The Working Lunch

Episode 409 - Did Pricing Strategies During COVID Ultimately Change The Minimum Wage Debate?

We start off the podcast this week with an update on what's happening in Washington on the hemp beverage front and whether forces in Congress and the White House can agree on a framework for this emerging industry produc

Episode 408 -  State Attacking Industry Leaders With Fair Share Healthcare Proposals

Episode 407 - The NRA Tells Congress To Be Smart When It Comes To Hemp Beverages

As we reported last week, the National Restaurant Association sent a letter to Congressional leaders asking them to delay by two years the forthcoming hemp product ban to provide the predictability operators need and to

Episode 406 - Legislation to Quicken Union Election Process On The Brink Of Passage

Legislation is pending in the U.S. Senate that would drastically speed up the process for organizing unions in the workplace. The bill has already passed the Republican-led House and could be on the senate floor any day.

Episode 405 - Industry Faces Significant Setback On Credit Card Relief

The industry has had a tough couple of weeks regarding its long-running feud with the banks and credit card companies coming up on the wrong end of a highly anticipated court decision and the veto pen. We’re joined once

Episode 404 - California Gubernatorial Election This Week Has Huge Consequences For The Industry

The primary election for Governor of California is next Tuesday and it's anyone's guess which two candidates will emerge to face off in November. We are joined by Nikki Laurenzo, the host and Executive Producer of Inside

Episode 403 - One Fair Wage Hearing the Chicago Blues

The industry got an unprecedented win in Colorado over the banking and credit card lobby with passage of legislation to prohibit interchange fees on sales taxes and tips. The bill is now on the governor's desk but its fu

Episode 402- Steak n’ Shake Goes Full In On MAGA & MAHA

Steak n’ Shake, never shy when it comes professing their admiration of the Trump Administration, upped the ante last week when it appointed a new Chief Make America Healthy Again Officer. We’ll discuss the political and

Episode 401 - DoorDash Grandma Crashes Oval Office Meeting

To showcase his no tax on tips victory, President Trump leveraged Tax Day to have a “DoorDash Grandma” deliver McDonald’s right to the door of the Oval Office. Shamelessly staged event? Of course. Perfectly executed? Of

Episode 400 - New RFK Battle Brewing. The Secretary Turns His Focus To Plastics

Over the last week, RFK, Jr. and his MAHA movement have been all over the headlines. From his national road shows to his new attack on microplastics to his new podcast, he has become a one-man news cycle. We’ll discuss h

Episode 399 - Will Restaurants Ultimately Pick Up The Tab For Packaging Waste?

We sit down once again with the team from Washburn Consulting, advisors to many key industry brands and associations, and get an update on the state of play with regard to Extended Producer Responsibility. Michael Washbu

Episode 398 -  Industry Impacted By Recent Labor Union Developments

There is a potential supply chain disruption looming for operators caused by a work stoppage at one of the largest beef processing plants in the country. We are joined by Phil Wilson, the CEO of the Labor Relations Insti

Episode 397 - RFK, Jr. Calls Out Individual Brands Over Sugary Beverages

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. took aim at two prominent restaurant brands last week – namely Dunkin and Starbucks - over the amount of sugar in some of their drink offerings. Recently he escalated a conversation o

Episode 396: Not Much on The Menu for Operators in State of the Union Address

The President delivered his State of The Union Address this week and outside of the predictable antics, was there anything substantive in there for restaurant operators? We’ll take a look And Washington state has rolled

Episode 395: Industry Gets Big Wins In Court On Both Interchange Fees and EPR

The industry had two big wins this week in the courtroom on two different major issues facing the industry. In Illinois, a federal judge ruled that with regard to swipe fees, not only are Visa & Mastercard not protected

Episode 394: RFK, Jr. Blames Big Tobacco For Ultra-Processed Foods

The MAHA movement continues to grow and with it, so does the potential threat to the industry. Last week, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. blamed the tobacco companies for getting kids addicted to ultra-processed foo

Episode 393: Operators and Brands Caught In The Crosshairs In Minneapolis

The situation in Minneapolis has taken a sharp turn for the worse and business owners, their customers, and perhaps most importantly, their employees are right in the middle of it. We’ll discuss the challenges operators

Episode 392: Trump Drops the Hammer on Swipe Fees

The Disruptor in Chief has struck again - this time completely rearranging the proverbial furniture regarding the decades-long war between retailers and the banks over swipe fees. This week, the President endorsed the Cr

Episode 391: The Food Pyramid Just Got Turned Upside Down

The Department of Agriculture released a new set of dietary guidelines championing protein and healthy fats while minimizing grains. The new recommendations essentially turn the old food pyramid upside down, encouraging

Episode 390: The Best & Worst of 2025 And A Look Ahead to 2026

We take a look at the key issue and reputational threats the industry faced in 2025 and discuss what the current state of play is and most importantly, what we should expect in 2026. Take a listen.