Pot is ruining Denver’s restaurant industry

Pot is ruining Denver’s restaurant industry

By Fox News

April 1, 2017 | 5:50pm
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY:

https://thenypost.files.wordpress.co...trip=all&w=142
Ohio mom reportedly finds deep-fried marijuana in daughter's french fries


The population of Denver has been steadily growing over the past few years, but not enough of its new inhabitants want to work in the restaurant industry.

The reason? The higher-paying jobs are in weed, man.

New eateries are popping up all over Denver to meet the increased demand of residents and tourists, but restaurant owners claim they’re having a hard time filling their kitchens with able-bodied workers, Bloomberg reports.

“Our work force is being drained by the pot industry,” Denver restaurateur Bryan Dayton told the site.

“Enter the weed business, which pays $22 an hour with full benefits,” added Dayton. “You can come work in a kitchen for (me) for eight hours a day, in a hot kitchen. It’s a stressful life. Or you can go sort weed in a climate-controlled greenhouse. It’s a pretty obvious choice.”

So why don’t restaurant owners just pay a little more? Quite simply, the marijuana industry can generally afford to pay workers at various levels much higher wages, they argue.

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In 2016 alone, Fortune reports that the Colorado marijuana industry brought in over $1 billion in revenue — as well as $150 million in tax revenue for the state — but dispensaries and growhouses don’t have the same kinds of margins or overhead as the dining industry, say restaurateurs.

“If you make 10 percent profit in the restaurant business, you are in the hall of fame as a great operator,” explained award-winning sommelier and Denver restaurateur Bobby Stuckey to Bloomberg.

“Compare that to most other businesses — and presumably the legal pot industry — where if you did 20 percent profit, you would be fired.”

Stuckey, too, claimed that marijuana dispensaries — which supply strong strains of pot and THC-infused edibles — are largely responsible for a 2 percent decline in alcohol sales at his restaurants, as patrons are choosing to get high instead of drink.

But lucrative paychecks may not be the sole reason Denver’s waitstaffs are leaving for greener pastures. Bakers and pastry chefs are seeing new opportunities in the edible pot industry, says Jennifer Jasinski, who owns multiple eateries in the city.

“Laced candies and gummy bears are sought-after treats when they are made well, so pastry chefs and cooks can make them for three to four times the money a restaurant can pay,” Jasinski told Bloomberg.

On the other hand, Eater cites a study from The Oregonian which found that dispensary employees in Oregon, where recreational marijuana was legalized in 2015, earned an average of $21,000 per year in 2016, or “well below the average annual wage in Oregon,” according to economist Josh Lehner of the Oregon Office of Economic Analysis.

Whatever the reason for Denver’s dilemma, Dayton told Bloomberg that there is a small silver lining to the cloud of marijuana smoke that’s hanging over his restaurants: More tourists are suffering from an acute case of the munchies.

http://nypost.com/2017/04/01/pot-is-...rant-industry/

Knowing restaurant owners - CHEAP, CHEAP, pay one qualified person for the 10 illegals you are now paying under the table. Your liquor profits, let alone your high price cuisine, should pay you decently - stop crying the blues, game over.

Around 60 percent of new restaurants fail within the first year. And nearly 80 percent shutter before their fifth anniversary.

Often, the No. 1 reason is simply location — and the general lack of self-awareness that you have no business actually being in that location.
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The No. 1 thing to consider before opening a restaurant

Jarrett Bellini | @JarrettBellini
Tuesday, 15 Mar 2016 | 5:00 AM ET

http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc...g?v=1457732290
For new restaurants, waiting is the hardest part

The restaurant business is not for the faint of heart ... or stomach. They have a high failure rate, but knowing why can help prospective owners avoid a similar fate.

Around 60 percent of new restaurants fail within the first year. And nearly 80 percent shutter before their fifth anniversary.

