cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/12541208

Panera Bread is exempt from following one of California’s newest laws, according to multiple reports. The new law will raise fast-food workers’ minimum wage to $20 per hour and will take effect beginning April 1.

The new law doesn’t recognize places that operate “a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread” as fast food, according to the law’s text.

Why the line was drawn at bread remains unclear.

However, Newsom pushed for the exemption, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg. One of the primary beneficiaries of the exemption is Greg Flynn, a billionaire and longtime Newsom donor who has two dozen Panera Bread locations in California.

    • Seasoned_Greetings@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Depends on what degree the “on site bakery” needs to resemble an actual one.

      I can see mcds adding a glass window with some muffins and calling that a “bakery” just to skirt the law.

      • catloaf@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Subway already bakes cookies. Starbucks bakes a bunch of stuff. I’m sure McDonald’s would be happy to put a single tiny oven to bake their apple pies in each location.

        • deur@feddit.nl
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          1 year ago

          Um… subway also bakes the bread lol. They get the dough in boxes and bake them daily.

          The cookies though, idk about Subway but McDonalds gets them premade and throws them in the oven for a bit.

          • afraid_of_zombies
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            1 year ago

            Baking a loaf once a day isn’t all that hard especially if you just bought a bread maker. This could easily be like the era before internet porn where porn stores would have some regular books in the window.

          • Maggoty
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            1 year ago

            It’s a state law. It’s the definition there that matters.

    • jballs@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      "Sir, I ran the numbers. We can expand the restaurant to add ovens for the bakery to sell fresh bread. It’ll cost us $2,000,000 for the expansion and we’re projecting to lose half a million a year in operating costs. Or we can just pay our dozen employees an extra $2 an hour, making our employees happier, increasing retention rates, reducing training costs, and all in all just being the right thing to do "

      “Good work, Johnson. I want those ovens up and running by Monday.”

    • xenoclast
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      1 year ago

      Ding ding ding. Give this person a fresh pastry.