-check out at major department and grocery stores or forgoing the cashier to order from a digital menu, today’s consumers have come to accept – and even prefer – interacting with automated features as they purchase goods and services. “[Automation is] a positive direction for the QSR industry,” says Erik Thoresen, principal…
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Technology continues racing forward, giving robots more and more human qualities. But some politicians have a uniquely human element they’d like to bestow upon these machines – the obligation to pay taxes. Of course, it’s not the robot responsible for the paying – we’re not quite there yet. But some lawmakers are looking to levy…
Read More »No, we didn’t use the wrong preposition, city officials in San Francisco are indeed targeting the machines, or more specifically those who use machines instead of employees. The idea of hitting employers that utilize technology and automation (read: robots) with additional taxes for making their businesses more efficient (at the cost of employee jobs) first…
Read More »No, we didn’t use the wrong preposition, city officials in San Francisco are indeed targeting the machines, or more specifically those who use machines instead of employees. The idea of hitting employers that utilize technology and automation (read: robots) with additional taxes for making their businesses more efficient (at the cost of employee jobs) first…
Read More »Not a surprise, but the latest news reports that Popeyes CEO Cheryl Bachelder will step down from her post once the Atlanta-based chain is acquired by Burger King and Tim Horton parent company Restaurant Brands International. Elsewhere in the QSR space, McDonalds held its Investor Day Wednesday and was unusually candid in its outlook and…
Read More »As more and more states increase labor costs through their regulations, mandated benefits, increased wages and the like, many have mentioned automation as the next big step in the evolution of small businesses. Against that backdrop, we took special note of a story this week about a second Eatsa opening, this one in New York…
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