Sponsored By

California FAST Act goes to a vote after restaurant industry petition gathers one million signatures

The National Restaurant Association and other restaurant industry leaders got enough signatures to hold off the FAST Act until a Nov. 2024 referendum vote

Joanna Fantozzi, Senior Editor

December 5, 2022

2 Min Read
RestaurantHospitality logo in a gray background | RestaurantHospitality

Joanna Fantozzi

The California FAST Act — the controversial legislation passed by the state in Sept. that would create a council to regulate the fast-food industry — has been put on hold for now. The Save Local Restaurants Coalition, led by the National Restaurant Association, received more than a million signatures –enough to send the legislation to a referendum vote, which will take place in Nov. 2024.

“The National Restaurant Association committed to bringing this legislative action to the voters in California because we think voters need to have a say when laws like the FAST Act would fracture the restaurant industry and harm the people who make restaurant businesses great. Californians agree with us and it’s clear they want a chance to stop this law,” Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association said in a statement. The fact this process puts this law on hold ensures that restaurants can operate without disruption in the meantime and diners won’t lose of the brands they love.”

The FAST Recovery Act or Assembly Bill 257, was signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Labor Day and was designed to give fast-food employees a seat at the table. The Governor would be in charge of creating a 10-person council that would set standard wages, working hours and conditions for employees of quick-service chains with 100 or more locations nationally.

Related:Help could be on the way for California restaurants

That council would have the ability to raise the minimum wage for workers to $22 an hour. And although the council’s jurisdiction would technically only extend to the quick-service restaurant industry, according to a previous interview we did with Riley Lagesen, an attorney at Greenberg Traurig, the competitive market would ensure that nearly every industry statewide adjusts their wages accordingly. It would also be highly likely that the legislation would be copied in other industries and across other cities and states.

“The Association and our state restaurant association partners are mobilizing to engage with operators and lawmakers in areas we see as targets,” Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association said in a statement. “We cannot allow for these same walls and hurdles to be built in other jurisdictions, so we’ll invest our time and resources in making sure this noxious legislation doesn’t spread.”

Contact Joanna at [email protected]

About the Author

Joanna Fantozzi

Senior Editor

Joanna Fantozzi is a Senior Editor for Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. She has more than seven years of experience writing about the restaurant and hospitality industry. Her editorial coverage ranges from profiles of independent restaurants around the country to breaking news and insights into some of the biggest brands in food and beverage, including Starbucks, Domino’s, and Papa John’s.  

Joanna holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature and creative writing from The College of New Jersey and a master’s degree in arts and culture journalism from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. Prior to joining Informa’s Restaurants and Food Group in 2018, she was a freelance food, culture, and lifestyle writer, and has previously held editorial positions at Insider (formerly known as Business Insider) and The Daily Meal. Joanna’s work can also be found in The New York Times, Forbes, Vice, The New York Daily News, and Parents Magazine. 

Her areas of expertise include restaurant industry news, restaurant operator solutions and innovations, and political/cultural issues.

Joanna Fantozzi has been a moderator and event facilitator at both Informa’s MUFSO and Restaurants Rise industry events. 

Joanna Fantozzi’s experience:

Senior Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (August 2021-present)

Associate Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (July 2019-August 2021)

Assistant Editor, Informa Restaurant & Food Group (Oct. 2018-July 2019)

Freelance Food & Lifestyle Reporter (Feb. 2018-Oct. 2018)

Food & Lifestyle Reporter, Insider (June 2017-Feb. 2018)

News Editor, The Daily Meal (Jan. 2014- June 2017)

Staff Reporter, Straus News (Jan. 2013-Dec. 2013)

Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Get the latest breaking news in the industry, analysis, research, recipes, consumer trends, the latest products and more.

You May Also Like