Intel 1/6: Yelp’s Cash Back Program, the World’s New Biggest Chain & the Prison Turning Inmates Into Sommeliers
SHARE
Cristian Ungureanu
You Can Now Earn Money By Going to Your Favorite Restaurants
Yelp
Yelp has launched a cash rewards program that promotes local businesses and rewards loyal customers with up to 10 percent cash back. Unlike some cash back programs, Yelp’s incentive system has no minimum, which means that participating customers will get paid every month, regardless of the amount. Yelp Cash Back is already available at several restaurants and bars across the US, including New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, and Chicago.
Robert Hulseman, Inventor of the Red Solo Cup, Has Died
Robert Hulseman, the innovator who created the Red Solo Cup and turned it into his own empire, the Solo Cup Co., died on December 21, marking the loss of yet another notable figure of American culture. Hulseman, who designed the iconic red cup in the 1970s for family use, probably never intended his invention to become so popular with college students and newly legal drinkers, but the cup eventually took on a life of its own. According to his son Paul, Hulseman himself preferred the blue cup to the better-known red.
New York Botanical Garden to Introduce Bronx Edible Academy in 2018
In a project designed as “Bronx meets Hogwarts,” the New York Botanical Garden will introduce a $28 million Edible Academy, a massive facility that will include a teaching greenhouse, classroom building, and expanded outdoor gardens. The goal is to provide children and families in the Bronx with horticultural experience and an understanding of sustainable farming. Cooking programs, family-oriented classes, and green infrastructure like a solar pavilion and geothermal power will be part of the school. “We’re trying as hard as we can to basically be the school garden for the Bronx,” said James Boyer, VP of children’s education at the garden.
Starbucks Poised to Steal Title of World’s Biggest Restaurant Chain
Cristian Ungureanu
It might be the coffee shop that dominates every street corner, but Starbucks is poised to become the biggest “restaurant” chain within a few short years, according to expert industry analyst Mark Kalinowski. At the moment, Starbucks has just under 25,000 stores, but aims to have 37,000 by 2021. McDonald’s, the reigning restaurant champ, has 36,615. “It is only a matter of time before Starbucks overtakes McDonald’s as the largest market cap restaurant stock, although likely not in 2017,” Kalinowski said. “Well beyond 2021, we would not be surprised to see Starbucks exceed the 50,000-store level.”
This Italian Prison Turns Inmates Into Sommeliers
Flickr/Justin LaBerge/CC BY
At Italy’s Lecce Penitentiary, inmates don’t just get basic vocational training to help them find work after release, but an in-depth sommelier course, in which they learn to evaluate the bouquet and terroir of fine wines. It’s a skill that is especially valuable in the area, which is known for its negroamaro grapes. In classes of 30 men and women, the budding somms learn how to taste and serve local wines, as well as appreciate the land. Gianvito Rizzo, the creator of the sommelier classes at the prison, would even like to expand the program so that inmates could eventually work in the vineyards. “I see wine in a democratic way,” Rizzo said. “The countryside is the opposite to a cell. You are free. You smell nature and learn to care for it. I think it’d be good also for inmates to try it out.”
Shake Shack Ups Prices In Order to Pay Better Wages
Shake Shack
In order to increase wages for its employees, Danny Meyer’s Shake Shack has introduced modest price increases for some menu items of up to 36 cents. In New York City, prices for the ShackBurger and Chick’n Shack went up 26 cents, to $5.55 and $6.55, respectively. The price of the Shack Stack, the largest item on the menu, was raised by 36 cents, to $9.95. These price increases have enabled Shake Shack to introduce raises across the board, bringing the hourly wage of a New York City Shake Shack employee to $12.50, while the city’s fast food minimum wage is now $12, as of December 31, 2016. “The moderate price increases reflect our continued commitment to lead with hospitality, pay above minimum wage, and provide our team with real career growth opportunities,” Shake Shack spokeswoman Laura Enoch wrote in an email to Eater.
Next on
