California Restaurant Association

Michael Murray, chief marketing officer for restaurant marketing specialists Fishbowl, offers up easy-to-implement strategies to boost restaurant sales even in tough economic times. In this podcast, he shows restaurateurs Web-based marketing tools designed to grow and solidify their customer base. Click here to get In the Know.

Navigating the murky waters of tip pooling has historically proven difficult for many restaurants and recent court rulings surrounding this issue have only made it more tricky. John Boggs, a partner with California-based labor and employment law firm Fine, Boggs & Perkins, discusses the ins and outs of tip pooling at both the state and federal levels. Topics include the types of tip pooling that take place in most restaurants, what employees are entitled to when it comes to tips and the difference between a tip and a service charge. Click here to get In the Know.

CRA President + CEO Jot Condie discusses the ongoing health care issue in California, taking a realistic look at how it will affect the restaurant industry. Condie shares relevant health care challenges, the Governor's failed reform plan and his opinion on what is in store for California over the next couple of years. Click here to get In the Know.

All restaurateurs should be aware of the state + federal hiring and equipment credits that are available to them. Overlooked by a staggering 90 percent of businesses, a wide variety of state and federal employer hiring and equipment credits go unused every year. Tax credits such as these can effectively offset minimum wage and workers' compensation increases, health care costs and a host of other financial burdens. Taking advantage of these credits effectively allows business owners to increase net profits, cash flow and earnings per share. This In the Know podcast will teach listeners how to reap these rewards by providing an overview of available programs and discussing the tools and procedures for documenting valuable tax breaks. Click here to get In the Know.

California labor and employment laws are constantly in flux: Legislature grants new employee rights, regulatory agencies issue new regulations and interpretations of existing statutes, and the court system passes new decisions and opinions. All of these rules and regulations affect how California employers run their businesses and it’s crucial to stay up-to-date on the ever-changing landscape. Here is a review of 2007’s key employment law changes and a look forward at what business owners can expect in 2008 including: more flexibility on meal break implementation for unionized employers, California's covenant “not to compete law” and renewed attempts to pass mandatory health care legislation in California. Click here to get In the Know.

In this podcast, guest John Gay, senior vice president of Government Affairs + Public Policy for the National Restaurant Association, discusses the newest issue facing the restaurant community: immigration. Gay points out relevant workforce challenges, failed Congressional efforts for comprehensive immigration reform and what kind of enforcement can be expected in the next couple of years. Click here to get In the Know.