Maria Agostinelli

Pricing transparency without hidden mandatory junk fees. Does this apply to restaurants too? New California proposed law (SB 1524 ) says “No!” Can this be right? For over 20 years, consumers have complained about hidden fees. California’s new “Honest Pricing Law” (SB 478) requires businesses to include all mandatory charges in advertised prices, but a new bill (SB 1524) proposes an exception for restaurants. Mark S. Adams, JMBM partner and senior member of JMBM’s Global Hospitality Group®, has written a blog on the subject here: https://lnkd.in/gje6GvbU For more articles on junk fees, see: 🔗 California bans Junk Fees as of July 1, 2024. Good bye to junk fees, resort fees, mandatory service charges, and drip pricing. Hello to – the fruits of SB 478: https://lnkd.in/gMZf3GQA 🔗 FTC’s proposed rule will end drip pricing and junk fees for hotels, restaurants, and many other businesses. Goodbye to resort fees, destination fees, service charges and other miscellaneous fees?: https://lnkd.in/gnFT7Ab4 🔗 Disclosing Mandatory Resort Fees – What Hoteliers Need to Know: https://lnkd.in/gUnavXa2

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Are you a member yet? 🌴🫶🏽 Check your email for more information. @calrestaurants The California Restaurant Association is the uniting force of the restaurant industry. Bringing together the community, they impact legislation, cultivate relationships, and provide valuable resources and discounts to help you run your business more profitably. Who is eligible for CRA Membership? Restaurant Operators – for those who own or manage an eatery, including caterers, food trucks, breweries, and more! Service Providers/Allied Members - for those organizations who provide a service or product to eateries Benefits to becoming a CRA Member: ADVOCACY: We are the voice of the industry, supporting your business by representing your business on all political fronts at local and state levels. We listen to your needs and lobby for the ultimate interest of restaurants. RESOURCES + SUPPORT: Free Legal Advice every month, Helpline guidance, White Papers, Checklists, Weekly Newsletter, News You Need to Know, Buyers Guide + more TRAININGS + CERTIFICATIONS: We offer discounts on essential trainings like ServSafe and Sexual Harassment Prevention and resources to keep you and your staff knowledgeable and compliant. COMMUNITY + NETWORKING: We have chapters throughout California that host meetings, events, seminars, and educational webinars year-round. DISCOUNTS FROM OUR MARKETPLACE PARTNERS: We negotiate valuable discounts, programs, and services on behalf of our members. DUAL MEMBERSHIP: As part of your membership, restaurant members also receive a membership with the National Restaurant Association. PHILANTHROPY: Give back to the industry through our Foundation that gives hardship grants to employees and supports the future hospitality workforce.

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Say goodbye to waitlist chaos! Kyobee optimizes seating for a smooth summer rush through its Table and Alert management system. #kyobee #tablemanagement #alertmanagement #restaurantsoftware #restaurantsinusa #restaurantsinusacalifornia #restaurantsoftwaresolutions #toprestaurantsoftware #menu

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Do you have any questions regarding your participation in the 2024 California Restaurant Show? This year’s event is on track to deliver our 3rd consecutive year of buyer growth, as well as show floor size, and will bring thousands of restaurant and foodservice professionals together under one roof. I have some stats about the buying audience that you might find helpful: 83% of attendees have purchasing authority for their business 67% were new to the show last year Collectively, our buyers represent $2.5Billion in purchasing power 74% say attending the show is important to their business 29% of attendees plan to spend $500K or more on products and services seen at the show On average, buyers connect with 23 vendors by attending And our buyers are looking to source across all product categories:      Food – 75%                     Beverages – 70%             Equipment – 65%             Services – 63% For more info please visit the link in our bio.

