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Reality Check

Peter Romeo

The blog from award-winning journalist, RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo. Peter taps into his decades of experience covering the restaurant business at a variety of publications to discuss any number of issues related to the operations and general direction of restaurants.

Workforce

Want happy restaurant employees? How's a relocation to Sweden sound?

By Peter Romeo on Sep. 04, 2024

Reality Check: New research shows how far the U.S. industry still has to go in improving its image—and what a difference an upgrade could make when it comes to retention.

Workforce

Restaurants are being buried under new paperwork requirements

 By Peter Romeo on Aug. 22, 2024

Reality Check: New employer rules invariably bring an avalanche of record-keeping obligations to a field that's no stranger to laying a paper trail.

Workforce

Second meeting of California's fast-food wage panel was long on griping, short on substance

By Peter Romeo on Aug. 01, 2024

Reality Check: Wages and other critical issues weren't addressed, with most of the three and a half hours focused on process and past wrongs.

Operations

How Denny's is benefiting from California's $20 fast-food wage

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 31, 2024

Reality Check: The diner chain is pitting its third virtual concept against QSRs there, leveraging the lower wages full-service places are allowed to pay.

Leadership

How the restaurant industry is working the political conventions

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 29, 2024

Reality Check: The Republican and Democratic conventions present a different sort of opportunity to promote the business' interests. Here's what you won't see on TV.

Workforce

Restaurants have a hot opportunity to improve their reputation as employers

By Peter Romeo on Jul. 12, 2024

Reality Check: New mandates for protecting workers from dangerous on-the-job heat are about to be dropped on restaurants and other employers. The industry could greatly help its labor plight by acting first.

Workforce

Stats are the mortar shells in a new battle between Gavin Newsom and restaurant groups

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 27, 2024

Reality Check: What's the true effect of California's new fast-food wage? Depends on whose numbers you believe.

Marketing

There's plenty happening at the high end of the pricing barbell, too

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 19, 2024

Reality Check: Decadent meal choices are also proliferating, for a lot more than $5.

Operations

Trend or fad? These restaurant currents could go either way

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 14, 2024

Reality Check: A number of ripples were evident in the business during the first half of the year. The question is, do they have staying power?

Marketing

Where are Simone Biles fans going to eat this Olympics?

By Peter Romeo on Jun. 03, 2024

Reality Check: Restaurants will be competing for attention this year with the Summer Games and political advertising. It could be a test of whether digital marketing, and loyalty programs in particular, can deliver on their promise.

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