The Small Business Administration has been sued by restaurant owners in Texas and Tennessee over loan preferences for traditionally disadvantaged business owners, namely minorities and women regarding the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. Behind the scenes however, the lawsuit is one among many being choreographed by Trump Administration alumni to call out preferential treatment for minorities across various agencies of government. The team at Align Public Strategies will discuss the implications of all this for the industry both operationally and reputationally.
And the industry is getting caught up in the “Tech-lash” wars as traditionally business-friendly Republicans take aim at big tech and employers are finding themselves as collateral damage in an ideological political battle. Brennan Duckett, technology & innovation policy director for the National Restaurant Association stops by the pod to help the team to sort it all out and help operators understand how they are impacted.
Lastly, Maine is on the doorstep of a first in the nation environmental law that fundamentally shifts the financial responsibility of recycling programs from taxpayers to manufacturers and distributors of the products themselves - such as restaurants.
The team will discuss the ramifications of this effort and what it could mean for operators and wrap it up with the legislative scorecard.
Align Public Strategies is a full-service public affairs and creative firm that helps corporate brands, governments and nonprofits navigate the outside world and inform their internal decision-making. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of Nation's Restaurant News or Restaurant Hospitality.