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Stay tuned for our Hospitality Insider Blog. Restaurant, Hotel and Vendor industry coverage. No boring content. Industry leaders IN the US, CANADA , West Indies, Bahamas and Europe. A few subjects to discuss: Credit card charges Food vendor prices. $20 per hour or AI Industry burnout. 🔥 What customers want and don't want. Would you find the time to listen to this blog? For Restaurant and Hotel upholstery service nationwide call 610 220 1117 or email fxmcgovern686@comcast.net

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Lisa Jennings Restaurant Business Online tell us - "In a deal that aims to avoid bankruptcy, the Bellevue, Washington-based fast-casual pizza chain has agreed to sell 100% of its equity to a Southern California-based group that has owned Slater's 50/50, Project Pie, Patxi's Pizza and other brands." Elite has been a collector of financially troubled restaurant brands over the years. Led by Michael Nakhleh, the former Sizzler and Fatburger franchise operator has acquired brands like Slater’s 50/50, pizza concepts Project Pie and Patxi’s Pizza, family-dining chain Marie Callender's, as well as the Mediterranean concepts Daphne's and Noon Mediterranean, and cupcake chain Gigi's Cupcakes Franchise. It's not clear whether those brands remain in Elite's portfolio. Nakhleh in a statement said, “MOD has an outstanding culture and passionate, loyal guests and employees. We recognize the inherent value this represents and look forward to helping MOD write the next chapter in its history.” Last week, reports indicated MOD was considering a Chapter 11 filing as the company worked to improve its capital structure. In a statement at the time, company officials said they were exploring all options, and that a “solid turnaround plan was underway that is making progress.” That plan has included “rightsizing the portfolio,” as well as refreshing the brand and elevating the guest experience, the company said Wednesday, though no details were offered. Year to date, 44 underperforming restaurants have shuttered, all company owned, and it’s not clear whether more will close. For years, MOD—known officially as MOD Super Fast Pizza Holdings LLC— was seen as the leader in the fast-casual pizza niche, growing to more than 500 units. Of the 512 currently, 89 are franchised. It was founded by Scott Svenson and Ally Svenson in 2008, and was one of the first fast-casual pizza concepts to emerge in what soon became a crowded pack of contenders offering a walk-the-line, build-your-own personal, artisanal pizza, with as many as 40 toppings available for one price. It quickly became a favorite of investors, and the chain raised a total of $345 million over the years, with investors that included Nigel Travis, the former chair and CEO of Dunkin'​’ Brands Group Inc., and Spencer Rascoff, CEO of the real estate website Zillow, as well as investment firms PWP Growth Equity Fund I LP Equity, Fidelity Management & Research. Most recently, in 2019, MOD announced it had raised $160 million in equity financing from private-equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice. At the time, the company pledged to double its unit count to about 1,000 restaurants. That funding supported rapid expansion in a drive to earn national brand awareness, with the goal of going public. In 2021, the chain filed confidential plans for an initial public offering...Clickthru to read more." https://lnkd.in/eSqcHWQq

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I was hoping to find Cooper's Hawk Winery and Restaurants in Northern CA on the restaurant locator - their homemade bread and butter is simply irresistible, and I don't know how long I can go without it😅 Check out my Yelp review: https://lnkd.in/gsZQYpsa #restaurants #foodcritic #hospitality #foodandbeverage #bonvivant #culinary #foodreview #restaurantreview

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The recent $20 per hour minimum wage law for fast food workers in California has significantly impacted the state's job market, leading to thousands of job losses in the fast-food sector. Blaze Pizza joins other companies like Mod Pizza and Pizza Hut, which have also reduced their California presence. The shift underscores the broader challenges businesses face with rising wage mandates and operational costs in California. #MinimumWage #CaliforniaEconomy #FastFoodIndustry #OperationalCosts #JobMarket #EconomicTrends #BusinessStrategy

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Did you know that on Cinco de Mayo, margaritas account for 47% of bar and restaurant cocktail sales across the United States compared to 23% the rest of the year? You know what that means... If you serve margaritas or are doing any specials for the holiday, you should: 🥑 Make sure customers know it's on the menu this weekend 🥑 Check that your menus are online and up-to-date (and no PDFs!) 🥑 Post any events/specials on social and your Google Business Profile 🥑 Check your business hours & reservation links Make sure those celebrating Cinco de Mayo can easily find you! Disclaimer: I am not currently poolside and this is maybe a mojito photo I took last summer #cincodemayo #restaurantmarketing #seo #margaritas #googlebusinessprofile

