Joanna Fantozzi - 10 Minutes News for Hoteliers - Page 5

2 min

How José Andrés Group’s CEO is taking the company into a new era

🍴 José Andrés Group appointed Sam Bakhshandehpour as CEO over a year ago. The group operates 45 restaurants and plans to expand in the Western U.S. and the Middle East, particularly in Arizona, Southern California, Nevada, Colorado, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Focus areas include the Bazaar meat concept, Zaytinya, and a new concept. Expansion will emphasize hotel partnerships and licensing the José Andrés name, targeting secondary markets near Las Vegas.

2 min

President Trump signs final version of tax bill into law

💰 President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill” into law on July 4th, 2025. The Senate and House passed the bill on July 1st and 3rd, respectively. Key features include $25,000 tax deductions for tipped workers and $12,500 for overtime, effective until 2028. A permanent 20% business income deduction reduces taxes for many restaurants from 37% to 29.6%. The law allows 100% deduction of equipment purchase costs immediately. The restaurant industry generates $1.4 trillion annually, employing over 15 million people.

2 min

Senate version of Trump’s tax bill passes with ‘No Tax on Tips’ and business income deduction

💰 U.S. Senate passed President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill on Tuesday with a 51-50 vote. The bill includes eliminating tax on tips and making the 20% business income deduction permanent. It will return to the U.S. House for reconciliation. Key provisions are a $25,000 cap deduction on tips for workers earning up to $150,000, and a $12,500 deduction cap on overtime pay. Both bills propose permanent paid family leave credit and increase the employer-provided childcare credit to 40%.

3 min

Inside one restaurant’s journey to becoming plastic-free

🍳 Korean fine-dining restaurant Shia in Washington, D.C., aims to go plastic-free since November 2024. Over seven months, they eliminated 229-351 kg of plastic waste. The report, in partnership with OpenTable, suggests alternatives like muslin fabric, beeswax, and reusable containers. Transition costs are initially higher but decrease over time. Shia plans to release a financial report after one year to inspire sustainable practices across the restaurant industry.

1 min

Solidarity Restaurants organization relaunches as advocate for immigrants and worker protections

📖 Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry for over seven years. She has degrees from The College of New Jersey and CUNY. Her career includes roles at Insider and The Daily Meal, with contributions to The New York Times and Forbes. Since 2018, she's been with Informa, progressing from Assistant Editor to Senior Editor, and moderating industry events like MUFSO and Restaurants Rise.

1 min

Look Who’s Franchising Now: Summer 2025 Edition

📑 Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor at Nation’s Restaurant News, has over seven years in the restaurant and hospitality industry. She holds an English literature and creative writing bachelor's from The College of New Jersey and a master's in arts and culture journalism from CUNY. Since 2018, she has been with Informa's Restaurants and Food Group. Her career includes roles at Insider and The Daily Meal, with work published in The New York Times and Forbes.

3 min

Tracking Trump’s immigration timeline: What restaurant operators should know

🚩 President Donald Trump, in his second term starting January 2025, initiated significant immigration crackdowns affecting the restaurant industry with about one million undocumented workers. On January 20, Trump declared a national emergency at the Southern border and signed orders impacting birthright citizenship. By January 25, ICE arrests were ordered to rise to 1,200-1,500 daily. On June 16, DHS reversed pauses on enforcement in agricultural, hotel, and restaurant sectors, maintaining a daily arrest quota of 3,000.

1 min

Las Vegas nightclub spot Drai’s opens New York City supper club

📰 Joanna Fantozzi, with over 7 years in the restaurant industry, is the Senior Editor at Informa's Restaurant & Food Group since August 2021. From 2018-2021, she progressed from Assistant to Associate Editor. Her education includes a BA from The College of New Jersey and an MA from CUNY. Joanna has written for The New York Times, Forbes, and more, and moderates industry events like MUFSO. Her expertise covers restaurant news and cultural issues.

2 min

President Trump directs ICE to pause immigration raids on restaurants

📈 Last week, Donald Trump stated immigration policy changes are imminent, pausing enforcement in sectors like agriculture and hospitality. On Thursday, ICE senior official Tatum King directed a halt on related operations. About 1 million undocumented immigrants work in restaurants, a sector facing workforce gaps. Texas Restaurant Association seeks immigrant labor to address shortages. On Sunday, Trump suggested stricter enforcement in Democrat-led cities. The Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not comment.

2 min

How Denver’s first Black-owned seafood restaurant became a viral TikTok sensation

🍤 Tyler Kanwai, owner of TK Surf & Turf Kitchen, Denver's first Black-owned seafood restaurant, saw a 300-400% business increase after a 2021 TikTok review garnered 1 million views. Opening in October 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant honors victims of social injustice. Kanwai's culinary passion started at age five in Colorado. Now, TK's content strategy includes viral TikTok trends, with a recent post reaching 50,000 views. The restaurant's fame attracts customers globally.

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