Taco Bell Plans for Major Hiring Push in April

Taco Bell is preparing for continued restaurant growth and reopenings by launching its fourth annual Hiring Parties event on Wednesday, April 21. Converting parking lots into job fairs, these one-day events with on-the-spot interview opportunities will take place at almost 2,000 participating company and franchise-owned locations across the U.S. The goal is to hire at least 5,000 new team members from this year’s Hiring Parties.

Adhering to COVID-19 safety precautions, this year’s Hiring Parties will be held outside, in creative locations like patio areas—some candidates may even be able to participate in...

What’s Next in Labor and Employment Law for the Meat and Retail Industries

Labor and employment issues including healthcare and immigration have immediate effects on the meat and retail industries. In a virtual panel titled ‘What’s Next in Labor and Employment Law’ during the final day of the American Meat Conference, two speakers shared their expertise in labor law and policy.

Panelists John Linker, Partner, Labor and Employment, Akerman LLP; and Frederick Miner, Shareholder, Littler, explored the goals of the Biden Administration and the potential impacts on business. 

Miner began the panel by talking about the current labor landscape. We are entering a significant period of change in the world of labor employment, in which President Biden has promised to be the strongest labor President in our nation’s history. Under the new Administration, the current National Labor Relations Board consists of...

Over 40 U.S. States Lost Restaurant Jobs in December as Pandemic Continues to Hit Industry

The National Restaurant Association said the downward slide in restaurant business conditions continued in December 2020 with the bottom dropping out on restaurant employment in the month, with 400,000 jobs lost across the country.

State-by-state, 42 states and Washington, D.C. had job losses in the month with only 8 states seeing employment increases. The biggest loss came in California, losing 85,800 eating and drinking place jobs.

Michigan (-46,600), New York (-33,000) and Minnesota (-32,800) also shed a significant number of restaurant jobs in December, the Association shared...

National Restaurant Association Releases 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report

The National Restaurant Association released its 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, which measures the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the restaurant industry and examines the current state of key pillars including technology and off-premises, labor, and menu trends across segments based on a survey of 6,000 restaurant operators and consumer preferences from a survey of 1,000 adults. The report also provides a look at the path to recovery for chains, franchises, and independents and the year of transition ahead.

Key findings regarding the impact of coronavirus on the restaurant industry include...

NRF Chief Economist Says Pandemic Made this Year's Holiday Forecast the Most Challenging Ever

With the coronavirus pandemic presenting unique circumstances for the nation’s economy, forecasting retail holiday sales this year was more challenging than ever before, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today.

“There is no doubt this is the most unusual economic environment in our lifetimes,” Kleinhenz said. “I cannot think of a period with so many simultaneous factors hitting the economy at once when formulating this forecast.”

NRF usually releases its annual holiday forecast in early October but...

Amazon Hiring 100,000 New Employees Across the U.S. and Canada 

Amazon continues to provide opportunities for regular full-time and part-time jobs in its fulfillment and logistics network as it expands its footprint to better serve customers in communities where they live. The company announced that it is hiring an additional 100,000 regular employment opportunities throughout the U.S. and Canada on top of the 33,000 Corporate and Technology jobs announced last week. The roles offer a starting wage of at least $15 per hour, and in select cities Amazon is offering sign-on bonuses up to $1,000 to new hires. On top of Amazon’s minimum $15 wage, the company offers full-time employees industry-leading benefits, which include health, vision and...

Papa John’s Looks to Hire 10,000 More Team Members as the Pandemic Continues

Papa John’s International announced the company recently hired 20,000 team members, including many who were displaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, and is again stepping up efforts to hire another 10,000 additional team members over the next few months.

Papa John’s is also expanding its best-in-class college tuition benefit program, “Dough & Degrees,” including the addition of two new partners, Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) and University of Maryland Global Campus. Those schools join Purdue University Global in offering Papa John’s corporate and franchise team members, as well as...

Chipotle Continues Accelerated Growth with 100th Chipotlane and 10,000 New Jobs

Chipotle Mexican Grill announced that it will be celebrating the opening of its 100th Chipotlane, the brand's drive-thru digital order pick-up lane, later this month. The milestone restaurant is in the greater Columbus, Ohio area, where the concept was first introduced in 2018. The new restaurant, located at 7162 Longhorn Dr. in Sunbury, Ohio, will feature the brand's open design, eco-friendly materials, and premium placement for digital pick-up shelves.

Of Chipotle's 19 new restaurants that opened during the first quarter of 2020, 11 featured a Chipotlane, giving the concept a presence in 32 states. Chipotlanes are expected to be included in more than 60% of new Chipotle restaurants. Despite stay-at-home orders in recent months, Chipotle successfully navigated the first quarter with digital sales growing more than...