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Great article by Kaila Yu

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Discover a cost-effective solution for your food business in Los Angeles - rent a ghost kitchen! 🌟 Say goodbye to the financial burden of owning a physical restaurant space and hello to flexible, affordable options. 🍴 Operate without the overhead costs and focus on what truly matters - creating delicious dishes and growing your business.

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Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) 1Q24 Earnings Call Takeaways (from EarningsDigest.ai) Chipotle‘s 1Q saw +7% comp sales growth, driven by transaction volume. Sales hit $2.7 billion, helped by in-store sales growth of +19%. Marketing campaigns, including those for Barbacoa and the reintroduction for Chicken Al Pastor, contributed as well. With a +27% increase in adjusted diluted EPS to $13.37 and the opening of 47 new restaurants (43 featuring Chipotlanes), management raised annual comp guidance to mid- to high-single digits. Key strategic priorities include cultivating top talent and international expansion, with a notable first opening in Kuwait. The call also highlighted several risks, including: 1/ Inflation Pressures: CMG experienced inflation across several ingredient costs, particularly beef and produce. They anticipate cost of sales inflation to be in the mid-single-digit range for the remainder of the year, which could impact margins if not mitigated by price increases or cost-saving measures. 2/ Labor Costs and Minimum Wage Increases: With the minimum wage in California increasing to $20 an hour, the company's wages is the state went up ~20%, prompting a menu price increase of 6% to 7% in California restaurants. This wage increase will have a negative impact on overall company restaurant-level margin by about 20bp. Additionally, labor cost pressures may continue as wage inflation steps up, potentially affecting profitability. 3/ Supply Chain Volatility: Challenges in obtaining ingredients such as avocados are expected, with a step-up in prices anticipated over the next several quarters. Supply chain volatility could affect the stability of cost of sales and necessitate further adjustments to menu pricing. Want to learn more about 1Q Earnings? See us at https://lnkd.in/dKWuxsz6

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Going from 1 to multiple locations is a big step. Here's what you need to know so you can scale successfully. https://lnkd.in/gvGXsJs3 #RestaurantFinances #FoodService #FoodTechnology #Restaurants #Restaurateur #RestaurantSuccess #FoodAndBeverage

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I appreciate that Tony Smith and his team at Restaurant365 take the time to ask what operators think and want. This is a great survey. Check out his post. Very informative. #restaurateur #restaurantcoach #restaurantowmer #restaurantceo, #restaurantsuccess

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The May 23 webinar sponsored by Auxis and QSR magazine had 160+ restaurant brand leaders tune in to watch Blaze Pizza, LLC CEO Beto Guajardo, Point B Senior Principal Julie Smith (fmrly Richman), and Auxis Restaurant Leader Keith Sayewitz discuss strategies for achieving a consistent brand identity that drives loyalty and store success. The webinar provided some interesting insights: ∙ 90% of restaurant brand leaders said their frontline associates and store managers don’t define brand excellence the same way as their brand ∙ Nearly 60% of restaurant leaders said shifting to a tech-enabled brand protection model could provide value to their brand. ∙ Not a single brand operator replied “yes” to a poll question asking whether their compliance program drives operational excellence; nearly a quarter said they don’t know how to measure it. Blaze Pizza’s CEO Beto Guajardo highlighted Auxis’ pioneering model of virtual brand audits and coaching is a game-changer for the restaurant industry, highlighting how the solution led to a significant spike in customer satisfaction and revenue when he served as president of international for a leading quick-service restaurant operator. Read a quick recap of the webinar here: https://lnkd.in/eET-y8KK #restaurants #businessoperations #DT #sharedservices #outsourcing 

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