Johann Moonesinghe built inKind to finance restaurants with dining credits instead of debt, reshaping how capital flows into food and drink. Courtesy inKind
Restaurants are a notoriously tough and thankless business. Even the good ones can be financially fragile. That’s why it’s almost unheard of for venture capitalists to back them. But inKind, a platform that writes checks ranging from $100,000 to $10 million to thousands of restaurants, comes close. Its founder and CEO, Johann Moonesinghe, believes he has found a formula that lets everyone win: investors, restaurant owners and customers alike.
inKind operates an app that functions like a ClassPass for restaurants and bars. It sells dining credits that can be used at thousands of restaurants on the platform—plus a 20 percent reward that can be redeemed on a future visit. The appeal for diners is obvious.
Behind the scenes, however, the model is more unusual. inKind raises money from investors and uses those funds to finance individual restaurants. Instead of collecting interest or betting on a massive exit years down the road, inKind takes a share of a restaurant’s future revenue in the form of dining credits—often heavily discounted—which it then sells for a profit.
For example, inKind might give a restaurant $1 million in cash in exchange for $2 million in dining credits, then sell those credits for $1.5 million to app users. For inKind, the biggest risk is how long a restaurant stays in business. If it buys two years’ worth of credits but the restaurant closes after six months, inKind theoretically loses money. That risk is partly mitigated by having thousands of restaurants on the platform, but if closures were to happen at scale, the damage could be serious.
“In the first year, I lost 50 percent of the money that I funded to restaurants because I didn’t know how much credit to buy,” Moonesinghe told Observer. “I bought $100,000 in donut credits from some donut place in Michigan. It was impossible to sell it. So it took us years and years to get better at underwriting and building the consumer base to sell the credit.”
For restaurants, the math is more complicated. Moonesinghe argues that because the cost of food is typically only 20 to 30 percent of the menu price, restaurants can still make a profit by selling credits to inKind at half the menu price. Of course, food isn’t a restaurant’s only expense. The real question is whether a restaurant can cover its remaining costs through smart management or enough revenue from non-inKind customers.
“We really wanted to create a business model where every stakeholder wins,” said Moonesinghe, who owns four restaurants between Austin, Scottsdale and Las Vegas. “If I had opened my restaurants in the traditional way, I wouldn’t be making any money on those restaurants today. All of that money would be going back to pay my investor.”
To date, inKind has provided more than $600 million in funding to over 6,000 restaurants across the U.S. The company recently raised another $450 million from investors and is aiming to add more than 10,000 restaurants to the platform this year.
The latest funding round was led by Magnetar Capital. Participants included notable names such as Jay-Z’s investment firm MarcyPen Capital Ventures, former Yahoo CEO Jerry Yang, all four members of the band Metallica and more than a dozen restaurant owners.
The overwhelming investor interest marks a sharp reversal from inKind’s early years, when Moonesinghe largely funded the company with his own money and struggled to attract outside capital. He launched inKind in 2016 in Austin with his husband Andrew Harris, his late brother Rajan Moonesinghe and product designer Marcus Triest. Moonesinghe said the company’s early days were so capital-intensive that he and his husband cashed out their home and retirement accounts to keep it alive.
“Venture investors hated our business because we’re so balance sheet heavy, we require so much money to give the restaurants,” he said. “And the debt partners didn’t want to lend us, because they’re like, restaurants are the most risky.”
Now, Moonesinghe says fundraising is entirely relationship-driven, and he’s highly selective about whose money he takes. MarcyPen—the investment vehicle formed from a merger between Jay-Z’s Marcy Venture Partners and the investment arm of Pendulum Holdings, founded by former Barack Obama adviser Robbie Robinson—was the first institutional investor inKind brought on.
“These guys really understand us. They understand the brand we’re trying to build. They’re great investors and super well-connected. They love wine, I love wine. So we ended up creating a relationship,” Moonesinghe said.
Because of this relationship-based fundraising approach, inKind’s founders still own more than 75 percent of the company. “This allows us to take a really, really long-term approach. That’s our biggest asset,” Moonesinghe said. “We don’t need an exit. We don’t need to quickly get out of deals. For us, if we can help the restaurants do well and make money for their owners, even if a deal is taking us longer to sell their credit, that’s okay.”
A candid look at modern bakery economics from one of NYC’s most watched shops. Alexander Stein
This Q&A is part of Observer’s Expert Insights series, where industry leaders, innovators and strategists distill years of experience into direct, practical takeaways and deliver clarity on the issues shaping their industries. In a New York food scene defined by relentless turnover and algorithm-fueled hype, Radio Bakery stands out for a different reason: it has built genuine staying power.
