URGENT ALERT
NJ lawmakers are about to vote on a bill (A5433) that would eliminate the tip wage. The system that lets restaurants count part of your tips toward meeting the minimum wage. If this passes, restaurants may have to make tough decisions to absorb this huge additional cost by cutting hours, reducing staff, raising prices, automating part of the process, and potentially eliminating tips and instead adding on fees to the bill. This bill could affect your ability to earn higher wages through tips. Servers in Maryland, Maine and other states have fought hard to maintain the tipping system as we know it. Here’s how you can take action and help protect your livelihood:
- Email Legislators in One Click
Make your voice heard by using our easy-to-use Phone2Action campaign. It only takes a minute!
👉 Click here to send your message now
- Attend the Committee Hearing – This Thursday in Trenton, April 10
Your presence makes a difference. We need a strong presence along with a strong voice. Even if you’re not testifying, having a strong showing at the State House sends a powerful message. Pre-registration is required to attend with the NJRHA
👉 Click here to register to attend the hearing
- Want to Testify in Person?
We need passionate voices from the industry to share how this bill would hurt workers and businesses. Simply telling your story and much you like the current system will have a strong impact on the committee.
Email Amanda at [email protected] to sign up to testify. She’ll walk you through the process and make sure you’re prepared.
- Can’t Make It? You Can Still Be Heard!
Email a short message to Amanda sharing how this bill would affect you. Your note will be included in our written testimony. Send to: [email protected]
- Additional Resources:
Negative Impact of Eliminating the Tip Credit https://servicechargefacts.com/
D.C. Servers, Operators Discuss Real Impact on Tip Credit Elimination: https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/investigations/initiative-82-resturant-surcharges-fees-employment-policies-institute-brasserie-liberte-chef-geoff-kenyan-muduffie/65-1147724c-d59c-49f6-9c82-67e21ca6822b
Additional Background On Tip Credit Elimination + Fewer Tips: https://epionline.org/app/uploads/2022/11/221012_EPI_StateAndFamilyImpactsOf15MinWage_FINAL.pdf
Where Will We Eat When the Middle-Class Restaurant Is Gone?
The boom in American sit-down chains has come and gone. When Daniel Cox was growing up in Rochester, N.Y., he spent every Saturday night at Pizza Hut with his father and two brothers. The server got to know the family so well that when she saw their blue Dodge Caravan roll up, she would put their order in: two cheese pan pizzas and two pitchers of Pepsi. Mr. Cox’s parents were divorced, and the Pizza Hut ritual was centering for the family. “It was a time when we were all together and everyone was enjoying the experience,” he recalled. “Who doesn’t like pizza?” Now a father himself, Mr. Cox rarely goes out to eat with his kids. They’re in travel-soccer practice three nights a week, and his family can’t get out of the local pizzeria for less than $100. He couldn’t think of an affordable, sit-down meal they’d shared recently. Once rapidly growing commercial marvels, casual dining chains — sit-down restaurants where middle-class families can walk in without a reservation, order from another human and share a meal — have been in decline for most of the 21st century. Last year, TGI Fridays and Red Lobster both filed for bankruptcy. Outback and Applebee’s have closed dozens of locations. Pizza Hut locations with actual dining rooms are vanishingly rare, with hundreds closing since 2019. According to a February survey by the market research firm Datassential, 24 percent of Americans say they are having dinner at casual restaurants less often, and 29 percent are dining out less with groups of friends and family. Mr. Cox is a pollster by profession, the director of the Survey Center on American Life, and he wondered about the effects of the chain implosions. In his latest survey on social trust and cohesion, he was moved to add questions about how often people are not just ordering food from a restaurant, but actually sitting down to eat there. He expects to publish the results in May, but said recently, “I think what a lot of families are doing is opting out. That’s a real loss”…
Bielat Santore & Company – Restaurant Industry Alert
Bielat Santore & Company Sells Woody’s Ocean Grille, Tinton Falls, NJ
Few restaurants manage to endure over the years. While many thrive for a time, they often start to falter as trends evolve, new competitors emerge nearby, owners become disengaged, or their customer base diminishes. Not so, with Woody’s Ocean Grille, 1202 Sycamore Avenue. Tinton Falls, Monmouth County, New Jersey. Time is a relentless force, and savvy owners recognize the right moment to sell when opportunities arise. According to Richard Santore, Vice President of Bielat Santore & Company, Allenhurst, New Jersey and the broker for the sale, Woody’s Ocean Grille in Tinton Falls has been acquired by a group of seasoned real estate investors, in partnership with a dynamic restaurant management team, Esperto Hospitality Group. Together, they are paving the way for innovative developments in the restaurant industry…
Contact Richard Santore, 732.531.4200 for additional information.
