Only a month into 2013, and state legislatures and state restaurant associations are wrestling with some major issues. Minimum-wage increases, paid sick leave and environmental issues are just a few of the legislative issues being addressed in California and Pennsylvania.In California, legislation has been introduced that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $9.25 an…

The New York State Supreme Court is hearing arguments Jan. 23 on the legality of the supersized soft-drink ban passed last year by New York City’s board of health The National Restaurant Association, American Beverage Association and other plaintiffs in the suit have challenged the city’s authority to issue the ban. The mandate, as passed…

As restaurant chains and other operators gear up to comply with the new state and federal healthcare guidelines, the California Restaurant Association has followed the NRA’s lead and created its own webpage dedicated to healthcare and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The new website section, calrest.org/healthcare, includes frequently asked questions, an implementation timeline,…

Multiunit operators, E&S dealers, consultants and service agents are among the nearly four million businesses which have received forms for the 2012 Economic Census, the federal government’s official five-year measure of American business and the economy. Those forms are due next month; by law, businesses must respond by Feb. 12. The responses help guide industry…

Matt Walker will lead the National Restaurant Association’s advocacy strategy and lobbying efforts in the Congress as the NRA’s new v.p.-government affairs. Before joining the NRA, Walker worked as deputy staff director and chief counsel for the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship and as senior aide to former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe,…

A fall off the so-called fiscal cliff was skirted by Congress’s New Year’s passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act. Buried in the Act were a number of tax breaks for many individuals and small-business owners–including foodservice operators. The fiscal bill, which President Obama signed into law Jan. 2, includes a one-year extension of the…

The National Restaurant Association has slated two webinars in January for its members. On Thursday, Jan. 17, the association will host “Health Care Law: Next Steps for Restaurateurs.” Operators large and small will feel the effects of the 2010 Affordable Care Act. The NRA’s Michelle Neblett, director of labor and workforce policy, will give an…

Hundreds of New York area restaurants estimated to have been damaged by late October’s Hurricane Sandy were granted a two-month respite from the city’s letter-grade inspections. But on Jan. 2, the New York City Department of Health began sending out inspectors to perform letter-grade inspections in city neighborhoods affected by the storm. During the two-month…

The MAFSI Business Barometer maintained by the Manufacturers’ Agents Association for the Foodservice Industry rose 4.5% in the third quarter from the same quarter in 2012. The gain compares with a record 6.1% jump in the second quarter and a 2.4% increase in the first quarter, the weakest quarter since the Barometer recovered in late…

Strong gains in current same-store sales and traffic propelled the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index to 100.9, up from 100.2 in September. It was the highest level for the overall index in the past four months. The gain came in spite of the partial shutdown of the federal government for half of October and…