Retired tennis pro <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/serena-williams">Serena Williams</a> claims she was denied service at a restaurant in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/paris">Paris</a> hotel, but a rep for the establishment says that’s not exactly what happened.
Williams, 42, shared her version of events in a post on X. “Yikes @PeninsulaParis I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant">restaurant</a> of nicer places but never with my kids,” she wrote on Monday, August 5. “Always a first. #Olympic2024.”
After the athlete posted the complaint, a Community Notes update was added: &#8220;Serena was not ‘denied access.’ Rather, the restaurant was fully booked.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Yikes <a href="https://twitter.com/peninsulaparis?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@peninsulaparis</a> I’ve been denied access to rooftop to eat in a empty restaurant of nicer places 🫠 but never with my kids. Always a first. 🙄<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Olympic2024?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Olympic2024</a> <a href="https://t.co/lEGJR5WoEn">pic.twitter.com/lEGJR5WoEn</a>
— Serena Williams (@serenawilliams) <a href="https://twitter.com/serenawilliams/status/1820507655250850058?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 5, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
A spokesperson from The Peninsula Paris also reacted to Williams’ accusations.
“Dear Mrs. Williams, Please accept our deepest apologies for the disappointment you encountered tonight. Unfortunately, our rooftop bar was indeed fully booked and the only unoccupied tables you saw belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was fully reserved,” the restaurant’s official account <a href="https://x.com/peninsulaparis/status/1820533467358371858">posted</a> to X on Monday. 
“We have always been honored to welcome you and will always be to welcome you again. The Peninsula Paris,” a follow-up post said.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1722714742764000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1XzmEsRwzti1RFNuISwYgd">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
One restaurant employee explained the situation in a statement to <a href="https://variety.com/2024/tv/news/serena-williams-slams-paris-restaurant-olympics-1236095987/">Variety</a>. “When [Williams] came there were only two tables available and they had been reserved by clients of the hotel,” Maxime Mannevy told the outlet. “My colleague didn’t recognize her and feels terrible, but he told her what he would have told any other client, which is to wait downstairs in the bar for a table to become available. That was absolutely nothing personal.”
The hotel also issued a statement to Today on the situation.
“In response to Mrs. Williams’ tweet, for whom we have the utmost admiration and respect, as we do for all our esteemed guests; we can only reiterate our deepest apologies for her perception of tonight’s situation,&#8221; it said.
The statement added, “Today, August 5th, our rooftop bar was indeed unfortunately fully booked, and the only unoccupied tables at that time belonged to our gourmet restaurant, L’Oiseau Blanc, which was also fully reserved tonight. She has always and will always be more than welcome with her family to The Peninsula.”

Serena Williams

Paris Restaurant Responds To Serena Williams Complaining It ‘Denied’ Her Service

Paris Restaurant Responds To Serena Williams Complaining It 'Denied' Her Service

Celebrities

France

Paris

Restaurant

World

A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mexico">Mexico City-</a>based taco stand has been awarded a Michelin star, a first for that type of establishment.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant">Tacos El Califa de León</a> is the only <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/food">taco stand</a> in the world that can boast the highly coveted honor. The establishment’s head chef, Rivera Martínez, reacted to receiving the award, saying, “It’s neat, it’s cool,” per a translation, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/mexico-taco-stand-michelin-star-6a4a89f27aa13d46246030b94bcffa56">Associated Press</a>.
The Michelin Guides are a series of books published by the French tire company since 1900. The highly respected guides award up to three Michelin stars for excellence, and only the top restaurants in the world are selected for the honor. Gaining and losing stars often affects a restaurant&#8217;s popularity. 
The outlet noted that chef Martínez didn’t immediately put on the full-sleeved white chef&#8217;s jacket he received as a gift from the Michelin rep because his 10-foot by 10-foot cooking area gets very hot.
Martínez says the secret to the taco stand&#8217;s success is keeping the menu simple and concentrating on quality. Customers have one option – beef tacos. “The secret is the simplicity of our taco. It has only a tortilla, red or green sauce, and that&#8217;s it. That, and the quality of the meat,” he said. He would not reveal where the meat comes from, the outlet noted, but did say he cooks the meat at a very specific temperature.
When asked what he recommends customers to eat with the tacos, the chef said, &#8220;I like a Coke.&#8221; 
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The establishment has been operating since 1968 and is massively popular among locals and tourists despite being slightly more expensive than competitors in the area. They’re known for the Gaonera taco, apparently named in honor of Mexican bullfighter Rodolfo Gaona.
“This taqueria may be bare bones with just enough room for a handful of diners to stand at the counter but its creation, the Gaonera taco, is exceptional,” the Michelin Guide <a href="https://guide.michelin.com/us/en/ciudad-de-mexico/cuauhtemoc_1995126/restaurant/taqueria-el-califa-de-leon">says</a>. 
“Thinly sliced beef filet is expertly cooked to order, seasoned with only salt and a squeeze of lime. At the same time, a second cook prepares the excellent corn tortillas alongside. The resulting combination is elemental and pure.”

