Operations

Come celebrate the launch of year 2 of Nourish DC and the opening of a new round of funding. About the Grant: Nourish DC grants support Washington, DC businesses increasing access to healthy food and creating quality jobs. Your business could receive between $10,000 and $50,000 in grant funding to support food access for communities across the District. Grant uses include: New product development, technology, equipment, real estate acquisition, construction, tenant improvements, cold storage, marketing, and more. Eligible business location: Food business must be physically located in DC with...

Eligible licensees may operate 24-hours and sell and serve alcohol between 6:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. during the 2022 FIFA World Cup taking place November 20-December 18, 2022. To participate, licensees must register and pay a non-refundable $100 fee by 4:00 p.m. on Thursday, November 17. If approved, licensees will be issued a permit that must be posted next to their alcohol license inside the premises. Note the following: Eligible licensees include On-Premises Retailers, Manufacturers with an On-Site Sales and Consumption Permit, and Temporary License holders. Extended hours start the evening...

DC Operators are likely hearing more and more about the requirement that DC restaurant operators with at least one tipped employee, provide harassment prevention training every two years to all employees. This requirement is a part of the Tipped Workers Fairness Amendment Act, which, if you recall, was passed in 2018 as part of the repeal of Initiative 77. There has been a long pause in implementation, largely due to Covid, but now the DC Office of Human Rights (OHR) and the Department of Employment Services (DOES) are certifying trainers and putting the mechanisms in place for businesses to...

The days of tipping in DC are likely numbered, or at a minimum about to seriously change. Initiative 82 will pass into law and fundamentally transform the compensation model for tens of thousands of workers in the restaurant industry. At Harmony we have concerns about whether this initiative will actually lead to better outcomes for hourly workers because the likely transition from a tipped system to a service charge system is rife with opportunities for money to be transferred from hourly workers to management. We believe strongly in working with businesses that add value to all stakeholders...

Do no harm is a basic tenet of medicine. Although the goal is always to treat disease and alleviate suffering, a physician must always try to protect the patient from any further injury. Likewise in the food service industry. Restaurants want to create and deliver enjoyable experiences to their customers. That’s why they’re in business. But, just as with healthcare, they also need to protect their customers from foodborne illnesses. Simply put, they need to safeguard the customer, the staff, and the brand.