Led by chef and co-owner Kelly Mencin, Radio Bakery has become one of the city’s most consistently buzzy—and influential—bakery brands. With locations in Greenpoint and Prospect Heights, Radio is known for its seasonal pastries, savory-forward menu and lines that seem to materialize regardless of weather, press cycles or platform trends. The bakery has earned praise from The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and daytime television alike, but its real achievement may be cultural rather than critical: Radio feels embedded in its neighborhoods rather than extracted from them.
At a moment when many food businesses chase virality, Mencin has built Radio around repetition, rigor and restraint. Menu innovation is constant, but never at the expense of execution. Scarcity exists, but as a function of space and process, not manufactured exclusivity. Social media plays a role in visibility, yet the brand’s identity is grounded in what happens on the floor: the rhythm of service, the confidence of the team and the reliability of a loaf of bread that tastes the same every day.
In this conversation, Mencin unpacks the business of running a modern bakery at scale—what it takes to sustain demand in a trend-saturated market, how systems and leadership protect creative integrity and why community collaboration remains central to Radio’s growth strategy. From managing hype and seasonality to navigating post-pandemic shifts in consumer taste, Mencin offers a pragmatic look at how durable brand equity is built in hospitality, one batch, one service and one neighborhood at a time.
Chef and co-owner Kelly Mencin oversees Radio Bakery’s culinary direction, with a focus on systems, seasonality and long-term sustainability. Courtesy Radio Bakery
Radio Bakery has become one of those rare New York spots that consistently draws a line around the block. Beyond great pastries, what are the key ingredients that create that kind of sustained enthusiasm and loyalty?
Consistency and passion. One of our neighbors down the street at our Greenpoint location comes in every single day for a loaf of our seeded bread. Every day. He has come to expect that the bread will be the same, if not better, every day, and if it’s not, he will let us know! I say passion, but what I am really trying to convey is energy. When you walk into Radio, the energy from the bakers, sandwich cooks and servers is palpable. You can feel the heat from the ovens, smell the croissants, watch the cookies being scooped. The music is on, the staff is chattering. It just feels good to be in the space. People want to be around what makes them feel good.
Radio is known for its seasonal “drops” that feel both curated and consistent. How do you balance creativity with consistency, especially when developing new or seasonal items that customers now expect to sell out?
We have a few factors we look at. The two biggest ones are scalability and execution. Anyone can make something perfect once. The biggest test is making 60 to 180 of that same item, perfectly, every single time—and not letting it wreck service. Then, that perfect execution needs to be taught to our bakers. Can they all pipe perfectly? Maybe not. Can we teach them to? We’ll try our hardest. If it can’t be executed at a high level, we won’t run the item.
New York’s food scene moves fast, and trends turn over even faster. What’s your strategy for staying relevant without chasing every new flavor or format that pops up?
Simple, delicious food will always be relevant. We focus on seasonality more than anything else and let the ingredients speak for themselves.
From your vantage point, how has the business of bakeries evolved post-pandemic? Are there lasting shifts in consumer behavior, operations or expectations that you’ve had to adapt to?
I am still in awe of how many bakeries keep opening up every season since the pandemic! New York City has no shortage of sweet tooths. The biggest shift, in my opinion, is in people’s taste. More and more, I am seeing bakeries put savory pastries on the menu or sandwiches. We have been lucky enough that our model has worked for us extremely well. From the start, we were making savory croissant-based pastries and different focaccias and sandwiches. People want to come in and get a savory item and a sweet item, more often than not.
Social media has played a role in Radio’s visibility. What’s your philosophy around online storytelling? How do you translate something as sensory as a pastry into digital moments that resonate?
I knew from the start that I wanted our Instagram to be a platform for inspiration, not only for industry vets but for food lovers in general. I think our page resonates with so many people because it isn’t too manicured. There’s a good range of professional photos, behind-the-scenes videos of our processes and staff faces.
You’ve built a model that embraces scarcity without leaning on exclusivity. How do you think about managing hype, especially around holiday drops or social-media-driven surges in demand?
To be honest, the “hype” aspect of radio bakery is still a hard pill for me to swallow. We didn’t create Radio Bakery as a “hype” or “viral” bakery. Radio’s intention has always been to create simple, craveable food. The scarcity aspect only comes from the fact that our baking spaces are so small—there is a limit to how much production (or people) we can fit in each space. When it comes to managing the hype, we try to remind guests that most items take three days to make, we are making as much as we can and that if they miss out on one drop, there will always be another. We will never sacrifice quality for quantity.