Taqueria El Califa de Leon

Mexican Taco Stand Becomes First Ever To Receive Prestigious Michelin Star

Food

General

Mexico

Red Lobster, the largest U.S. seafood restaurant chain, is expected to file for bankruptcy after offering customers an all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that ultimately cost the company millions of dollars.
Red Lobster currently boasts roughly 650 locations nationwide and has its headquarters in Orlando, Florida; it recently closed dozens of its outlets. Thai Union Group, Red Lobster’s majority owner, said they were through funding the chain.
“We’re going to exit. We are not going to inject any more money into Red Lobster,” Thai Union Chief Executive Thiraphong Chansiri said in February.
“The company aims to use the bankruptcy process to negotiate concessions from landlords and strike a deal with creditors to continue operating, moves that could trim hundreds of millions of dollars in debt,” Red Lobster said, according to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/red-lobster-preparing-to-file-for-bankruptcy-protection-this-month-b1198173" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>, which noted that the company’s sales dropped 8% from 2022 to 2023.
The Journal pointed out that restaurant chains are suffering because typical consumers, who have incomes less than $50,000, cannot afford to eat out because the current economy has forced them to cut spending. Another factor crippling the chains is the high interest rate they are dealing with when it comes to their debt.
Among chains hit hard by the economy, Tijuana Flats and Sticky’s Finger Joint both filed for bankruptcy in the last 30 days; past month. Dom’s Kitchen &amp; Market and Foxtrot Market, which have prepared-food sections, both closed in April.
In mid-April, the National Gardening Association reported that with the rising costs of groceries, many Americans have taken to growing food at home. It reported that 43% of Americans are now growing food at their homes, up from 33% of Americans in 2019.
“According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, at-home food prices increased by 11.4% in 2022. In 2023, it increased by another 5.8%,” <a href="https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nc/charlotte/news/2024/04/18/more-people-growing-food-at-home-as-grocery-costs-remain-high#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20U.S.%20Department,you%20see%20the%20financial%20benefits." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spectrum News</a> noted.
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In March, for the third consecutive month, the core consumer price increased. It advanced 0.4% from February and 3.8% from the year before. Core inflation <a href="https://www.barrons.com/livecoverage/inflation-april-cpi-report-today-news/card/core-inflation-cools-to-3-6-from-3-8--8DpsdMJRAQMWglPmgF8s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">grew</a> by 0.3% in April.

Red Lobster Abruptly Closes Many Locations

Red Lobster To File For Bankruptcy After All-You-Can-Eat Shrimp Deal Cost The Company Millions

bankruptcy

Economy

Inflation

Red Lobster

U.S.

