In this Weekly Wrap, we’re looking at Starbucks workers strike in NYC, an executive order for food supply chain security task forces, how diners are feeling about sustainability, and more.
Starbucks NYC Strike
The Headline: “Starbucks Workers United holds rally in NYC as strikes continue for a third week”
The Source: CNBC
What You Need to Know:
Baristas launched the strike on Starbucks Red Cup Day last month, seeking new proposals from the company that address its top issues to finalize a contract. Those include improved hours, higher wages and the resolution of hundreds of unfair labor practice charges levied against Starbucks.
Out of the 145 locations involved in the strike, 55 remain closed, according to a company spokesperson.
The two parties have not been in active negotiations to reach a contract after talks between them fell apart late last year. The strikes have not changed that fact so far.
While the strike has injected uncertainty into Starbucks’ busy holiday season, the company has said its sales haven’t been affected. CEO Brian Niccol told employees that Red Cup Day was its strongest in history.
A successful holiday season will be key to the chain’s turnaround under Niccol. Starbucks broke a nearly two-year streak of same-store sales declines in its most recently reported quarter. Past strikes have impacted less than 1% of its stores, the company said.
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The city’s Department of Consumer and Worker Protection found Starbucks committed half a million violations of the law since 2021. The Fair Workweek law requires regular scheduling week to week, mandates schedules be provided 14 days in advance and says hours cannot be reduced by more than 15% without legitimate business reasons.
Our Take:
Pay close attention to how this plays out and learn from it.
Something as simple as getting schedules out on time can become a massive sticking point for employees. They are not at your beck and call. Give your team time to plan their lives. A schedule coming out three days before the week starts does not allow anyone to prepare. Some will argue that an employee’s personal scheduling is not the operator’s problem, but telling someone they are suddenly working a day they normally do not work and may not even have childcare for is just bad business. You do not need to bend over backwards, and sometimes requests will not be possible, but you do need to be considerate and give your staff enough time to plan.
It is simple. Treat your employees right. If you do not, and you are big enough, you run the risk of drawing their ire and, if the conditions are right, opening the door for a union. Unions serve an important purpose in the United States, but they can also wreak havoc on a restaurant’s ecosystem and overall viability. This situation is a perfect storm. Starbucks is a massive company and full restaurant strikes are rare, but it is still a wake up call for large unit operators.
Be thoughtful with your team. While you most likely will not find yourself facing a strike, word tends to get out about a restaurant’s culture. You could very well find it difficult to hire in the future.
Picklemania
The Headline: “The era of the pickle is upon us”
The Source: Business Insider
What You Need to Know:
An influx of pickle-flavored foods, from potato chips to beef jerky to pickle juice slushies, has reached a new peak with the launch of McDonald's new seasonal Grinch meal, which features a packet of neon-green "Merry Pickle" dill-flavored seasoning meant to be shaken over the brand's iconic fries.
And it's only the latest clue that the country is in its pickle era.
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"The pickle era just continues to grow across all different types of products, and we're seeing more and more innovation," Michael Della Penna, the chief strategy officer at the digital advertising research firm InMarket, told Business Insider.
Pickle consumption is on the rise around the country. Virtue Market Research estimates the North American pickle market was valued at $12.42 billion in 2023 and is forecast to reach $15.27 billion by the end of 2030.
Consumer trends tracked by Yelp have found that searches for "pickle store" have increased by more than 7,500% over the past five years — and by over 55% since July 2024. Searches are also up for more niche items, like "pickle martinis," which have increased by 633% over the last five years, and "pickle restaurant" — up 32% in the last year.
More than a third of US restaurants now offer dishes with pickles on their menus, Tastewise, a consumer data platform for the food and beverage industry, reports, and social media conversations about pickles — like those touting the flavor combination of Twix with pickles — have increased by 11.49% year-over-year, suggesting continued interest in the sour and salty snacks.
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And the craze extends far beyond restaurants: grocery aisles are packed with pickle-flavored popcorn, pretzels, hummus, seltzers, and even Van Leeuwen's dill pickle ice cream, while pickle festivals across the country have seen record attendance.
