Restaurant Hospitality's top stories of 2024

This year Restaurant Hospitality’s top story was Chef Justin Warner takes root in South Dakota with Bokujō Ramen. Justin Warner has worked in restaurants for more than two decades, since he was 15 years old, doing an array of jobs both in the front-of-house and back-of-house. Today, the self-taught chef and author of three cookbooks is best known for his Food Network stints, including a 2010 appearance on 24 Hour Restaurant Battle and Next Food Network Star in 2012. He won the latter competition and launched the show Rebel Eats.

We visited Warner at his establishments and talked about the big city shift, opening a ramen joint in Rapid City, S.D., using bison, and how he's dealing with the supply chain.

Also, in August, a United States federal appeals court struck down the Department of Labor’s revised 2021 80/20 rule. The rule only allowed employers to pay their employees the subminimum wage (or federal tip credit of $2.13 per hour) to supplement earned gratuities while workers were performing tip-supporting tasks for less than 20% of their workweek. The rest of their work had to be paid according to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour.

Additionally, Briny Swine Smokehouse and Oyster Bar is a down-home restaurant on Edisto Island, 45 miles south of Charleston, S.C. Chef Brandon Rushing and his wife Katherine own and operate the original outpost of Briny Swine as well as a second concept, Ella & Ollie’s, with menus of local seafood and Southern staples. This spring they will bring a new outpost of Briny Swine to Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, with an expansive space of more than 9,000 square feet featuring custom artwork from an Edisto artist, a large bar, and a stage for live music, all at a family-friendly price point in a casual rustic atmosphere. Rushing recently discussed his plans for the new place.

Related:New York City landmark Gotham Restaurant closes for good

Click through the slideshow to see what else was trending on Restaurant Hospitality this year!