The Daily Dish: March 2, 2016

Today's first course...

Court Ruling Holds Important Implications for Tip Pooling

The latest in the struggle to find a compensation system that satisfies workers at all levels of the restaurant service industry is a court ruling in the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding tip pooling. A three-judge panel ruled two to one in favor of upholding U.S. Department of Labor regulations limiting tip pools to front of house workers who customarily receive tips. What does this mean exactly? Well, kitchen staff and other back of house workers are no longer able to receive a portion of tip pools. This presents an issue for restaurant operators who rely on tip sharing to help bridge the wage gap between front and back of house workers. Restaurants affected by the ruling are those in states that don't allow a tip credit and fall within the Ninth Circuit. This includes California, Washington, Oregon, Alaska, Nevada, and Montana.

First Unstaffed Food Store Opens in Sweden: All You Need Is Your Smart Phone

At one convenience store in Sweden, things may seem quiet... too quiet. That's because there are no employees working at the newly-opened 24-hour food and convenience store in a tiny town called Vilken. Instead, customers download an app to unlock the store's door and swipe on their smartphones to scan barcodes and check out their purchases. The store is stocked with basic goods like milk, bread, eggs, and sugar, as well as diapers, canned products, and snacks. The biggest challenge has been getting the town's numerous elderly residents used to the technology. The store's owner is thinking of switching to a credit card reader and fingerprint-reader to open the door in order to make the tech transition easier.

Domino's Ukraine Selling Pizza/Pie Hybrid

Giving new meaning to pizza 'pie,' recently released Domino's Pies being sold in Ukraine combine elements of pizza and pie to create a unique dessert. The pies feature pizza dough crusts and are finished with a latticed top. Domino's Pies come in four flavors: cherry, cottage cheese, poppy seed, and apple. Cherry features a cherry and cinnamon filling; cottage cheese is made with apricot jam layered with vanilla and cottage cheese; poppy seed has a lemon and poppy seed filling; and apple contains an apple, ginger, and cinnamon filling. The pies are being sold for about $5.46 each. 

That's today's Daily Dish, thanks for watching. Stop by tomorrow for another helping