For several years now, Democrats in the state of California have enjoyed all the perks of one-party rule. With supermajorities in the state assembly, they don&#8217;t have to deal with an opposition party. They certainly don&#8217;t need to provide any kind of transparency to the public. They&#8217;re completely free to enact the Democratic Party&#8217;s grand vision — just like the leaders of notorious utopias like Baltimore, Selma, Detroit, or Oakland. If states are the laboratories of democracy, then California is the laboratory of the Democratic Party. Whatever Democrats want, they get.
That&#8217;s why hundreds of thousands of people flee California every year and it&#8217;s why a lot more are about to leave the state. California, without much discussion or debate, just raised its minimum wage for certain fast-food workers to $20 an hour. This is a 25% wage hike, up from $16 an hour. The law applies to chains with 60 or more locations in California, including franchises — many of which are family-owned.
The totally foreseeable and inevitable followed, and a bunch of fast-food chains announced mass layoffs. Others started raising prices, and at least one restaurant so far has closed down completely. Watch:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="005 Lemoore Foster&#039;s Freeze" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Mgi_Z-cmNyU?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Those employees at Foster&#8217;s Freeze went from $16 an hour to zero dollars an hour, thanks to the minimum wage hike which California declared a &#8220;win for workers.&#8221; And they&#8217;re not alone.
When this law was signed, two large Pizza Hut franchisees <a href="https://www.nrn.com/top-500-restaurants/two-california-pizza-hut-franchisees-lay-delivery-workers-ahead-minimum-wage" target="_blank" rel="noopener">laid off</a> more than 1,200 delivery drivers. In San Jose, The Wall Street Journal reports that two small Vitality Bowls restaurants have <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/hospitality/california-restaurants-cut-jobs-as-fast-food-wages-set-to-rise-eb5ddaaa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut their workforce</a> in half. Restaurants like Jack in the Box are &#8220;testing fryer robots and automated drink dispensers&#8221; so they can fire more employees soon. Hours are being cut and of course, prices are going up too, across the board. 
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/02/us-news/californias-20-fast-food-wage-raises-prices-by-up-to-1-80/#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>, at one Los Angeles-area Burger King, prices for a Texas Double Whopper went from $15.09 on March 29 to $16.89 on April 1, once the law went into effect. That&#8217;s an increase of nearly $2 for the same exact — already horrifically overpriced — food in just two days. The Big Fish meal went up by $4, from $7.49 to $11.49. That&#8217;s the precise increase in hourly wage, passed directly onto customers. Several other menu items went up &#8220;anywhere from 25 cents to a dollar,&#8221; the Post found. 
From what I’ve seen, some of the advocates of the minimum wage hike on social media have tried to dismiss the concerns over the price hikes by saying that 25 cents to a dollar isn’t a very steep increase. But what they’re ignoring is that, first of all, as a percentage of the overall price of the item, these hikes are already significant. And second, this law has been in effect for less than two days and this is what has happened only in that time frame. We can assume that prices will continue to go up.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1339-the-matt-walsh-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show</a></h4>
One of the many fast-food companies raising prices is the fried chicken restaurant Raising Cane&#8217;s. The CEO of the company went on CNBC recently to talk about the impact of this legislation on his business.
Now, based on everything you&#8217;ve just read, you might assume that the CNBC anchor conducting the interview would have a dim view of this new legislation. After all, you&#8217;d expect someone at a business-oriented network to understand that higher prices and fewer jobs are generally a bad thing. But here&#8217;s how she frames her question:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="006 Raisin Canes" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OpDLVLZAE8w?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The CEO doesn&#8217;t really answer the question, probably because he&#8217;s there for a nice PR opportunity and he doesn&#8217;t get adversarial or maybe he wasn&#8217;t paying attention. But it&#8217;s an incredible question to ask in earnest, which she appears to be doing. If you give minimum wage workers a raise, but in the process make it more expensive for them to live and eat, you have not really given them a raise. You haven&#8217;t made it easier for them to purchase more chicken fingers.
This is especially the case for the many workers who have already lost their jobs because of it, and the many more who will in the near future.
The fact that this is apparently difficult to say out loud — even for the CEO of Raising Cane&#8217;s — tells us a lot about how California got in this position. Very few people in the state seem to understand basic principles of economics — or at least, they don&#8217;t want to talk about them. But the fast food workers themselves understand what&#8217;s going on here. They realize that they didn&#8217;t actually get a raise.
Here’s an employee from Jack in the Box explaining a basic economic reality that the governor of her state doesn’t seem to comprehend:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="001 Minimum Wage Increase" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hjafi_exbb4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
How does a fast-food worker understand the economics of this situation better than the CNBC anchors? Why is she raising issues that California politicians don&#8217;t seem to understand? Whatever the answer is, this is getting to be a running theme in California.
A couple of years ago, California sent out millions of &#8220;inflation relief checks,&#8221; which accomplished <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/30/politics/inflation-relief-checks/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">nothing</a> except making inflation even worse. But there was no opposition party that could block those checks, just like there&#8217;s no opposition party to block this minimum wage increase.
In fact, in California, the labor unions <a href="https://www.kcra.com/article/california-fast-food-law-panera-newsom-nda/60117858" target="_blank" rel="noopener">obtained</a> nondisclosure agreements during the negotiations for the minimum wage bill. So no one can talk about how exactly this bill came about. There&#8217;s never going to be a full explanation for why Gavin Newsom&#8217;s friend and donor at Panera Bread managed to secure an exemption for fast-food restaurants that make bread, for example. (Not that we really need an explanation for that. It&#8217;s the kind of naked corruption that one-party states are well known for).
But you don&#8217;t need an insider&#8217;s look into the legislative process to know how poorly conceived this law is. That&#8217;s because, after the bill was passed, legislators went back and <a href="https://news.bloomberglaw.com/in-house-counsel/california-airports-stadiums-now-exempted-under-fast-food-law" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added</a> a bunch of other exemptions, including fast-food locations in airports and stadiums. That&#8217;s how you know you&#8217;re dealing with a very well-thought-out law — the legislators just go back and redo it a few weeks later. These are the people manipulating the economy in the most populated state in the country. They&#8217;re doing it as haphazardly as you&#8217;d expect.
The truth is that raising the minimum wage (by 25%, which is obviously a very sizable hike) in the midst of inflation and a struggling economy is incredibly stupid. There&#8217;s really no other word for it. It attempts an end-run around the actual problems facing Californians. Except, really, it&#8217;s worse than that. They aren&#8217;t just avoiding the problems, but actively making everything worse. They’re trying to solve problems by creating more of the problems they’re allegedly trying to solve. And they aren’t done. 
In fact, some leaders in California think that $20 an hour is still too low. It’s not even half of what they think the minimum should be. Here’s Rep. Barbara Lee:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="004 CA Senate Race Debate" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/UZswdhUXkB4?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Just do the math. Do the math, says the woman who apparently can’t add two plus two. She wants to mandate six-figure incomes for the people who run the cash register at McDonald’s. You notice that she was asked about the economic sustainability of such a plan and did not pretend to even address that concern. That’s because it is, of course, not sustainable at all. $20 an hour isn’t even sustainable. $20 an hour has already caused a bloodbath of layoffs and price hikes. $50 an hour would simply be the end of commerce in California, which means the end of California itself. So, on second thought, maybe her plan has some benefits.
But you notice what Lee said in that clip. She said that a family of four needs a six-figure income just to get by. That’s not really true — you can get by on less, my family did at one time — but think about how that applies here. She’s saying that minimum wage workers need a massive, mandatory raise because that’s what’s necessary for families of four to survive. This obviously implies that there are a lot of single-income households of four where the breadwinner makes minimum wage. But that’s not generally the case, and this is really, perhaps, the most important point here. Minimum wage jobs are not meant to be careers. These are supposed to be jobs for teenagers working part-time while they finish high school. These aren’t jobs that grown adults with kids and mortgages are supposed to be doing for years on end. So if you’ve been working at a job for five or ten years and you still make minimum wage, there’s obviously a serious problem — and it’s not one a minimum wage hike can solve.
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Personally, I want every minimum wage worker to get a hefty raise. But that can be achieved, and should be achieved, by earning a raise. It can also be achieved by getting some work experience under your belt and then finding a better job somewhere else. Minimum wage is supposed to be a stepping stone. Not a foundation to build your life on.
It’s a bit like if lawmakers passed a law declaring that all tent manufacturers must make their tents big enough and sturdy enough that they can be lived in for six months at a time. But that’s not what tents are supposed to be used for. That’s not what a tent is. A tent is something you stay in for a few days at a time. Now, lawmakers in California might respond, “No that’s not true. In our state lots of people live in tents for years. They set them up right on the sidewalk!” Yes, but the problem there is not that the tents are insufficient homes. The problem is that those people are trying to turn tents into homes. The problem is with how the tent is being used. Minimum wage is like the tent of salaries. It’s meant to be very temporary.
The advantage of working a minimum wage job is that the bar is pretty low. Show up on time, look presentable, put in the effort, be reliable, be moderately competent, cover all the basics, and you’ll be on the fast track to a better job — either at your current place of work or somewhere else. You don’t need to wait around for the government to force your employer to give you a raise.
As I’ve said plenty of times before, the best way for a minimum wage worker to make more money is to not be a minimum wage worker anymore. That’s a basic truth that you won’t hear from politicians like Barbara Lee. Instead they’ll promise you the pie in the sky. The bad news is that they probably won’t deliver on that promise.
The worse news is that they might. And then everyone’s problems will get much worse.

