Robert Irvine and GRUBBRR Launch "Restaurant Revamp" Campaign Ahead of  Fast Food Wage Hikes

GRUBBRR, a cutting-edge provider of self-ordering technology, today announced its collaboration with company investor, partner and celebrity chef Robert Irvine to launch "Restaurant Revamp," a giveaway campaign aimed at addressing solutions to rising labor and food costs in California and beyond. The move comes as California is set to raise hourly wages for fast food employees to $20 per hour starting April 1, 2024, and more restaurant owners and operators are looking to integrate technology as a forward-looking solution...

Restaurants Are Raising Prices in California as Pay Rises. One Chain Isn’t.

At least one restaurant chain plans to hold the line on what it charges customers even as others are raising prices in California because of the state's minimum-wage boost for fast-food workers.

Mediterranean-style restaurant chain Cava says its recent growth will allow it to absorb the higher labor costs without lifting menu prices. And with a smaller footprint in California than other chains that have said they would raise prices, Cava may not feel as much pain from higher labor costs...

CDFA Issues New Proposition 12 Guidance Document on Certificates

The California Department of Agriculture's (CDFA) Animal Care Program has issued a new guidance document to aid stakeholders in distinguishing between the various certificates issued for Proposition 12 compliance.

Proposition 12 (2018) went fully into effect on January 1, 2024. The law prohibits the sale of shell eggs, liquid eggs, whole pork meat, or whole veal meat in California from animals that fail to comply with specific standards for freedom of movement, cage-free design, and specified minimum floor space. 

The Supreme Court upheld Proposition 12...

Farmers Concerned About Effects of California's New Animal Welfare Law

A new animal welfare law going into effect in California Jan. 1 that mandates space requirements for pigs, cows and chickens has some livestock farmers on edge.

Proposition 12 prohibits sales in California of pork, veal and eggs from livestock whose confinement doesn't meet certain minimum space rules. Those rules mandate hog pens to be large enough for an animal to turn around.

The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law, ruling 5-4 that "while the Constitution addresses many weighty issues, the type of pork chops California merchants...

duBreton Farms are Now Certified by the California Animal Care Program (Prop12)

As a leader in animal welfare, duBreton is proud to announce that they are one of the first companies to be certified and ready for the implementation of California's Proposition 12 which restricts gestation crate usage and requires 24 square feet of space per sow.

"Today, we take another step forward, since we are not just compliant, but fully audited and ready for California's Proposition 12, which goes into effect on January 1st, 2024," declared Vincent Breton, CEO...

Massachusetts Question 3 Stay Extended to August 23

Massachusetts

In August 2022, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, along with additional plaintiffs, filed an Emergency Motion for Preliminary Injunction of Massachusetts’ Question 3 (Q3) in the United States District Court for District of Massachusetts, which resulted in a stay of enforcement of Q3 until after the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in a case involving California’s Proposition 12. The judge in the Massachusetts case signed a subsequent order extending the previously agreed upon stay until August 23, 2023. Massachusetts has agreed to not enforce Question 3 as it relates to...

Proposition 12 Has Been Upheld — What We Know So Far

Following several years of contention, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold Proposition 12 on May 11, 2023. Proposition 12 is a California law that sets animal-welfare standards for meat sold within the state. Click here for the ruling.

Below is a fact sheet on Proposition 12 as it pertains to pork and hogs compiled by Urner Barry's market reporters. Urner Barry will continue to monitor the situation and will provide updates when possible.

Quick Facts:

• California defines “confined in a cruel manner” as a breeding pig with less than 24 Sq ft of room
  • California represents ~12-13% of US pork demand
  • There were only six farms in CA in 2017 that sold more than 5000 hogs...