Often, the No. 1 reason is simply location — and the general lack of self-awareness that you have no business actually being in that location.

http://fm.cnbc.com/applications/cnbc...g?v=1457978614Maskot | Getty Images

Unfortunately, that hip new part of town with cool shops and lots of foot traffic also comes with a price tag. And while it might be nice to sell meatballs right in the heart of everything, those meatballs had better be spectacular. Because the landlord doesn't care if it's your grandmother's recipe. The landlord cares about rent — specifically that you pay it.

Location is just one of many reasons why the restaurant business is not for the faint of heart. And though it may arguably be the most serious concern, it's just one more thing piled on to a mountain of obstacles that includes low start-up capital, inconsistent food and poor staffing.

Really, the list goes on and on, and it's been that way since forever. But there's also a very modern concern: technology.

It used to be that a restaurant could open fairly quietly. You had time to work out the menu and staffing issues, relative obscurity to find your voice and style, and months of experience to adequately adjust the flow and feel of the front and back of the house.

Now, you're one bad lasagna away from wallowing in the depths of Yelp hell. And in a world where buzz is everything, nothing spells trouble like the buzz of bad service and dodgy lasagna.

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/20/heres...ants-fail.html

Wow, $22 an hour plus benefits working in a weed greenhouse. Wonderful!! GO AMERICA GO!! Yes, "eateries", we're sick and tired of subsidizing your workers with Medicaid and Food Stamps and HUD Housing, and on and on and on, pay your workers real money, with real benefits or shut up and close down. You've been abusing your workers for decades and when Americans said, "no more", you cheated and went out and hired illegal aliens. And then you decided to steal their tips. Yeah, instead of paying your cooks and dishwashers enough, you decided to ration out the waiters and waitresses tips. You need to raise your standards, raise your pay, and stop being stupid. Clean up your act or get out the way so someone else who knows what to do, how to do it, can get in there and do it.

Oh and let me tell you, when you wanted to go to higher pay instead of tips, boy oh boy, did that backfire on you? Yeah, restaurants closed all over the place because that grand stupidity. When your food sucks, your service sucks, and yes often your location sucks because there isn't enough parking or atmosphere at your cheap location, you won't have very many customers.

Why marijuana is still banned at Coachella, even though it’s now legal in California

http://image.presstelegram.com/story...h=400&maxw=667Chromeo performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in 2016. Organizers at the festival in Indio say come for the music, not for the marijuana.

The drug, although approved by California voters in 2016 for recreation use, is banned from the grounds. File Photo by David Hall, contributing photographer

By Brian Rokos, The Press-Enterprise
POSTED: 04/02/17, 3:11 PM PDT | UPDATED: 48 SECS AGO
0 COMMENTS

http://image.presstelegram.com/story...h=400&maxw=667A woman carries a flag bearing marijuana symbols at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Club in Indio April 12, 2014. .DAVID MCNEW/AFP/Getty Images

Sorry, bro.
Yes, the new state law allows you to smoke marijuana on private property and possess about an ounce of weed if you are at least 21.

And yes, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is being held on private property, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio.

But no, even though marijuana and concerts are as synonymous as brownies and milk, you cannot bring marijuana to the concerts set for April 14-16 and April 21-23.

It’s not against the law, but it is against the policy set forth by concert promoter Goldenvoice.

• Related Story: Going to the Coachella or Stagecoach? Beware of these Indio road closures

Indio police Sgt. Dan Marshall explained the cage battle between law and policy this way:

“The promoter has a standing right to the property, and they can determine what can and cannot be brought onto the premises,” Marshall said. “(For instance) you have the right to bear arms, but you don’t have the right to bear arms in my house.”

So we direct you to the concert website, Coachella.com, where it says drugs are not allowed (some non-marijuana prescriptions are OK) and answers this frequently asked question:

“I have a medical marijuana card and need to medicate daily … cool?”

“Sorry bro. Medical marijuana cards are not valid at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival. Even in 2017 and beyond. If that changes so will this answer.”

Security will place “amnesty boxes” at the entrances where concertgoers who forgot they have that marijuana or meth stash in their backpacks can deposit their contraband, no questions asked.