California Minimum Wage Rises To $20 For Fast Food Workers

California Triggers Bloodbath By Raising Minimum Wage To $20 An Hour

California

Democrats

Gavin Newsom

Minimum Wage

Opinion

Readers Pass

Governor Gavin Newsom (D) pushed back last week on accusations that Panera Bread is exempt from California&#8217;s new $20 minimum wage for fast-food restaurant employees.
Republicans have accused Newsom of giving the chain special treatment because a high school classmate and donor to Newsom&#8217;s campaigns, Greg Flynn, runs two dozen Panera Bread restaurants in California. Bloomberg News first reported that Panera appeared to be exempt from the new minimum wage law, which takes effect in April and raises the minimum wage for fast-food workers from $16 to $20.
The law carves out an exception for businesses that produce their own bread on the premises. The exemption was added late in the bill&#8217;s process, and Newsom&#8217;s administration has not explained the reason for it — but now his team contends that Panera won&#8217;t be exempt from the law.
“The Governor never met with Flynn about this bill and this story is absurd. Our legal team has reviewed and it appears Panera is not exempt from the law,” Newsom spokesman Alex Stack <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article286132126.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Previously, Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher called for an investigation and accused Newsom of setting his special interests up with “favors at the expense of regular Californians.”
“This type of crooked dealmaking is wrong and exactly why our constituents think the government isn’t looking out for them,” Gallagher said.
“Campaign contributions should not buy you exemptions in legislation. The public deserves to know the truth about the allegations of Governor Newsom’s crony capitalism,” Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones (R) said in a statement.
Bloomberg reported that Newsom had fought for Panera&#8217;s exemption.
Newsom&#8217;s office <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article286131426.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">argued</a> that Panera is not exempt since the restaurants do not technically &#8220;produce&#8221; their own bread. The law says the minimum wage increase does not apply to businesses with a bakery that “produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread.”
Panera locations do not make their own dough on the premises, although they do bake their own bread.
Bloomberg&#8217;s reporting also named Paris Baguette and Great Harvest Bread Co. as exempt from the minimum wage hike. It is unclear whether those companies produce their own bread entirely on the premises.
Flynn <a href="https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/newsom-now-says-panera-bread-is-not-exempt-from-californias-minimum-wage-hike/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> donated $100,000 to Newsom in 2021 to help him fight a recall effort, as well as $64,800 in 2022 for Newsom&#8217;s re-election campaign.
Flynn said that while he opposed the minimum wage bill, he never asked for special treatment.
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“To be clear, at no time did I ask for an exemption or special considerations. In fact, the idea never even occurred to me and I was surprised when the exemption appeared in the final legislation. I also never met with Governor Newsom about this bill, though I did meet with his staff in a group meeting with other restaurant owners,” Flynn <a href="https://fox40.com/news/california-connection/newsom-now-says-panera-bread-is-not-exempt-from-californias-minimum-wage-hike/amp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>.
Thanks to the law, some fast food will become more expensive in California. McDonalds and Chipotle, which are not exempt from the minimum wage increase, have already <a href="https://ktla.com/news/california/fast-food-in-california-is-about-to-get-more-expensive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> plans to raise prices.

A Panera Bread Restaurant As Panera Brands Prepares For IPO

Newsom Pushes Back On Pay-To-Play Accusations, Says Panera Is Not Exempt From Minimum Wage Hike

Business

More than 1,200 Pizza Hut delivery drivers throughout California will be out of a job in the coming months after California’s fast food minimum wage increase. 
Numerous Pizza Hut franchises in California announced they would eliminate delivery driver positions and rely on third-party delivery companies such as DoorDash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats as the state’s minimum wage for fast food workers will increase to $20 in April, CBS News <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pizza-hut-to-lay-off-thousands-of-california-workers/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=257612767">reported</a>. The layoffs, which will start in February, will mostly affect Pizza Hut delivery drivers in Los Angeles, Orange, and Riverside counties. 
One delivery driver <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/california-pizza-hut-lays-off-delivery-drivers-amid-new-wage-law-2023-12">told</a> Business Insider last week that he was offered $400 severance pay if he worked until February 5 — the date Pizza Hut told him he would be laid off. 
&#8220;The money they are giving us as severance pay is a slap on the face,&#8221; the Pizza Hut employee said. &#8220;It comes to $3 a month for nine-plus years of service.&#8221;
California’s <a href="https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1228">Assembly Bill 1228</a>, which increased the fast food worker minimum wage by 30% to $20 an hour, was signed into law by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom in September. After the bill was signed, other fast food chains, such as McDonald’s and Chipotle, said they would increase menu prices to offset wage raises, according to Business Insider. 
In 2022, Newsom signed the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, which called for fast food workers’ minimum wage to increase to $22 an hour, but fast food corporations opposed the bill and successfully got a referendum on the ballot. That minimum wage law was frozen by a California court last January, allowing groups who opposed the law to count signatures of those against the minimum wage increase. 
AB 1228 then replaced the Fast Food Accountability and Standards Recovery Act, which made the minimum wage for fast food workers $20 an hour. The minimum wage law affects approximately 550,000 fast food workers and 30,000 restaurants in California, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pizza-hut-to-lay-off-thousands-of-california-workers/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=257612767">CBS News</a>.   
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Yum! Brands, which owns Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell, said it was “aware of the recent changes to delivery services at certain franchise restaurants in California.&#8221;
“Our franchisees independently own and operate their restaurants in accordance with local market dynamics and comply with all federal, state, and local regulations while continuing to provide quality service and food to our customers via carryout and delivery.”

