FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 28, 2022
Contact: Sharokina Shams ▪ 916-431-2749 ▪ sshams@calrest.org

“Food, gas, housing — week after week we’re seeing prices rising across the country for the goods, services and amenities people rely on in their daily lives. AB 257 does nothing to help hard-working California families struggling with these costs, in fact it would only serve to hit their wallets even harder. That’s why the members of the California State Senate Judiciary Committee should consider these points, protect their constituents, and soundly reject this legislation when it’s brought up for a vote today.

In the near term, AB 257 also harms tens of thousands of counter service restaurants. It would impose increased employee costs and onerous new workplace rules at a time when many are still struggling to get back on their feet after the devastating impacts of the government mandated COVID closures. Many restaurants are struggling with labor shortages and increased costs for food and supply chain delays – all while trying desperately to stay afloat. We should be helping this vital sector of our state’s economy keep their doors open, not actively pursuing measures that would kick them closed.The platform offers a wide variety of courses for front of house (FOH) and back of house (BOH) instruction and will complement the many services the CRA already provides to California’s restaurants.

In the long term, AB 257 separately attacks those restaurants that chose to be part of a franchise model. The bill strips franchisees of autonomy and reduces them from independent business owners to corporate middle managers, seriously restricting new entrepreneurs who want to be in business for themselves and benefit from a brand that is already known to the public. The bill also usurps legislative authority for regulating these segments of the restaurant community and effectively empowers a group of 13 political appointees who will be unaccountable and have zero power to enforce California’s worker protection and workplace safety structures – which are already the strongest in the country. 

It is for all these reasons we urge the members of the Judiciary Committee to do the right thing today and reject this deeply flawed measure.”

Jot Condie, President and CEO, California Restaurant Association