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The Raise the Wage Act Would Increase the Federal Minimum Wage to $17/Hour
Here’s what to know. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) just reintroduced the Raise the Wage Act to Congress two years after it was last proposed. Congressional Democrats are trying again to raise the national minimum wage to $17 an hour. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) reintroduced the Raise the Wage Act to Congress on Tuesday, which would not only gradually increase the minimum wage to $17 an hour over the course of five years, but would also eliminate the subminimum wage for tipped, disabled, and youth workers over the gradually over seven years. The legislation would, by 2030, more than double the current federal minimum wage of $7.25, which was last increased in July 2009. Over the weekend, Sanders forced a vote to amend the Senate Budget Resolution to include this new minimum wage, which was largely voted on along party lines. “In the year 2025, in the richest country in the world, nobody should be forced to work for starvation wages,” Sanders said during Tuesday’s press conference. “It is time to raise the disgraceful $7.25 an hour federal minimum wage to a living wage, at least $17 an hour. … Over 60% of workers in our country live paycheck to paycheck. … Today, we are saying we want an economy that works for everybody, not just the billionaires.” This is not the first time during the Biden presidential administration that Congress tried to increase the federal minimum wage. A $15 federal minimum wage was originally part of President Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan at the beginning of his presidential term in 2021, and the Raise the Wage Act was introduced shortly after by House Democrats, proposing to eliminate the tip credit and raise the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour. The same legislation had been introduced (and failed) during the Trump administration in 2019, but failed to pass in the Senate both times. In July 2023, the bill was reintroduced and adjusted for inflation to $17 an hour, although it was not passed. The restaurant industry has expressed concerns over proposed changes, particularly the elimination of the subminimum wage, which is currently $2.13, and has been eliminated already in seven states and individual districts and cities, including Washington, D.C. and Chicago, which both are in the middle of phasing out the so-called tipped wage…
Why Bartender Competitions Can Be a Win-Win for Restaurants
They can shake up menus and boost morale. Flight Club is putting creative control into the hands of its bartenders, encouraging them to take an active role in shaping the beverage program across all U.S. locations. The eatertainment brand recently invited team members who work behind the bar to participate in a companywide bartender competition to craft original drinks and have those creations featured nationally. The idea originated from a program called “Take it to Toby,” which encourages employees across the organization to submit ideas to Toby Harris, CEO of parent company State of Play Hospitality. “We’ve always found that the best ideas come from the field,” says Kim Chute, VP of marketing for Flight Club. “They come from the people that are out there interacting with our guests every single day.” Each bartender was given the chance to create a cocktail or mocktail for the winter menu, with one key guideline: The recipe had to use existing ingredients and glassware available in Flight Club venues. The general manager of each location selected a winning drink to send to the corporate office in Chicago, where Chute and other executives conducted a final taste test. Submissions were judged on presentation, flavor, ingredient selection, and the inspiration behind the drink. In the end, Lucas Carneiro from Flight Club Houston took the top prize in the cocktail category with The Equinox, a mix of Pimm’s, Tanqueray Gin, Giffard Violette, grapefruit juice, lime juice, and lychee. On the nonalcoholic side, Joe Cattoggio from Flight Club Boston won with The Snow Angel, a blend of zero-proof spirit, lemon juice, lychee, coconut, and vanilla puree. Flight Club announced the results during its quarterly all-team meeting, a companywide call that includes employees throughout the organization. “We showcased the drinks right there in front of the whole company before we announced it to the world,” Chute says. “Having that internal recognition really seemed to mean a lot to those team members.” The winning bartenders were recognized by name on the drink menu at every Flight Club location. The company also leveraged social media to spotlight the winners and share the inspiration behind their creations, using the competition to generate buzz around its seasonal drink lineup…
The Importance of Being Present
I believe in being present in my store. Jennifer Ashcraft admits the first thing that attracted her about Capriotti’s was its name, but it was the food that has made her stay and become the first franchisee in Alabama. “It was something I had never heard of before, and, after the name caught my eye, I really liked the concept of a sandwich shop.” Exceeding expectations, the location generated more than $1 million in just seven months. She’s now opening a second location and plans further expansion in the southeast. I have a varied background in sales, marketing, and HR. I knew I wanted to own my own business, and I was familiar with franchising in general Since my shop is the first Capriotti’s in Alabama, and there are really no others close to me, I had never tried the food. Once I found the name and liked the concept, we planned to try the food on an upcoming trip to NYC. I went with my husband and two sons, and I think we ordered about seven different sandwiches! We loved the quality ingredients and the unique flavors. After that, I was hooked. I also had the opportunity to speak with a few current Capriotti’s franchisees, and they spoke very highly of the brand and the family environment. It was just all a good fit for me. Before committing to moving forward, I went to the Kennesaw, GA location and worked in the shop to see if I wanted to make a career