• Related Story: Your Coachella 2017 packing list should include these 9 things

Police would appreciate it if you didn’t try to steal the amnesty boxes.

State laws on drug possession will be enforced inside the gates, Marshall added. But for anyone who overdoses, the emphasis will be on getting him medical attention and not busting him or his friends, Marshall said.

GETTING AROUND THE LAW

State marijuana laws also say that pot can’t be smoked in a public place. But what is a public place? A concert with tens of thousands of fans on private property? That’s a question for lawyers, Marshall said.

In Colorado, where in 2012 possession and consumption of marijuana in private were legalized for people at least 21 years old, lawyers are used to dealing with this question.

The Colorado Symphony Orchestra thought allowing patrons to smoke marijuana at its performances would increase ticket sales. So it created a cannabis-themed concert series. Problem was, the Denver city attorney said the concert venue was a public place even though a ticket was required and wanted the symphony to cancel.

Symphony officials were able to strike a deal with the city attorney, however, to stage the concerts by making them invitation-only, rather than open to ticket buyers.

• Related Story: What is Coachella? And other questions you’re too embarrassed to ask

That seems to be the tactic being taken by some Coachella-area entrepreneurs.

Get Lit, to be held at a “secret location” in Indio, is a free event with music, food and pot open to festivalgoers with wristbands who must register on the Get Lit website in advance.

“This 3-day event will feature some of SoCal’s finest cannabis companies who will be bringing their best buds, edibles and products to patients who want to medicate in a safe, fun environment,” the website says

Doors will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and again 10 p.m. to 4 a.m.

• Related Story: From music to fashion to preparation, more Coachella coverage

Then there’s the blowout that TMZ says is being staged for “VIP guests” by Weedmaps, a mapping service that helps people find marijuana dispensaries and doctors who prescribe it.

The compound, as it is described, will feature two grow houses and five geodesic domes where different strains can be tested.

“So clearly organizers are trying to entice some Coachella-goers to in-house shop, although all weed products are being given away, not sold,” TMZ says.

CALIFORNIA MARIJUANA LAWS

ALLOWED
• Smoking marijuana in a private home or at a business licensed for on-site marijuana consumption.
• Possession of up to 28.5 grams (about one ounce) of marijuana and up to 8 grams of concentrated marijuana (such as hash).
• Growing up to six marijuana plants and keeping the marijuana produced by the plants within a private home.
• Giving away to other adults up to 28.5 grams of marijuana and up to 8 grams of concentrated marijuana.

NOT ALLOWED
• Smoking marijuana (1) while driving a car, (2) in any public place (other than at a business licensed for on-site consumption), or (3) anywhere that smoking tobacco is prohibited.
• Possession of marijuana on the grounds of a school, day care center, or youth center while children are present.
• Growing in an area that is unlocked or visible from a public place.
• Providing marijuana to minors under the age of 21 for nonmedical use.
SOURCE: California Secretary of State website

http://www.presstelegram.com/events/...-in-california

Restaurant owners are usually independent businessmen.women unless some kind of chain or franchise - it is their show, they create the concept they think will bring customers, profits. Waiters & bartenders are paid extremely low minimum wages and have to report tips to the irs. Tough to work for $3hr if it is pouring raining and the place is empty. The BOH is overflowing with illegals, I've seen pizza shops that would normally hire a couple of American workers have 10 illegals instead, they must be working for a very low wage.

Unless you are out in the middle of nowhere and the only game in town, location, menu, quality, service, atmosphere and who you know for word of mouth, money for ads determines how well you do.

This is dated Mar 28, 2016 so where it says "next year" it's now.


The California minimum wage increase: What it would mean for restaurants and your dinner bill

Jenn Harris Contact Reporter
Mar 28, 2016


The ongoing debate over tipping, service charges and the minimum wage for restaurant employees has been a much talked about subject in the Los Angeles dining scene for quite some time now. But the issue came to a head Thursday when the state Legislature approved a plan to increase the minimum wage in California from $10 an hour to $10.50 next year and incrementally to $15 an hour by 2022.