Radio Bakery has become a cultural touchpoint as much as a culinary one. How intentional has that been, and what role does community play in your brand strategy?
Community has always played a huge role in how radio functions. Radio started as a pop-up. We reached out to industry friends who ran our favorite businesses (Mel the Baker, Bonnie’s, Claud) and literally popped up in their spaces selling what we were testing. It created an amazing community pocket in each area of the city. Once we opened Radio, we decided to make it a point to continue to do pop-ups and collabs with other like-minded people. It allows us to connect in a meaningful way with other people and businesses we’re excited about, keeps us learning and it keeps our guests engaged.
Many hospitality founders talk about the challenge of scaling without losing soul. As you’ve expanded from Greenpoint to Prospect Heights, what have you learned about growth and maintaining a distinct brand identity?
Radio wouldn’t be able to grow as successfully as we have if we didn’t have a strong management foundation. Each bakery relies on a “Bakery Chef”—think of it as a Chef de Cuisine—that runs the back-of-house operations at each location. They each bring their own management style, ideas and culture to each bakery. We learned early on that I, personally, cannot help radio grow and thrive if I am deep in the day-to-day operations. Instead, I’ve taken on the role of culinary director, essentially working with the bakery chefs side by side, creating new menu items, dialing in the current menu and looking ahead. Nina, our general manager, also goes back and forth between both bakeries, helping to oversee the FOH operations and the overall growth of the bakeries. It’s true what they say—teamwork really does make the dream work!
nside Radio Bakery’, where compact production spaces, open kitchens and steady rhythm shape both the guest experience and daily operations. Alexander Stein
Consistency is a constant challenge in high-volume bakeries. What systems or team philosophies help you maintain Radio’s quality and creative integrity at scale?
The biggest lesson we learned this year was creating SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for everything! From how we build our sandwiches to how we create a weekend special. Even then, we look at all of our recipes and SOPs as “living documents.” Some of our recipes have three to five different versions of them all saved in our library.
Having updated recipes is only the first part of the consistency challenge. Proper communication between managers and staff is the other part of it. We’re all learning and teaching in real time.
The holiday season also puts a spotlight on leadership, especially in a high-pressure, high-visibility business. What practices help you lead your team through those peak periods effectively?
It’s going to sound simple stupid, but I am so big on getting enough sleep, eating healthy meals throughout the day (instead of just snacking on sugar) and making time for myself to either run or go for a walk. I am lucky that I am able to carve out time for myself during the workday to step outside, get some sunshine and go for a run. It gives me a reset during a busy day and lets me keep showing up positive for my team.
It’s been a learning curve, but I have also come to realize that leaders “bring the weather” with them. I try to hit the ground running when I come into work, exude high energy and positivity and give out a LOT of affirmations.
From menu innovation to brand identity, what’s your process for deciding when to iterate and when to hold onto a core classic?
We are constantly iterating, refining and tasting our menu, from the core classics to our seasonal items. Radio’s menu was designed with several aspects in mind: flavor (a cinnamon item, a citrus item, a vegetarian savory, a fruit item), texture (chewy, crunchy, soft, sticky), and shape (pinwheel, claw, round, square). So, whenever we choose to change an item, it has to fit into its specific category. As far as seasonal items, we retest and taste and tinker with whatever we ran the previous year before deciding that we will run with that again. If we want to try something new, it has to be better and more craveable than what we have previously run.
Looking ahead to 2026, what does thoughtful growth look like for Radio Bakery? Are there ways you’re thinking about expanding the brand—or protecting its essence—as demand continues to build?
Right now, I am trying to focus on two big-ticket items: one, mentoring and growing our team and two, developing systems that make everyone’s job more streamlined. As unsexy as that sounds, the team and our systems are a big reason for Radio’s success. Having a team that loves to teach and mentor translates into bakers and servers who are knowledgeable and confident. Having the right systems in place allows us to scale up production while still making crazy delicious product. Tangible growth-wise, I am so excited that we are expanding our production space at our original Greenpoint location with the hope that we can have more diverse offerings throughout the day.
A classic croissant from Radio Bakery, where laminated dough is treated as both a technical discipline and a foundation for seasonal variation. Alexander Stein
NAROK, Kenya—Leaders of the Maasai ethnic group are seeking a court order to demolish a new Ritz-Carlton luxury safari camp they say blocks a key route of the famous Serengeti migration.
Meitamei Olol Dapash, a Maasai elder with an American Ph.D., says the camp sits astride a path that some migratory wildebeest and zebra use to cross the Sand River in search of green grass.