out of making sandwiches. I thought the mixture of customer service, catering, and serving up great food would fit me and my family well, so I decided to move forward. After making my decision, I also signed up to be a food delivery driver. This was an eye-opening experience and helped me learn so much about what it’s like on that side of things so we can strive to give everyone who walks in our door a welcoming experience. I believe in being present in my store. I have very high standards for customer service, and it’s really important to me that all of our team members welcome our guests and treat them well. It’s also very important that they respect and take care of each other. Being respectful and kind to each other is something I talk about on every interview. Also, I am an open book about our business, and that has helped our team feel more connected in the business instead of just someone coming in to work a shift. I look for someone with a positive attitude and a genuine interest in the culture we are building in my shop. I have learned that restaurant experience does not necessarily make a great employee…
More Grocery Stores That Are Also Great Restaurants
Round two at markets with the best prepared foods for the days you’re not quite feeling restaurants. Restaurants: love ‘em, obviously. But grocery stores … those are my happy places. And when a grocery store’s got prepared food that beats anything? I’m moving in. Last year, my colleague Tanya Sichynsky did a great installment of the newsletter about grocery stores with excellent food, so consider this a sequel. With park picnic season approaching, mercifully, picking up a meal is an obvious solution. Or maybe you’re hosting a last-minute hang — cook one thing (or nothing at all) and buy the rest prepared. Especially if you need to shop anyway, there’s a win-win solution. Tashkent Supermarket, the venerated Uzbek grocery store with locations in Brooklyn and Queens, recently opened its first Manhattan location in Greenwich Village. They’re selling produce and other Eastern European groceries, yes, but the big draw is the prepared food: two long hot bars, a bakery section, a kebab counter and a plov station. My favorite bites were of the tennis ball-size spiced beef manti ($2.99); kutabi ($3.49), a flaky, beef-stuffed Azerbaijani pancake; and excellently seasoned potatoes and mushrooms ($7.99 per pound). Finally, the pièce de résistance, plov ($9.99 per pound), a dish of rice and stewed meat (the lamb is phenomenal). Obviously, all buffet rules apply: Take a few laps first. Develop your game plan. Mind the prices when you pack up plastic clamshells of salads and dumplings, as prices differ per pound. Eat your steaming dish of plov in Washington Square Park, making sure to squeeze out every caramelized clove from the head of roasted garlic. Repeat regularly. A Reddit thread led me to MOGMOG, a small Japanese market in Long Island City where I could have spent upward of three hours looking at the wall-to-wall snacks, condiments and noodles. (I settled for about 45 minutes)…
Olive Garden Loses its Spot as Top US Casual Dining Restaurant
After 7 years to resurgent chain. Texas Roadhouse has replaced Olive Garden as America’s top casual dining chain. The two chains were followed by Chili’s, Applebee’s and Buffalo Wild Wings. Olive Garden had held the title since 2018, but a resurgence in Texas Roadhouse’s popularity has pushed the casual steakhouse ahead. Last year, Texas Roadhouse reportedly saw a 14.7% increase in sales, pulling in $5.5 billion, according to Restaurant Business, which cited Technomic’s ranking of the top 500 largest restaurant chains in the country. On its website, Texas Roadhouse says there are 722 restaurant locations, likely including those outside the U.S. Meanwhile, Olive Garden saw a 0.8% increase in sales in 2024, bringing in $5.2 billion from its more than 920 locations across the country. Texas Roadhouse, Chili’s and LongHorn Steakhouse saw larger boosts in sales than their counterparts, despite struggles in the industry. Chili’s, which was ranked third, saw a 15% increase in sales, while LongHorn Steakhouse, which came in sixth place, experienced a 7.2% sales bump. Four other restaurants on the list — Applebee’s, Outback Steakhouse, Red Lobster and Red Robin — saw decreases in sales, with Red Lobster seeing the largest drop at -22.7%, according to Restaurant Business, which cited Technomic. As Americans struggled to make ends meet, restaurants across the country began pushing promotions to lure in customers. However, this nearly led to the end of Red Lobster, which suffered tremendous losses from its “Endless Shrimp” deal. Red Lobster’s new CEO, Damola Adamolekun, said the deal caused “chaos” and “stress” for employees…
Did You Know?
Why food allergies could be a big opportunity for restaurants. About 10% of Americans have a food allergy, but restaurants have not always done a good job of catering to them. A new partnership between allergy nonprofit FARE and tech supplier EveryBite hopes to change that. Want to boost your restaurant’s profit margins by about a quarter? Try marketing to people with food allergies. people with food allergies are great restaurant customers. They tend to spend more when they dine out, and they are more loyal to their favorite restaurants than the average consumer. They are also a significant market: About 1 in every 10 Americans has a food allergy, and together, they spend $19 billion a year on food…
Employee Tip
How employee feedback surveys fuel customer experience excellence. If we ask our employees open-ended, probing questions and are willing to have an open mind to not only ‘hear’ what they have to say but really ‘listen’ to their feedback — with zero ego attached — it is priceless data, while costing you pennies on the dollar. Those we hire to be the forward-facing representatives of our brand are the most valuable assets any restaurant, or any business, could ever have. They are the ones engaging with your end customers, the ones who hear what the customers want and what they don’t want, the ones who hear the positive and negative feedback, the ones who are your most significant source of information to your end customer paying for your services and products…
