In September 2023, California passed a $20 an-hour minimum wage increase, which had an immediate chilling effect over fast food and fast casual chain dining. Many of these restaurants upped their already increased prices; some fired staff — like Pizza Hut did with its delivery drivers — and moved to more self-serve and robot checkout. Some are even closing locations.
Unless you’re Panera Bread. In California, Greg Flynn owns multiple Panera Bread chains in the state. Flynn also happens to be a “friend” of California Governor Gavin Newsom. You do the math.
California’s new $20 minimum wage rule will exempt restaurants that sell bread, handing a lucrative break on wages to the Panera chain and one of Governor Gavin Newsom’s longtime allies https://t.co/fvC7QCfTla
— Bloomberg Markets (@markets) February 28, 2024
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law that exempts Panera…