Pizza Hut

Pizza Hut To Lay Off Over 1,200 Workers In California As State Raises Fast Food Minimum Wage To $20 An Hour

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city">New York City</a>&#8216;s elites were pranked by a group of Generation Zer&#8217;s in a one-night only fake steakhouse meal that had the city&#8217;s A-listers believing, for a moment, they were part of an exclusive group picked to dine at this restaurant that didn&#8217;t exist.
The unmarked public-bathhouse-turned-event space on the Lower East side was the location this group of 20-somethings used to create the illusion of a Manhattan restaurant that doesn&#8217;t really exist, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/09/25/nycs-fine-dining-elite-pranked-by-gen-zers-fake-steakhouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a> reported.
The 140 patrons who showed up to dine at Mehran&#8217;s Steakhouse over the weekend believed they were the lucky ones who had gotten off the years-long waitlist for a chance to dine at the so-called exclusive, 100-year-old chop house. But in reality they were all part of an elaborate prank pulled off by a a 21-year-old AI startup founder and more than 50 of his close friends.
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NYC’s fine-dining elite pranked by Gen Zer’s fake steakhouse <a href="https://t.co/gfpbkdsq9P">https://t.co/gfpbkdsq9P</a> <a href="https://t.co/tjuJ2NycpP">pic.twitter.com/tjuJ2NycpP</a>
&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href="https://twitter.com/nypost/status/1706408657007628325?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It all started during the pandemic in 2021, when Mehran Jalali&#8217;s housemates decided to mark their biweekly steak dinners he would cook for them by marking their location as a chop house on Google Maps.
The roommates then started leaving rave reviews of the meal they had leading total strangers to show up at their home wanting to dine on this wonderful meal.
In response, Mehran ended up creating a website for their booked, &#8220;revolutionary steak experience.&#8221; And by the end of 2022, the fake chop house had accrued nearly 3,000 people on the waiting list, the outlet noted.
So Jalali and his pals decided to make their fake restaurant a reality and gathered volunteers, found a venue, got a one-day liquor license and food handling permits. He then hopped on a plane to New York, because he currently lives in California, and the group picked some 200 people to invite to attend the exclusive fake steak house.
Many of the patrons who attended seemed to miss the subtle hints that it was all a joke, including portraits hanging in the lobby showing Mehran posing with celebrities throughout the generations, like Albert Einstein, Marilyn Monroe, Obama and JFK, he had supposedly cooked for over years and years.
Patrons were taken to their seats by &#8220;barely legal servers&#8221; where a 15-inch laser-etched wood-cut provided them with a comedic amount of text describing their upcoming, $114 prix-fixe meal as violin covers of pop hits played overhead. Waiters also were seen parading around with a gallon of whole milk, at one point, as if the liquid was some fine wine.
Despite all this, guests went through the evening as though nothing was off, the outlet noted. Two Upper East Side patrons told the outlet afterwards that, &#8220;Some improvements could be made.&#8221;
However, the report noted that not everyone was amused. &#8220;One couple threatened Mehran with legal action after finding out his &#8216;restaurant is fake.'&#8221;
But there were others who the outlet noted were thrilled to be part of the gag.
&#8220;It&#8217;s New York, you can eat anywhere,&#8221; opera singer Scott Thomas said. &#8220;But for it to be this fun is priceless.&#8221;

