The Working Lunch

Episode 411 - FDA's Ultra-Processed Food Definition, Meta's $18B Settlement & Restaurant Industry Impact

We are joined once again by the industry’s premier food and nutrition expert Maggie Gentile, a partner at Food Directions, to manage our expectations going forward on what’s happening with a potential federal definition of ultraprocessed foods and what the industry might have in store. And this week Meta was forced to cough up almost $18 billion dollars to a group of attorney generals over accusations that its platform - namely Facebook - was contributing to online addiction among young people. Is this just the beginning of a broader conversation about marketing to kids? We’ll take a look. And Mayor Mamdani is at it again. This time reaching out to local business community luminaries to provide political cover for his progressive agenda. It may not matter at all on policy but sure looks good politically. We’ll take a look. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

Episode 410 - RFK & MAHA Up The Ante On The Food Industry

The FDA was busy this week publishing a proposed rule to replace the current voluntary Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification program with a mandatory GRAS notification framework. In addition, they submitted placeholder paperwork with the intent of promulgating a long-awaited proposed definition for “ultra-processed foods.” What is driving this sudden outburst of regulatory action at the agency level regarding food. We’ll take a close look. And the mayor of New York City has jumped aboard the Teamsters truck and is partnering with the union in a takedown of Amazon. What does it mean for not only that company, but the all-important delivery gig workers in the city. We’ll kick that around as well. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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 product line. And then we are joined once again by Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence to talk about the state of the industry, the financial health of the larger players, and whether competition between industry business models is infusing new energy into intra-industry policy debates. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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 allow Congress the time to rethink its approach for a regulatory alternative that responsibly meets consumer demand. We are joined once again by Mike Whatley, the Vice President of State Affairs & Grassroots Advocacy at the National Restaurant Association to walk us through the issue and what the industry needs for our elected leaders. Additionally, Mike will stay with us and give us his take on the first half of 2026 and how the industry fared managing their issue portfolios across the fifty states. And we had another round of primary elections this week and the big winners were socialists - yes, you heard that correctly, socialists. Has NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani entered the arena as another political kingmaker? We’ll discuss. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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. We’re joined once again by Ed Egee, VP of Government Relations and Workforce Development at the National Retail Federation to analyze the bill and the threats it poses to the industry as well as the broader shift of Republicans to more pro-labor policies. And Oklahoma voters fairly easily rejected a ballot measure this week to increase the minimum wage to $15/hr by 2029. At the center of the debate? The negative impact the measure would have on inflation and affordability. Could the table be turning on the narrative surrounding a key industry issue. We’ll discuss. We'll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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 again by Dan Swanson, Counsel to the Merchants Payment Coalition to tell us what happened, why it happened, and more importantly, where do we go from here. And a few states held primary elections last week - most notably in California, Texas, Maine and Iowa. We take a look at the winners and losers and what it means for the industry. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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 California Politics and the evening anchor of Fox40 News in Sacramento to give us the lay of the land and what we might expect from the results. And speaking of California, what ever happened to the Fast Food Council that captured so much industry attention not too long ago? It’s been fairly dormant this year but the pending election might spark its rebirth in 2027. We’ll discuss. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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 future is uncertain. If signed, could the momentum in this long-running battle have finally shifted? We’ll take a look. And the city of Chicago does a remarkable backtrack on its law eliminating the tip credit putting a two year freeze on further implementation. We’ll discuss how and why this happened and what impact it may have on the broader issue in other jurisdictions. And redistricting is at a fever pitch across the states as the US Supreme Court has effectively gutted the Voting Rights Act. What impact will this have in 2026 and beyond. We’ll discuss. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.

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 policy impacts that this may have for other large brands as well as the industry itself. And the tough economy has emboldened the restaurant industry to enter into legislative frays that previously might have been seen as politically dangerous. But tough times call for tough measures and a new industry coalition is taking on the Administration on immigration as well as looking to lower - yes, lower - server wages in Denver. We’ll take a look. We’ll talk about those issues and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.