Papa John's store owners pay $3.25M to settle drivers' vehicle reimbursement suit

It's not the first time a class of delivery drivers has filed suit over wage and hour claims related to reimbursements.

By Ryan Golden • June 11, 2021

NYC City Council considers allowing restaurant surcharges after pandemic

Restaurants would only be allowed to use these fees, which cap at 15%, if they pay all of their employees a minimum wage of $15 per hour before tips. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • June 11, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

Back-of-house Technology

From voice AI at the drive-thru to robot-powered makelines, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover. 

By Restaurant Dive staff

Starbucks resurrects reusable cup program after pandemic hiatus

The chain will restart the program on June 22 with a new contactless process that reduces touchpoints between employees and diners. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 9, 2021

Quit rate for restaurant workers hits all-time high

Hiring levels reached 1.2 million in April for the accommodation and foodservice sector, but it also recorded the highest quit rate of any industry at 5.6%, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

By Julie Littman • June 9, 2021

Kitchen United launches licensing partnership with UK-based chain

Camile Thai, which operates in Ireland and the United Kingdom, will offer delivery and takeout exclusively at Kitchen United MIX locations, providing the ghost kitchen operator a new way to diversify its brands. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 8, 2021

Report: 62% of Manhattan employees expected to return to offices by September

Despite the expectation of a growing office population, flexible work-from-home arrangements remain a concern for restaurants and bars in the Big Apple.

By Julie Littman • June 8, 2021

Report: 25% of online restaurant orders in 2020 were for delivery

For third-party delivery, guests spent about 32% more than takeout patrons, but after the pandemic these guests only spent 10% more than takeout customers, Paytronix found.  

By Julie Littman • June 7, 2021

Restaurants gained 186K jobs in May, marking 5 straight months of employment growth

Since the start of the year, the industry has added 830,000 jobs, but it still remains 1.5 million below pre-pandemic staffing levels, according to the National Restaurant Association. 

By Julie Littman • June 7, 2021

Restaurant advocacy groups want to overturn NYC laws restricting fast food firings

The Restaurant Law Center and the New York State Restaurant Association claim that barring fast food chains from firing staff or cutting hours by more than 15% violates an employer's state and federal constitutional rights.

By Alicia Kelso • June 3, 2021

Presto rolls out product suite aimed at improving restaurant labor

The technology company's Staff Multiplier offers various tools, including handheld devices and tablets, that could help understaffed operators contend with strong diner demand. 

By Julie Littman • June 3, 2021

McDonald's pilots automated drive-thru ordering in Chicago

The 10 restaurants testing the tech report roughly 85% order accuracy and only around 20% of orders at these locations need to be recorded by an employee, CEO Chris Kempczinski said at Bernstein's Strategic Decisions Conference. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • June 3, 2021

Chuck E. Cheese will hire 5K employees this summer

The eatertainment chain's hiring push may pale in comparison to some of its quick-service peers, but it does illustrate signs of recovery after a tumultuous year that included bankruptcy. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 2, 2021

Chicago and other cities support outdoor dining expansions even as pandemic wanes

Expanded outdoor dining has been "a critical lifeline" for restaurants. As some cities aim to extend the changes or make them permanent, Chicago is awarding $2.3 million in grants for those and other community outdoor spaces. 

By Jason Plautz • June 2, 2021

Q&A: How Walmart's restaurants are evolving

Darryl Spinks, the company's head of retail services, talks about the shift into ghost kitchens and plans to more actively court small and regional restaurant tenants.

By Jeff Wells • May 28, 2021

Why Chipotle tapped Discord in its push for fresh recruitment tactics

Chipotle's Director of Talent Acquisition Michael Miller dishes on the burrito giant's hiring event hosted by the instant messaging platform. 

By Katie Clarey • May 26, 2021

Danny Meyer's equity group invests $21.5M in 7shifts' labor technology

7shifts will use the funding to scale its team and expand its product offerings, including scheduling and employee communication platforms.

By Alicia Kelso • May 26, 2021

Food halls, ghost kitchens and the future of in-store restaurants

Rather than shying away from offering fresh meals and in-store dining due to lingering safety concerns and elevated at-home cooking trends, grocers are leaning into restaurants like never before.

By Jeff Wells • May 24, 2021

Chipotle aims to gamify mental health goals with Aduro partnership

Chipotle workers will be able to earn gift cards, healthcare discounts and other benefits by achieving well-being goals set on virtual wellness platform Strive.

By Katie Clarey • May 24, 2021

Donatos turns to 'dinnerviews' to find job applicants

The "dinnerviews" consist of walk-in interviews that don't require an appointment, at which jobs can be offered "on the spot." Applicants will then receive a certificate for a free, large one-topping pizza.

By Kathryn Moody • May 24, 2021

Report: Diner demand is up at full-service restaurants, but guest sentiment is down

Sit-down operators may be busier than ever since the start of the pandemic, but guest sentiment declined during Q1 because of frustration with service and ambiance, according to Black Box Intelligence data.

By Julie Littman • May 24, 2021

How a more financially stable workforce can fuel restaurant industry recovery

Forty-eight percent of restaurant workers said they'd be willing to leave their job for one that gives them their tips immediately at the end of their shift, writes Andrew Garner of Netspend.

By Andrew Garner • May 21, 2021

Panera unveils double drive-thru store design

Going forward, all Panera builds and remodels will feature this design, and most locations will be in suburban markets to accommodate the drive-thrus.

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 20, 2021

IHOP will open first fast casual unit in NYC after 1-year delay

The casual dining chain was forced to pause the launch of its Flip'd concept during the pandemic, but now expects to open four fast casual locations this year as part of an initial pilot.

By Julie Littman • May 20, 2021

Goldbelly snags $100M after seeing 300% growth in 2020

The novelty food delivery service will put this capital infusion toward scaling its technology and operations and accelerating the onboarding of new chefs and restaurants. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 19, 2021

Quiznos, Taco Del Mar to open 100 ghost kitchen units

The Rego Restaurant Group brands join a growing network of chains, including Saladworks and Wow Bao, that have partnered with Ghost Kitchen Brands. 

By Julie Littman • May 19, 2021