Labor Law and Wage and Hour Trends for Restaurant Operators in 2025

When the decade has ended and monikers have been assigned, it is safe to say that no one will refer to it as the “Roaring 2020s.”  During the first half of the 2020s, restaurants have faced and weathered a litany of defining moments: COVID, supply chain and logistical nightmares, political movements, diversity/inclusion initiatives, changing customer habits and expectations, and legislative initiatives concerning the workplace, all of which have played out in kitchens and dining rooms across the country. The second Trump administration, which commences January 20, 2025, represents another inflection point.  The incoming administration’s statements to date indicate that the industry can expect fundamental changes that will impact the second half of this decade in transformative ways.  

Predicting the future is surely a fool’s errand.  However, there are a number of workplace trends that restaurant owners and operators can expect and for which they should…