Steak

NYC’s Elites Pranked By Gen Zer’s In One-Night Only Fake Steakhouse Meal

Coastal Elites

New York City

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/twitter">Twitter</a> users shared a variety of opinions on Friday about fast-food restaurant employees being told not to wear masks months after the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/end-of-phe.html#:~:text=May%2011%2C%202023%2C%20marks%20the,public%20health%20data%20will%20expire.">federal COVID-19 public health emergency</a> came to an end.
At the center of the debate was an apparent flyer sent out to In-N-Out Burger locations outside the chain&#8217;s home state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california">California</a>, announcing new health guidelines starting on August 14 that determine no masks &#8220;shall be worn in the Store or Support facility unless an Associate has a valid medical note exempting him or her from this requirement,&#8221; and those who do get a doctor&#8217;s approval must wear a company-provided N-95 mask unless a physician advises otherwise.
The policy is said to apply to associates working in Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Texas, and Utah, except those &#8220;who are required to wear masks or other protective gear as part of their job duties,&#8221; and is &#8220;subject to local health authority guidelines and regulations.&#8221;
Lucky Tran, who has been identified as a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-solutions/2022/09/16/climate-change-conversation-action/">&#8220;science communicator&#8221;</a> working at <a href="https://www.communications.cuimc.columbia.edu/contact-cuimc-office-communications">Columbia University</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679878468748599297">shared the screenshot</a> on Twitter and encouraged people to <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679880707252838400">reach out</a> to the In-N-Out Burger&#8217;s customer service page regarding the chain&#8217;s &#8220;discriminatory policy banning masks.&#8221;
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Businesses like In-N-Out burger are banning staff from wearing masks (unless they provide a medical note) <a href="https://t.co/OchZl5STIH">pic.twitter.com/OchZl5STIH</a>
&mdash; Dr. Lucky Tran (@luckytran) <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679878468748599297?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 14, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Users reacted with all sorts of commentary, ranging from horror to appreciation.
&#8220;Covid is a huge worker&#8217;s rights issue, and employers can now forcibly expose low wage workers to a deadly/disabling pathogen,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/TaylorLorenz/status/1679962861597265922">said</a> Washington Post columnist Taylor Lorenz. &#8220;Meanwhile big leftists/labor organizers have aligned themselves w corporations pushing anti mask, anti public health, far right messaging on covid.&#8221;
While some commenters called for people to boycott or sue, Tran <a href="https://twitter.com/luckytran/status/1679985695560028160">said</a> that it was &#8220;critical to note In-N-Out isn&#8217;t trying this in CA because the state has laws preventing employers from banning masks.&#8221; Tran also noted that a recent court ruling in California that determined employers are <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-07-06/california-supreme-court-says-woman-cant-sue-spouses-employer-over-covid-infection">not legally responsible</a> for COVID spreading from workers to their family members &#8220;seems to have emboldened companies to try mask bans in other states without protections.&#8221;
Among those to deliver praise of In-N-Out was the Twitter account for the conservative group Turning Point USA. &#8220;Based,&#8221; it said in an approving <a href="https://twitter.com/TPUSA/status/1679931050192150528">tweet</a>.
&#8220;Interesting way to clear out problem employees,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/MarinaMedvin/status/1679998838545825792">said</a> criminal defense attorney Marina Medvin. &#8220;Fantastic! I hate when customer service people wear masks,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/iamdima24/status/1679946161912676361">a different user said</a>, &#8220;Also of note is the use of &#8216;him or her&#8217; as these are the only two normal pronouns when referring to people. There&#8217;s a reason I love IN N OUT!
&#8220;In-N-Out Burger just did the single GREATEST thing I’ve ever seen a business do,&#8221; said &#8220;The Patriot Voice&#8221; account. The tweet also said the guidelines need to be &#8221; the standard moving forward. Masks are not only unnecessary, ineffective, and disgusting…But, it also really hinders customer service when you can’t see the face of a staff member because of their face diaper.&#8221;
&#8220;In-N-Out has banned their employees from wearing masks unless they have a note from a doctor and the left is losing their woke minds over it,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/chakery/status/1679959303057289216">quipped</a> another.
The Daily Wire received a response from In-N-Out Burger days after publication of this report.
&#8220;At In-N-Out Burger, we’ve communicated with our smiles since 1948, and a smiling Associate helps to set a warm and inviting atmosphere in our stores. We believe that wearing a mask literally adds a barrier to communication — much of which is nonverbal — and promotes a more distant and disconnected environment,&#8221; Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick said in a statement.
&#8220;In balancing these fundamental values while still accommodating the specific circumstances affecting our Associates, we have updated our internal guidelines to permit only those Associates with a medical need to wear a facemask while working,&#8221; Warnick added. &#8220;This change will be effective August 14, 2023, where local regulations allow.&#8221;
In-N-Out Burger made headlines during the height of the pandemic when multiple locations in California were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/another-in-n-out-burger-location-closed-for-bucking-vax-mandate-other-locations-targeted">shut down</a> by health officials for refusing to check customers’ vaccination status before serving them food.
“We refuse to become the vaccination police for any government,” <a href="https://twitter.com/Newsweek/status/1450567344212828160">a spokesperson</a> for the fast-food chain said at the time.

Restaurant Workers Get Masks But Few Long-Term Gains In Crisis

In Or Out? A Fast-Food Fight Over Employee Masking Bans

Face Masks

“<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/south-park">South Park</a>” creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone have raised the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/minimum-wage">minimum wage</a> to $30 per hour for all employees at their Colorado restaurant, Casa Bonita, including servers.
This rate increase comes with a caveat, though. Patrons won’t be permitted to tip anymore. The duo purchased the Lakewood, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/colorado">Colorado</a>, business for $3.1 million in 2021 after the previous owners claimed bankruptcy following financial hardship spurred by the COVID pandemic, according to <a href="https://people.com/south-park-creators-to-set-30-dollar-an-hour-wage-ban-tipping-casa-bonita-restaurant-7556562">People</a>.
The publication noted that Colorado currently has a minimum wage of $13.65 an hour. This means the staff at Casa Bonita makes $16.35 more than minimum wage.
The over-the-top venue is known for animatronics and entertainment that extends beyond just food. The website description says diners should expect “Mex eats &amp; pageantry such as divers plunging into a pool below a 30-ft. waterfall &amp; puppet shows.” 
People noted that Parker had childhood birthday parties there years before he and Stone bought the venue. The Denver Gazette <a href="https://denvergazette.com/arts-entertainment/casa-bonita-opening-announced/article_ddd04812-fbd9-11ed-a361-0bd4eca026fb.html">calls</a> Casa Bonita the “Disneyland of Mexican restaurants.”
“During our soft-opening nights, we found that guests simply weren’t tipping. We believe it’s due to our unconventional, pre-pay ticketing system,” a Casa Bonita spokesperson told FOX 31 KDVR, per <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/03/casa-bonita-restaurant-to-pay-staff-30-an-hour-ban-tipping-amid-south-park-creators-trey-parker-matt-stone-relaunch/">The New York Post</a>.
“In order to provide a higher-than-average, dependable wage, we shifted to a no-tipping model and doubled the hourly rate to more than $30/hr for our service staff,” the rep said. “This shift also benefits our guests, who can enjoy Casa Bonita without incurring unexpected costs. Of our 256 employees, 93 were a part of the shift and a total of 2 were unhappy about it.”
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The “South Park” creators explained their purchase and the aftermath during an interview with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/06/us/casa-bonita-restaurant.html">The New York Times</a> in May. 
“It doesn’t stink like chlorine anymore,” Stone said. “We could have rebuilt this twice as big, for half as much money, but we spent so much restoring it, like a piece of art. And the food is excellent.”
Tipping has been a hot topic of debate for decades, especially now that more businesses, including coffee shops, grocery stores, and fast casual dining establishments, have been prompting customers for tips.