Denny's Corporation and its Franchisees Hiring 10,000 Restaurant Employees Nationwide

Denny's announced its plans to hire 10,000 restaurant-level employees at both company and franchise operated restaurants across the United States by the end of 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unemployment to rise, impacting countless Americans, and Denny's is committed to helping people get back to work. Denny's Corporation and its franchisees are helping to jumpstart hiring across the U.S., by providing job opportunities to future employees.

With dine-in restrictions lifting and guests returning to restaurants as well as taking advantage of takeout and delivery options, Denny's is encouraging people, especially those in the severely impacted restaurant industry, to apply for a position at one of its franchises or company-owned restaurants around the country. As demand for dine-in service grows, Denny's hopes to employ jobseekers from a variety of diverse backgrounds, boost morale in local communities and play a part in the nationwide effort to...

Subway Restaurants to Add 50,000 Jobs

With record unemployment levels across the country, Subway Restaurants announced its local Franchise Owners seek to hire approximately 50,000 jobs in North American restaurants. This effort further deepens the brand's community connections as Subway can be found in almost every community across the U.S. and Canada, and directly addresses some of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 crisis.

Subway recognizes the importance of supporting its communities and providing safe, reliable job opportunities to those seeking employment – now more than ever. Starting this summer at participating North America restaurants, thousands of job opportunities will be available ranging from entry-level to management.

"As our business continues to see a growing demand for our value offerings, curbside pick-up and delivery, we are happy to support such a large-scale employment opportunity to meet...

McDonald's Restaurants Anticipate Hiring Approximately 260,000 this Summer

As states and communities continue to re-open their economies, McDonald’s restaurants are expecting to hire approximately 260,000 restaurant employees in the U.S. this summer. This comes as McDonald’s restaurants begin to welcome customers back into dining rooms with extra precautions in place.

McDonald’s has implemented nearly 50 new safety procedures to protect crew and customers. These include wellness and temperature checks, social distancing floor stickers, protective barriers at order points, masks and gloves for employees with the addition of new procedures, and training for the opening of dining rooms.

“We are excited to welcome new employees to our McFamily, and we want candidates and their families to know we have one goal – to keep our people safe. We’ve put new minimum national standards and nearly 50 new processes in place in our restaurants as they continue to...

Dunkin' Franchisees Plan to Hire Approximately 25,000 Restaurant Employees Nationwide

At a time of record unemployment, Dunkin' has been an essential, trusted part of the communities it serves, with approximately 90% of Dunkin' restaurants open to help keep Americans running and provide some sense of normalcy for loyal guests. Now, as more of America opens up, Dunkin' franchisees are seeking to hire up to 25,000 new restaurant employees at Dunkin' locations, from front-counter to restaurant management, creating immediate jobs that offer long-term education benefits and key career skills for people all across the U.S.

To support its franchisees, who are independent business owners, in hiring and retaining employees who embody the brand's core values, Dunkin' is taking several steps to welcome new restaurant employees and...

Taco Bell Plans to Hire 30,000 Team Members this Summer

Taco Bell announced today that it, together with its franchisees and licensees, plans to hire at least 30,000 team members this summer. The company and its franchisees are committed to being the safest place to work, and Taco Bell has previously introduced strict steps to protect team members, including temperature checks, contactless service and mask and glove requirements. During a time of uncertainty, Taco Bell and its franchisees are proud to offer jobs and welcome more individuals to their community.

“Since COVID-19 became a reality, we have continued our commitment to putting our people first,” said Taco Bell’s Chief People Officer Kelly McCulloch. “We work closely with our franchisees to ensure that we’re meeting...

Kroger Hires More than 100,000 Workers Through Expedited Hiring Process 

Kroger announced it has hired more than 100,000 workers in the past eight weeks, including those from the hardest-hit sectors like restaurants, hotels and food service distributors. Prior to the crisis, Kroger's workforce topped 460,000 associates and recent hiring efforts have helped the retailer to provide continuous access to fresh, affordable food and essential products to communities during the pandemic.

"Throughout the pandemic, Kroger's top priority has been to provide and maintain a safe environment for our associates and customers with open stores, comprehensive ecommerce solutions and an efficiently operating supply chain," said Rodney McMullen, Kroger's chairman and CEO. "Since March, we have invested to...

Restaurant Employment Falls to Lowest Level Since 1989

The restaurant industry lost more than three decades of jobs in the last two months, according to National Restaurant Association analysis of preliminary data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Eating and drinking places – which are the primary component of the total restaurant and foodservice industry – lost 5.5 million jobs in April, on a seasonally-adjusted basis, which follows a net decline of nearly a half-million jobs in March. This is nearly three times more jobs than any other industry.

"In February, there were more than 12 million people on the payrolls of eating and drinking places across this country, but today more than six million restaurant workers are...