In a move strongly opposed by the California Restaurant Association and other business lobbying groups, California lawmakers have approved an increase in the state’s minimum wage from $8 to $10 per hour by 2016.The bill was approved Sept. 12 by the state Assembly following earlier approval by the state Senate. The $2-per-hour increase, which will…

In what will likely come as a relief to many small businesses, employers will not face a penalty if they fail to inform their workers by Oct. 1 about changes under the 2010 healthcare law, the Obama administration said last week. Under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, employers are required to notify employees by Oct.…

Two Denver-area Steak `n Shake stores at the center of a menu-pricing battle between corporate headquarters and three franchisees seems to have concluded. The stores are now closed, but the Indianapolis chain plans to re-open them as company-owned stores. The closings came not long after a bond was filed in federal court that put into…

The National Restaurant Association has named 14 members of the foodservice and allied industries, all sustainability experts in their own fields, to its Conserve Sustainability Advisory Council. The council is part of the NRA’s plan to help restaurateurs better understand environmental awareness and become more resource-efficient through its Conserve Sustainability Education Program. The new council…

Scattered protests and employee walkouts hit quick-service chains in 60 cities last week in an effort to ramp up pressure for increased wages. While spokesmen for the protests’ organizers estimated that they involved 1,000 foodservice outlets and other retailers, at least two chains—McDonald’s and Wendy’s—said that the protests had minimal effects on their operations. Marchers…

A federal judge is expected to rule this week in the battle between activist shareholder and restaurant chief Sardar Biglari and three Steak ‘n Shake franchisees in Colorado over who controls menu pricing. The operators are suing the company in federal court, claiming that Biglari’s mandate that all stores offer $4 meals is hurting their…

Umami Burger has lost the trademark infringement case it filed in June against Texas-based Umami Mia Pizzeria. In the case, Los Angeles-based Umami Burger asked that the three-month-old Austin restaurant “immediately change their name.” On Aug. 13, a judge denied Umami Burger’s injunction, on the grounds that umami is a common word that cannot be…

North Carolina’s ban on smoking in restaurants and bars has had no negative impact on the businesses’ revenue and employment, according to a new federal study. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been studying nine states’ smoking-ban policies, with North Carolina’s regulations serving as a role model. About 24,000 establishments in North Carolina…

Would Utah’s restaurants morph into bars if the state’s longtime restrictions on display and dispensing alcohol, as well as the intent-to-dine laws, were repealed? While only 5% of the liquor served in the state is poured in restaurants, Utah’s legislature continues to debate the fallout from lessening restrictions or tightening the reins on liquor laws.…

Congress has adjourned for the next month, but left behind in both houses are bills that seek to establish the Affordable Care Act’s definition of full-time as 40 hours per week. The ACA currently establishes that businesses with more than 50 full-time workers must provide health insurance for full-time employees who work either 30 hours…