How to Franchise a Restaurant
Learn how to franchise a restaurant by building systems, protecting your brand, choosing franchisees, and supporting consistent long-term growth successfully.
May 29, 2026
Learn how to franchise a restaurant by building systems, protecting your brand, choosing franchisees, and supporting consistent long-term growth successfully.
May 29, 2026
Learn how Father's Day promotions, menus, reservations, marketing, and staff training increase restaurant sales while protecting margins and improving performance.
Jun 1, 2026
McDonald’s unveiled McDonald’s Next, a new strategy focused on menu improvements, technology investments, restaurant upgrades and hospitality.
Jun 2, 2026
Explore the operational secrets and business strategy behind Monty's Good Burgers, a trailblazing vegan restaurant in Los Angeles. Discover how culinary innovation, consistent quality, and strategic customer engagement redefine plant-based dining.
Jun 2, 2026
Dutch Bros delivered one of the strongest quarterly performances in its history during Q1 2026, with a 31% revenue increase, 8.3% same-store sales growth, and unaided brand awareness that has more than doubled in 18 months driven by mobile ordering, food menu expansion, loyalty upgrades, and aggressive market density building.
Jun 1, 2026
Fuel costs are emerging as one of the more unpredictable financial pressures facing quick-service restaurant operators running through supply chains, delivery economics, and consumer spending behavior in ways that are harder to anticipate and manage than traditional cost inputs like food and labor.
Jun 1, 2026
Chipotle is quietly testing a new Crispy Chicken protein option in select California restaurants, marking a potential shift in the chain's menu strategy as it looks to accelerate innovation and tap into one of the fastest-growing food categories in the restaurant industry.
Jun 1, 2026
Red Robin has sold 30 company-owned restaurants in Washington and Western Idaho to multi-unit operator Evergreen Dining for $23.5 million in cash, using the proceeds to pay down debt and fund its First Choice turnaround plan as the chain continues to reshape its ownership structure.
Jun 1, 2026
Operators share how to scale: trust the brand’s playbook, plan people, invest early, and navigate the Hell Zone as multi-unit growth accelerates into 2026.
May 31, 2026
Red Lobster will close its 5 Times Square flagship on June 14, 2026, citing construction and office-to-residential conversion; staff offered transfers and pay.
May 31, 2026
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Explore how the Independent Restaurant Coalition advocates for tax exemptions on service charges to enhance compensation fairness in independent restaurants.
Photo by Jason Leung
The Independent Restaurant Coalition (IRC) has been at the forefront of advocating for fair compensation practices within independent bars and restaurants. Their recent call to Congress to amend the 'No Tax on Tips' provision in the proposed budget reconciliation package highlights their commitment to ensuring that all restaurant workers benefit from tax relief. By urging for an extension of tax exemptions to service charges, the IRC aims to address the disparity in compensation between front-of-house and back-of-house employees.
The current tax system, where only tipped workers receive tax benefits under the Fair Labor Standards Act, leaves out crucial back-of-house staff like dishwashers, chefs, and porters. While the proposed tax exemption on tips could provide an average tax cut of $1,260 for tipped workers, non-tipped employees remain excluded from these benefits. This discrepancy underscores the need for broader reforms to ensure equitable compensation for all restaurant workers.
By advocating for the inclusion of service charges in the tax exemption policy, the IRC aims to extend financial relief to low- and middle-income workers across the restaurant industry. Service charges, which have become common in recent years to cover various employee-related costs, are currently taxed as business income, disadvantaging employees. If service charges were treated similarly to tips under the tax code, it would not only alleviate the tax burden on employees but also legitimize service charges as a valid form of compensation.
The IRC emphasizes that transparent and equitable compensation practices are essential for the sustainability of independent restaurants. By exempting service charges from taxes, businesses may be encouraged to adopt more transparent pay structures and offer fair compensation to all employees. This move could not only enhance employee morale but also attract talent to the industry, promoting long-term growth and stability.
The IRC's efforts have garnered significant industry support, as evidenced by the 400 independent restaurants and owners across 26 states who signed a letter urging Congress to reform the taxation of service charges. This collective push for fairness in compensation highlights the importance of aligning tax policies with the evolving needs of the restaurant workforce and promoting a more inclusive and sustainable restaurant industry.