"The pickle flavor profile is going to continue to grow, because it has so many unique combinations: from sour to salty and spicy, which allows a very wide spectrum of not only product adaptations, but flavor profiles within those products by mixing those elements in different ways," Della Penna said, adding that the pickle boom is being driven largely by Gen Z, who gravitate toward strong, sour flavors and foods that lend themselves to viral moments.
Our Take:
I am all about pickled items: onions, a pickleback shot, pickles on my chicken sandwich. But the idea of pickle popcorn, pickle seltzer, or pickle ice cream just sounds vile. But to each his own.
There are certain items where pickles make complete sense — burgers and sandwiches, pickled veggie appetizers in bars. Many of the other items are most likely best left for limited time offers. If one of those items becomes a smash hit and you are selling out in droves, then consider making it permanent. But like many food fads before it, the pickle wave will most likely fade, with only a few mainstream applications sticking around. Those are the exceptions, not the rule. I do not see the masses clamoring for pickle ice cream on menus for the long term.
Food Supply Task Force
The Headline: “Trump signs order to create food supply chain task forces to protect competition.”
The Source: Reuters
What You Need to Know:
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to establish food supply chain security task forces in the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to address risks from price fixing and anti-competitive behavior, the White House said on Saturday.
"My Administration will act to determine whether anti-competitive behavior, especially by foreign-controlled companies, increases the cost of living for Americans and address any associated national security threat to food supply chains," Trump said in the order.
The attorney general and the FTC chairman may bring enforcement actions and propose new regulatory approaches if they uncover anti-competitive behavior during the investigation, according to the order.
Our Take:
Given what we have seen from this administration on policy, I wouldn’t hold my breath on this doing much to fix the food supply chain. The administration’s current handling of the beef situation and the devastating impact that tariffs are having on the farming industry are a clear sign that any enforcement or effect could very well backfire.
Who knows, maybe they’ll bring “big food” to its knees. The only thing certain with current policy in this country is its uncertainty.
Sustainability No Longer at the Forefront of Diners’ Minds
The Headline: “Sustainability still matters to restaurant customers, but not as much as before”
The Source: Restaurant Business Online
What You Need to Know:
Five years ago, consumers considered sustainability and social responsibility important factors in choosing a restaurant. That was true around the world and applied to both fast-food and full-service spots. Not so much now, according to Technomic.
In a recent Global Foodservice Navigator report, Technomic found that 80% of consumers put “overall value for the money” at the top of their lists for limited-service restaurants, and 79% do the same for full-service eateries, while “socially responsible initiatives” came in next to last, at 56% and 55% respectively.
Socially responsible initiatives include recycling, waste reduction, charitable contributions, and the like. But in addition to monetary value, friendly service, convenient location, atmosphere and low prices all beat out these initiatives in 2025.
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Environmentally-friendly packaging that’s recyclable or compostable is catching on in the U.S., but it’s more prevalent in other parts of the globe—even among American brands. In South Korean locations, McDonald’s is rolling out to-go cups and lids for ice cream made of recycled plastic bottles and switched to eco-friendly tableware in Singapore, according to the Technomic report.
Our Take:
Sustainability, organics, and eco consciousness are important to people, but so is simply being able to afford to go out and eat. So while people may preach to the choir about what they put in their bodies, it often goes out the window when it becomes unaffordable.
I am all for social and eco consciousness in restaurants. I tend to frequent places that put sustainability at the forefront of their ethos, especially when it comes to wine. I am a huge proponent of minimal intervention and organics when possible. But there are limits. Sometimes it is just easier and cheaper to eat at other places, and many of those establishments do not put the same focus on these mentalities.
Organic food is generally more expensive and many Americans are feeling the pinch. People go where the value is. If the social and eco aspects are there as well, that is great, but it is rarely the sole reason anyone chooses a restaurant.
Affordability is important, sustainability is as well, operators need to balance these two things and at times may need to decide what will keep people coming in the door. On one hand, increased prices may push some guests away, but a shift in ethos could have the same effect on a loyal clientele. There is no right answer, but operators ultimately need to weigh the options and decide for themselves.