Trey Parker and Matt Stone

‘South Park’ Creators Set Wage At $30 Per Hour, Ban Tipping At Their Colorado Restaurant

'South Park' Creators Set Wage At $30 Per Hour, Ban Tipping At Their Colorado Restaurant

Colorado

Entertainment

A Sonic employee in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-mexico" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New Mexico</a> was arrested after <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cocaine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cocaine</a> was found on top of a customer’s hot dog.
According to police, Celine Gonzales <a href="https://www.kob.com/new-mexico/new-mexico-woman-finds-cocaine-on-sonic-hot-dog/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found</a> a bag of cocaine on a hot dog she had purchased at a Sonic restaurant in Española, New Mexico. Police verified that the substance in the bag was cocaine, which they said was found after the woman began to eat.
While investigating the cocaine, police arrested 54-year-old employee David Salazar on a felony cocaine possession charge. Footage viewed by police showed Salazar “frantically searching for something he lost” after making Gonzales’ order, police said.
Police said Salazar told them he had bought the cocaine in the restaurant’s parking lot.
“That’s kind of crazy,” a customer told local outlet KOB 4 after learning about the incident. “I just got an ice cream. I hope we’re good.”
“I think that’s pretty scary. We come here to get food for our families, and if a child found that it could have been pretty bad or deadly,” another customer said.
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Sonic is not the only fast food restaurant to be making the wrong kind of headlines recently, joining Arby’s after a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-investigating-suspicous-death-after-dead-body-found-in-arbys-freezer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dead body was found</a> in a walk-in freezer in Louisiana.
The body <a href="https://www.theadvocate.com/acadiana/news/crime_police/body-found-in-new-iberia-arbys-freezer-identified/article_326388b4-f4da-11ed-80ed-df6385d8c9d1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">belonged</a> to 63-year-old Nguyet Le, a manager of an Arby’s restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana, and the death is believed to have been an accident, according to police.
“A situation like this is unusual, so we’re taking extra precautions during the investigation,” New Iberia Police Captain Leland Laseter said. “[We] pretty much have completed our process at the crime scene. After completely processing the crime scene … this does not seem like a homicide, it seems like an accident.”
Laseter acknowledged that the death did seem “suspicious,” but said police had not yet uncovered any evidence of “foul play.” He added that “nothing is set in stone” and said that they were still waiting for medical examiners to determine the cause of death.
“We’re going to re-examine all the evidence tomorrow and they’re going to conduct an autopsy to give us the cause and manner of death. So there are a few more steps that we need to take before a [final] determination is made,” he said.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-investigating-suspicous-death-after-dead-body-found-in-arbys-freezer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police Investigating ‘Suspicious Death’ After Dead Body Found In Arby’s Freezer</a>

