This week, find out how José Andrés stepped in to help furloughed government employees, learn how restaurants are handling the rising minimum wage, see who made the list of top fast-casual restaurants in America, plus more industry news to keep you in the loop.

These Are the Vilcek Foundation Prize Winners for Immigrants in the Culinary Arts - Food & Wine

The Vilcek Foundation honors the “multi-disciplinary contributions of immigrants to the U.S.” This year, the foundation hosted the 2019 Vilcek Foundation Prizes for the Culinary Arts. This highlighted culinary influencers who have transformed the food and drink landscape. The juror-selected $100,000 grand prize was awarded to none other than acclaimed Ethiopian-Swedish chef and restaurateur Marcus Samuelsson of Red Rooster. Congrats, Chef Marcus!

Short Restaurant Startup Guide: Menus, Marketing, & Management Tips to Grow Your Restaurant - NextRestaurants

In search of a quick-and-dirty guide to getting a new restaurant off the ground? You’ve come to the right place. NextRestaurants lays out a few key questions you’ll want to ask yourself. Who is your target market? Do you have a business plan for your restaurant? What is your restaurant brand? They also highlight important things to consider when it comes to funding, location, menu, and staffing.

Restaurants Turning More to Technology, Retention Programs to Ease Labor Pressures - CNBC

The rising minimum wage conversation continues in 2019 as around 20 states plan to raise their minimum wages this year. Because of this, restaurants are looking for ways to ensure profits stay high and retention increases. Some are offering better benefits and changing menus to make food-prep times shorter. Others are implementing new technology that takes some of the burdens off staff members. Then there are those who are doing things like implementing private dining programs to bring in extra revenue.

Here Are America’s Favorite Casual Dining Restaurants - Food & Wine

Who doesn’t love a good fast-casual restaurant? Whether it’s a standby from your childhood or a spot you frequent regularly, it’s nice to be able to count on these dining destinations. They often boast a menu of reliable dishes and an unfussy atmosphere. Market Force Information recently released the results of its annual casual dining survey. It highlights key players in this fast-casual dining arena. Maggiano’s took the top spot, followed closely by Bonefish Grill, Mellow Mushroom, First Watch, and Pappadeaux.

Now that you’ve got the 411 on the latest industry buzz, see how we can make your events program newsworthy by requesting a live demo.

Caroline Cox
Content Marketing Manager

Caroline Cox is Gather's Content Marketing Manager. She spends her time crafting blogs, thought leadership pieces, case studies, social media content and more, helping empower restaurants and other event venues to streamline their planning process and grow their events programs with success.