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Restaurant hiring affected by warmer weather, lingering pandemic habits

Mar 8, 2024
The number of people employed at restaurants and bars went up 0.3% in February from the month before.
A slowdown in construction work has meant an influx of job applicants for back-of-house positions, says restaurant owner Joshua Pollack.
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The fees war between retailers and credit card companies is heating up

Feb 26, 2024
Merchants paid $126 billion in credit card fees in 2022, up 20% from the year before. The pushback is playing out in lobbying campaigns and Congress.
Merchants from gas stations to ice cream shops to Amazon have complained about credit card fees and contracts, and many are lobbying for credit card regulation.
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When — and how much — should I be tipping these days?

Expectations around tipping have changed in the last several years. Here's what to know.
Maybe the standard 15% or 20% tip on table service hasn't really changed, but what about takeout, delivery and the rest of it?
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Some restaurateurs are struggling despite food service sales growth

Aug 15, 2023
While takeout, delivery and drive-thru sales are above pre-pandemic levels, on-site dining remains down.
The pandemic has shifted where people eat as many moved away from urban areas and stopped going into the office, says Hudson Riehle of the National Restaurant Association.
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Hotels and restaurants have had trouble hiring, so they innovated

Jul 17, 2023
That’s meant automating some tasks once done by humans and thinking carefully about the humans they do hire.
After two summers of worker shortages on Cape Cod, some restaurant and hotel owners have become more efficient, "enabling them to operate with a smaller staff,” the Beige Book says.
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Grocery inflation cools while restaurant prices continue to rise

Apr 12, 2023
Because a restaurant tab pays for more than just the food on the table.
Rising wages are the main reason restaurants are increasing prices. Many eateries have boosted pay, hoping to attract and retain staff.
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Restaurant, retail recoveries diverge in downtown Boston

Apr 10, 2023
Downtown Boston has more restaurants and bars now than it did before the pandemic. Retail stores, meanwhile, are still struggling.
There are about twice as many retail vacancies in downtown Boston now as there were before the pandemic started, says Michael Nichols, president of the Downtown Boston Business Improvement District.
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Confident in the economy or not, American consumers are going out

Feb 28, 2023
Sales at restaurants and bars were up around 25 percent from last year. Part of that is likely due to pent-up demand.
Kooper's Tavern is one of many bars and restaurants in Fells Point, a historic neighborhood in Baltimore.
Stephanie Hughes/Marketplace

How is the restaurant industry faring these days?

Sep 9, 2022
More people are going out to eat, but some are frustrated with the rising cost. Yet the cost crunch is just as bad, or worse, for restaurant owners.
Even though restaurants' costs are rising, owners may not raise menu prices as much to avoid scaring customers away.
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