According to a document obtained by The Times, businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply with the $15 an hour rate.

What does this mean for restaurant owners and diners? Here's a look at the facts.

How will this affect tipping?

Restaurants in California are not allowed to count an employee's tip credit toward overall wages. So servers and other front-of-the-house employees who receive tips will continue to receive tips, as well as the increase in their hourly pay. This could further widen the pay gap between front-of-house employees and those back-of-house workers who generally do not receive tips.

Will dinner be more expensive?
In Los Angeles, the Bel-Air Bar + Grill announced it will increase menu prices, eliminate tipping and increase employee wages.

It "allows us to offer our entire staff a fair, living wage," the restaurant said in a recent Times article.

And in Culver City, Bar Nine coffee shop and roaster has eliminated tipping and increased the price of most drinks by 50 cents.

Nationally, some restaurants are doing away with tipping and adopting an all-inclusive model to provide higher wages for employees. Among them is New York-based chef Danny Meyer (Shake Shack, Gramercy Tavern). He raised menu prices to compensate for the employee pay increase.

In a recent essay, Evan Kleiman, who ran Angeli Caffe in Los Angeles for 27 years and is the longtime host of KCRW's "Good Food," advocated for doing away with tipping in favor of all-inclusive pricing.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-56f84c27/t...27/300/300x169
Some restaurants face pressure to trim menus and staffs under California's wage hike

What about service charges?
Some Los Angeles restaurants, including Jon & Vinny's, Trois Mec and Petit Trois, have implemented mandatory service charges. Employers own the revenue generated from this charge and are not required to share it with employees. Most restaurants with a service charge will make clear on the customer bill where the revenue from the service charge will go. Diners are free to leave tips on top of the service charge, or not.

This led to confusion at Andy Ricker's Pok Pok in Chinatown, where customers ended up mistaking the charge for the total tip or not leaving as much as they normally would. Ricker eventually eliminated the 5% service charge.

http://www.trbimg.com/img-56a283df/t...23/300/300x169
FAQ: Everything you wanted to know about tipping

How is this working elsewhere?
In New York City, the minimum wage will increase to $15 by 2018.

Seattle has already increased its minimum wage from $9.50 to $11 an hour, and businesses with 500 or more employees will need to further increase the minimum wage to $15 an hour by next year.

In San Francisco, the minimum wage has been increased from $11.05% to $12.25 and will reach $15 an hour by 2018.

In some of these cities, it's too early to tell how the wage increase will affect jobs and restaurant prices. But in Seattle, there are reports of restaurants raising prices by more than 20%.

Ivar's Salmon House in Seattle decided to start paying its employees $15 an hour ahead of the required time frame and has already raised its prices by 21%.

A report by the American Action Forum, a group that identifies itself as a "center-right" policy institute, suggests growth in the rate of restaurant employment in cities that raised their minimum wage last year is down when compared to other cities in the same state.

The report found that the number of restaurant employees in Seattle has grown .6% while the growth rate in the rest of the state is 6%.

The Seattle Times spoke with restaurant owners who recently announced closures in Seattle, but they all claimed the closures are unrelated to the minimum wage increase.

http://www.latimes.com/food/dailydis...328-story.html

waiters, bartenders and illegals under the table do not get minimum wage. @$3hr - each state/territory has its own deal.

San Diego minimum wage is $11.50

Earned Sick Leave:
Employers must provide each employee earned sick leave. Employees must accrue no less than one (1) hour of earned sick leave for every thirty (30) hours worked within the geographic boundaries of the City.

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Security will place “amnesty boxes” at the entrances where concertgoers who forgot they have that marijuana or meth stash in their backpacks can deposit their contraband, no questions asked.

Police would appreciate it if you didn’t try to steal the amnesty boxes.

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LOL!! Now that's funny!!!