California $22/hr fast food law-FAST ACT- excludes Panera

storewanderer
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Re: California $22/hr fast food law-FAST ACT- excludes Panera

Post by storewanderer »

Read the FAST Act legislation and it appears in order for a business to have the bread sales exemption, it must have been selling bread at September 1, 2022. I wonder how new Panera Stores will work- based on how this is written a new Panera would not qualify. Maybe that lobbyist didn't do such a great job after all.

Or I should say, if a new Panera would qualify to be exempt, so would a new (insert name of any other chain) fast food place that decides to bake and sell loaves of bread in store. It does also appear it has to be loaves of bread sold (not biscuits or buns).

I've said for years Subway should sell sub bread in store but the corporate never would promote or advertise it. Some locations would sell it but ring it up as a drink or something similar as they had no button to sell just plain bread. That corporation really screwed its California franchisees hard by not offering a documented legitimate bread sale program as of September 1, 2022.

But even if a business like Panera is able to exempt itself, the business would still need to pay wages consistent/higher than whatever the law calls for. Otherwise the business would not be able to attract or retain employees. But there is a lot more crap in this bill besides just a higher wage that not having to deal with would be very helpful for any chain. But looking at this the only chain I see being able to exempt from this based on the bread sales rule is Panera and Corner Bakery (if there are any left in CA).
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Re: California $22/hr fast food law-FAST ACT- excludes Panera

Post by Brian Lutz »

Ironically, Jimmy Johns has sold day-old bread in their stores for some time now, so would probably be able to claim a back door exemption.
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