Page 3 - Michael Halen News Today

After celebrating an easing of covid-19 restrictions with an epic restaurant tab, diners are now hitting the brakes on eating out.

From Bloomberg: Many U.S. households, especially lower- and middle-income ones, are cutting back on restaurant spending as inflation pressures their budgets. Feeling the same pinch, restaurants from Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. to Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. have increased prices to keep up.

To track inflation’s effect on a beloved menu choice, Bloomberg created an American Diner Index that includes ingredients for the toothpicked club sandwich, as well as the accompanying potato chips, …

Prices for lettuce and bread have surged 33% and 20% in the past year, respectively, contributing to the surge in the index.

Plus, a look at the restaurant industry’s financial outlook This week on the Working Lunch podcast, the team from Align Public Strategies is joined by two guests. Phil Wilson from the Labor Relations Institute comes on to discuss organized labor’s most important piece of legislation to pass the U.S. House in generations, the PRO Act. The group discusses the bill’s chances of passing in the Senate, and if unsuccessful, which parts could be enacted by regulation. More importantly, Wil...

Now Available On Demand Insights from Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, Warwick McLaren, VP of Omnichannel Marketing, Roundtable Pizza, Andrew Rebhun, VP Digital Marketing, El Pollo Loco, and Shyam Rao, Co-founder & CEO, Punchh Now, more than ever, consumers are looking for brands to deliver personalized experiences that provide even greater value. To deliver on these expectations, brands need to create customer-centric experiences that build loyalty. Cus...

As the country tracks toward a $15 federal minimum wage, two analysts took a look at what it would mean for the restaurant space. Peter Saleh of BTIG and Michael Halen of Bloomberg both released reports. A $15 minimum wage is part of the Democratic platform. The latest look at the plan was a phased approach from the current minimum wage of $7.25 to $15 by 2026. The broad change under a new federal minimum is not the whole picture. Many states are raising wages under their own plan. Dozens of st...