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Is the current market too tough for upscale restaurants?

Linchi Kwok Food & Beverage

Operating a restaurant is never easy, but is it particularly challenging for upscale restaurants? Restaurants Unlimited Inc., for instance, which operates 35 fine-dining and "polished casual" eateries, filed for bankruptcy in Delaware last week. In June, the Four Seasons Restaurant, an iconic spot for power lunch in Manhattan, also closed for business less a year after its reopening. Are these two examples isolated cases or the tip of the iceberg? If upscale restaurants are struggling to survive in today’s market, what challenges are they facing?

Workers put spotlight on Amazon’s less-than-‘Prime’ labor…

Michelle R. Matisons Distribution & Warehousing

Amidst the hustle and bustle of Amazon Prime Day, which began July 15 and ran through the following day, laborers' voices are also being heard. This is because the world's largest and wealthiest online retailer continues to report massive earnings that do not trickle down to all workers. That has led many to organize at Amazon Fulfillment Centers globally. While Amazon's full-time wage increases place it on par with other, more solid $15 per hour wage positions, employees are reeling from what’s called the "rate." This is the expected working pace of a job, and Amazon offers a uniquely high-tech way to tell workers they are falling behind: a machine that surveils and warns them.

Making the best of days where it all goes wrong

Anne Rose Business Management, Services & Risk Management

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing goes right and everything goes wrong? No matter what you touch, there’s a screw-up. At the end of the day, you have nothing to show for your work and just wish you could have a "do-over." I had one of those days recently. Absolutely nothing went right. Total failure. Failed culinary skills. Failed computer skills. I was a failure. The day was a failure! The next morning it occurred to me what my biggest failure was: measuring my day by whether or not activities proceeded according to my plan.

Farms try to stay afloat amid troubled financial, commercial waters

Seth Sandronsky Food & Beverage

Farm cash flow is down, along with loans from big banks, as the China-U.S. trade war widens, Reuters is reporting. Beijing’s soybean tariffs are hurting American farmers, and spring flooding propelled in part by climate change is making bad matters worse. As farm cash flow slows, "JPMorgan and other Wall Street banks are heading for the exits," according to an analysis of the farm-loan holdings reported to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Why meatless madness won’t be going away any time soon

Dave G. Houser Food & Beverage

There’s no doubt about it — we Americans love our meat. We eat more of it per-person than any country in the world except Luxembourg. Health experts and environmentalists tell us this is not a good thing. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared that meat — red and white — contributes directly to heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various types of cancer. The heavy environmental impacts of conventional meat production are a major concern as well. Under such circumstances, it should come as no surprise that vegetable-based burgers that look like meat and taste like meat are winning over millions of skeptical consumers, taking Wall Street by storm and prompting Big Ag to jump into a potentially lucrative business that began on the vegan fringe.

Are the good times over for marketers on Instagram?

Emma Fitzpatrick Marketing

In June 2018, Instagram hit a huge milestone: over 1 billion monthly active users. That's double the number of users the platform had just two years before. For now, it looks like growth on Instagram isn't slowing down anytime soon. It helps that there are still many people not currently on the platform. But a new report from Trust Insights warns that marketers may need to gear up for a battle they know too well already: dwindling organic reach. In early May, the average number of engagements on brand posts (namely likes) began declining. By the end of the month, engagements were down 18% compared to early in 2019.

3 ways AR and VR are reshaping efficient work

Joseph Zulick Science & Technology

Some people believe that the entire concept of "work" will be reimagined and reexamined in the near future. In fact, "work" is already changing, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) are playing a significant role in that change. There are already large corporations and small businesses that are preparing for this shift, too. Here are some of the ways in which AR/VR will change the way work gets done in the near future.

5 fresh ways to boost interest in an aging brand

Lisa Mulcahy Marketing

As a marketer, you know that when a brand starts slipping out of favor with the public, you need to act fast to stop the bleeding. The problem with this strategy is that it can make you seem desperate. For example, you may start making choices that seem like obvious ploys for consumer attention. Focused, intelligent shifts in strategy that respect your audience's core emotional needs are more effective ways to recapture their attention and attract new consumers.

What you don’t know about growing old — and why

Patrick Gleeson Medical & Allied Healthcare

Americans haven't always faced our national shortcomings very well, although we're probably getting a little better at it. While we have a long way to go to achieve perfection, we've made substantial strides in some areas. However, despite the best efforts of various institutes devoted to the subject, such as the National Institute on Aging, growing old is something we don't want to hear about. This seems particularly strange when you consider that it's one of the few things in life that will certainly affect everyone who doesn’t die young.

10 tips for retaining employees in a hot jobs market

D. Albert Brannen Business Management, Services & Risk Management

The U.S. currently has more than 6 million unfilled jobs, an all-time record high. In such a hot labor market, employers need to focus on retaining current employees as much or more than attempting to find brand-new ones. This article outlines some of the most important ways that employers can do a better job retaining employees.

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