This week: Paying attention to pay. A burrito as big as a baby. Food porn. And the poor-man’s Starbucks.
Idea #1: Pay attention to wages. Slowly but surely a narrative is building in the country that restaurants are paying slave wages. The Restaurant Opportunities Center has driven a lot of the story, one of their founders making an appearance on Real Time With Bill Maher recently to plead her case. Now a new report from the Economic Policy Institute states that CEO pay is 788 times minimum wage. And they’re not saying that is a good thing. It’s an issue that needs to be on your radar.
Idea #2: Baby-size burritos. Seattle Mexican restaurant Gorditos sells a 4-pound burrito, about the size of a newborn baby they like to point out. To drive the point home, they offer a free burrito to customers who have their baby photographed next to the mammoth creation.
Idea #3: Encourage food porn. New York City restaurant Empellón states the following on the top of its menu: "Empellón strongly discourages the use of cellphones, unless you're posting food porn on Instagram. #Empellon” Other restaurants are offering customers perks to take pictures.
Idea #4: Time to stop making the donuts. For its push west of the Mississippi, Dunkin’ Donuts says it plans to deemphasize its food offerings—including donuts—and instead position itself as a cut-rate Starbucks.
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