Inspire Brands Inc To Acquire Sonic Restaurant Chain For $2.3 Billion

Sonic Employee Arrested After Cocaine Ends Up On Customer’s Hot Dog: Police

Sonic Employee Arrested After Cocaine Ends Up On Customer's Hot Dog: Police

Cocaine

Crime

Drugs

New Mexico

Wendy’s announced on Thursday that the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/business" target="_blank" rel="noopener">company</a> will test a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/robots" target="_blank" rel="noopener">robotic</a> system to deliver orders underground from its kitchens to distinct parking spots outside of its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">restaurants</a>, a move which comes as the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/food" target="_blank" rel="noopener">food</a> services sector turns toward automation in response to labor <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shortages</a>.
The firm will partner with hyperlogistics company Pipedream, which created a <a href="https://www.pipedreamlabs.co/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">system</a> through which entities such as restaurants, retailers, grocery stores, and warehouses can immediately transport goods to waiting customers in order to streamline digital pickups. The technology, which the company plans to implement in an existing location later this year, will connect to the kitchen and transport orders underground with a robot to portals in the parking lot outside of the restaurant.
&#8220;We know that serving orders quickly and accurately leads to increased customer satisfaction,&#8221; Wendy’s COO Deepak Ajmani said in a <a href="https://www.irwendys.com/news/news-details/2023/Wendys-Partners-with-Pipedream-to-Pilot-Industry-First-Underground-Delivery-System-for-Mobile-Orders/default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">press release</a>. &#8220;Pipedream&#8217;s Instant Pickup system has the potential to unlock greater mobile order speed of service and accuracy, enabling us to consistently deliver hot and fresh Wendy&#8217;s products to our fans.&#8221;
Wendy’s added that customers will not have to leave their cars in order to receive their food, significantly increasing efficiency for restaurant workers.
&#8220;We&#8217;re proud to partner with an iconic, innovative brand like Wendy&#8217;s to bring the future of mobile order pick-up to the quick service industry,&#8221; Pipedream CEO Garrett McCurrach said in the release. &#8220;By solving order handoff, the final leg of the digital experience, our Instant Pickup technology allows Wendy&#8217;s restaurant team members to focus on what matters: serving delicious, high-quality food and connecting with customers in this digital-first world.&#8221;
The move from Wendy’s comes as labor shortages persist after the lockdown-induced recession: there are nearly two open positions for every unemployed individual in the United States, according to <a href="https://www.bls.gov/charts/job-openings-and-labor-turnover/unemp-per-job-opening.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, increasing costs for businesses and contributing to inflation as companies hike wages to attract and retain employees.
Other quick service restaurants have turned toward artificial intelligence to increase operational efficiency in light of the worker shortages. Fast food chains Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/two-fast-food-chains-will-roll-out-ai-drive-thru-technology" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> earlier this month that the brands would use an AI voice ordering platform developed by OpenCity in their drive-thru systems at select locations across the country, a move which is expected to increase “order accuracy” and cause “significant impact to labor efficiencies.”
Customers who arrive at drive-thru lines can place their orders through a “digital interaction” with the system before they pay an employee for their meal, likewise allowing workers to “focus more on providing better customer service and preparing timely and freshly made orders.”
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McDonald’s has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-partners-with-ibm-to-automate-drive-thrus-as-labor-shortages-persist" target="_blank" rel="noopener">partnered</a> with IBM to automate drive-thrus and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mcdonalds-is-testing-voice-automated-drive-thrus-in-wake-of-15-minimum-wage-proposals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unveiled</a> voice-ordering technology at multiple Chicago restaurants two years ago after purchasing several AI startups, while Chipotle <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-passed-a-new-minimum-wage-bill-now-chipotle-is-testing-a-robotic-chip-maker" target="_blank" rel="noopener">introduced</a> a robotic chip machine in California after state lawmakers passed a bill to create a council with authority to raise fast food minimum wages.
Broader debate over AI and automation largely centers on the potential labor market impacts from the nascent technology. Even as some analysts <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/colossal-share-of-american-jobs-could-be-replaced-by-ai-new-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">forecast</a> that the sector could eliminate as many as 7% of positions in the United States, others note that the systems <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-how-much-more-efficient-ai-makes-the-average-worker-study" target="_blank" rel="noopener">render</a> individual workers considerably more productive, implying avenues for economic growth and more opportunities for creative work as rote elements within many professions are automated.

Wendy’s Restaurant

Fast Food Chain Will Use Underground Robots To Deliver Orders In Parking Lot

Fast Food Chain Will Use Underground Robots To Deliver Orders

Artificial Intelligence

Jobs

Robots

A dead body was found in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/restaurant" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arby’s</a> walk-in freezer in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/louisiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Louisiana</a> this week, prompting an investigation from police. 
The body belonged to a manager of an Arby’s restaurant in New Iberia, Louisiana, and the death is believed to be an accident, according to police. The body was found around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. 
“So it was an employee that discovered the female deceased inside the cooler, [and] the deceased is an employee of the restaurant,” New Iberia Police Captain Leland Laseter, the head of criminal investigations, <a href="https://www.kadn.com/news/investigator-tells-news-15-body-found-in-new-iberia-arbys-freezer-was-woman-employee-death/article_d18e8d96-f087-11ed-959d-637ff39f180a.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> KADN News 15.
“A situation like this is unusual, so we’re taking extra precautions during the investigation,&#8221; Laseter added. &#8220;[We] pretty much have completed our process at the crime scene. After completely processing the crime scene &#8230; this does not seem like a homicide, it seems like an accident.”
Laseter acknowledged that the death did seem “suspicious” but said police had not yet uncovered any evidence of “foul play.” He added that “nothing is set in stone” and said that they were still waiting for medical examiners to determine the cause of death. 
“We&#8217;re going to re-examine all the evidence tomorrow and they&#8217;re going to conduct an autopsy to give us the cause and manner of death. So there are a few more steps that we need to take before a [final] determination is made,” he said. 
The woman’s name has not yet been released. 
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Arby’s responded to the news by releasing a <a href="https://www.wafb.com/2023/05/12/body-found-freezer-new-iberia-arbys-was-employee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> saying that it would be cooperating with police and deferring any comment to investigators. 
“We are aware of the incident that took place at our franchised location in New Iberia, LA,” the statement said. &#8220;The franchisee is cooperating fully with local authorities as they conduct their investigation. Due to this being an active investigation, we defer any further comment to the police department.&#8221;
New Iberia, a city of around 28,000, is located in the southern portion of the state, not far from Lafayette. 
Last year, an Arby’s in Washington also earned unwanted attention after police said that they discovered videos of a night manager urinating in in milkshake mix. Police were investigating the man on suspicion of obtaining and distributing child pornography. 
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/police-investigating-arbys-manager-for-child-porn-find-video-of-him-peeing-in-milkshake-mix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Police Investigating Arby’s Manager For Child Porn Find Video Of Him Peeing In Milkshake Mix</a>

An Arby’s Restaurant In Dawsonville, Georgia

Police Investigating ‘Suspicious Death’ After Dead Body Found In Arby’s Freezer

Death

Louisiana

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