The Hamburgler, not to mention Ronald McDonald, has taken a legal hit in Brazil. A consumer protection agency in the state of Sao Paolo has taken aim at the Happy Meal, fining McDonald’s Corp. $1.6 million for targeting children with its advertising and toys. The fine stemmed from a 2010 campaign offering meals with toys…

During the same week that the United States government shut down, the American National Standards Institute is marking World Standards Week, highlighting the role standards play in the global economy. ANSI’s Sept. 30-Oct. 4 commemoration aims to raise awareness about the importance of standardization to the world economy and promote the role of standards and…

Chicago officials are moving to make all restaurants at its two airports recycle waste, use eco-friendly materials and include sustainable ingredients in at least 20% of its menu items. The city aviation department’s new green-concessions policy will affect 248 restaurants and concessions operations at O’Hare Int’l. and Midway. If they haven’t already, all will have…

Immigration fuels the American workforce and the political dialogue. It’s also a major headache for Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has been juggling a three-month federal investigation into its hiring practices. The government expanded its investigation in late April when it requested work authorization documents for all of Chipotle’s employees since 2007, plus employee lists and…

Operators with questions or concerns about how the Affordable Care Act will affect their businesses should head to the Health Care Knowledge Center at this month’s 2013 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show. Booth #6520 will be staffed by independent, restaurant-focused healthcare consultants and employee benefit experts who can meet one-on-one with operators to discuss…

Are foodservice operators being asked to foot the bill for years of municipal neglect? That’s what Halifax, New Scotia, restaurateurs, and the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association are claiming. The CRFA is appealing to the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board to reject a proposed hike to water rates that would hit the region’s restaurants…

Hundreds of foodservice workers and supporters protested in New York City and other cities on April 4 outside restaurants to demand higher wages. Demonstrators, chanting “Hey, hey! Ho, ho! Minimum wage has got to go,” voiced demands that quick-service restaurants pay $15 per hour, almost double the current hourly average of $8.25. New York City…

A bipartisan bill introduced in Congress April 10 would reform the Renewable Fuel Standard, which requires that large quantities of corn be diverted for use in the production of corn-based ethanol. Opponents of the standard argue that the government’s policy of fostering the use of corn, the chief ingredient in U.S. livestock feed, as a…

Speakers of a distinctly political hue are in the spotlight at the National Restaurant Association’s 27th annual Public Affairs Conference in two weeks. The April 17-18 conference in Washington, D.C., will see more than 500 restaurateurs from across the country convene for presentations from U.S. Representative Kevin McCarthy, majority whip of the U.S. House, as…

Operators in the country’s most populous state can get a close-up look this month at implementing the nation’s ongoing healthcare reform. “Health Care 201: Implementing the Affordable Care Act,” is going on the road this month, courtesy of the California Restaurant Association Legal Center. The CRA presentation will tour California with a line-up of national,…