Arnold Toynbee’s “Cities on the Move” (1970) documents the history of big cities around the world becoming impoverished and insolvent—some never to recover. Many of the patterns he describes apply to New York now.
Real estate contributed roughly $35 billion of the $80 billion in city tax receipts in fiscal 2025, and personal taxes another $18 billion. The financial sector, real estate, construction, tourism and retail trade sectors are the major contributors to these revenues.
NAGOYA, Japan—The tourists who crowd the bullet trains from Tokyo tend not to disembark at Nagoya as they speed along the so-called Golden Route linking the Japanese capital with Kyoto and Osaka.
“Nagoya tobashi,” the locals say. Nagoya gets skipped. The manufacturing hub, which anchors the region that is home to auto giant Toyota, is Japan’s fourth most-populous city and, according to a decade-old newspaper poll that still stings here, number one in dullness.
From small bakeries to global brands, New York’s bagel makers are shaping a cultural and culinary economy rooted in tradition and reinvention. Courtesy Utopia Bagels
There are few foods more synonymous with New York City than the bagel—a simple ring of boiled and baked dough that somehow embodies the spirit of the city itself. Equal parts humble and iconic, the bagel has risen from its immigrant origins on the Lower East Side to become a global culinary symbol. Today, bagels are fueling a thriving cultural and economic ecosystem that stretches from Brooklyn bakeries to international markets, generating billions in annual revenue while preserving the heritage of craftsmanship that first defined the New York bagel.
From immigrant bread to city symbol
The story of the bagel is the story of New York. Brought to the United States in the late 19th century by Eastern European Jewish immigrants, the beygel found a new home in the tenements and bakeries of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Early bagel bakers, organized under the Bagel Bakers’ Local 338 union, were fiercely protective of their craft, hand-rolling, boiling and baking every piece with care. By the early 1900s, New York had nearly 70 bagel bakeries, and the bread had become a staple of working-class life. By the mid-20th century, the bagel had evolved into an American breakfast essential. Industrial innovations like the rotary oven and the Lender brothers’ mass-produced frozen bagels made it a national phenomenon. Today’s artisan revival—driven by hand-rolled, malt-boiled, crusty bagels—reclaims the authenticity that first made the New York bagel famous.
“Bagels are a New York staple,” says Jesse Spellman, co-owner of Utopia Bagels in Whitestone, Queens. “They always will be. Keeping our recipes and traditions consistent for over 40 years gives people a taste of the New York culture of the past.” Spellman’s family has been hand-rolling, kettle-boiling and baking bagels in a 1947 carousel oven since 1981, and their commitment to heritage has made Utopia one of the city’s most celebrated institutions
Mascots Len and Phyl nod to the brands that industrialized and popularized bagels nationwide, transforming a regional staple into a household breakfast. Courtesy of BagelUp
The bagel economy
New York remains the undisputed bagel capital of the world, home to hundreds of specialty bagel shops across the five boroughs. Iconic institutions like Ess-a-Bagel and H&H Bagels have evolved from family-owned shops to major producers and franchised brands. Ess-a-Bagel recently opened a 7,500-square-foot manufacturing facility in Harlem, while H&H plans 70 new franchise locations across the country.
“The economics of the bagel business is the same as the rest of the restaurant industry,” says Craig Hutchinson, chef and owner of Olmo Bagels in New Haven, Connecticut. “But the difference is how willing you are to be transparent with your guests and your team. We stress the importance of making guests feel seen and special. That free kindness helps our guests justify the rising costs of living in 2025 and beyond.” For Hutchinson, community and hospitality are part of the recipe. “We embraced the community and used the bagel as our hospitality vehicle. We all fell in love with the fast-paced bagel industry and never looked back.”
That sentiment is echoed by Jimmy Stathakis, founder and CEO of Bagel Market, who has reimagined the traditional shop through modern design and digital innovation. “The bagel is a cornerstone of New York life: fast, familiar and full of character. It reflects the city’s diversity and resilience. At Bagel Market, we see ourselves as part of that cultural fabric, offering a space where heritage meets contemporary taste.” He adds, “Margins remain challenging in the food service industry, particularly in New York City, but strong brand positioning and operational discipline create room for growth. We focus on scalable systems, efficient supply chains and consistent quality.”
In Maine, Jeremy and Marina Kratzer, owners of Dutchman’s Wood Fired Bagels, bring a small-town perspective to the same story. “Being as smart as you can on labor, and really managing the food costs, are keys to success in today’s ever-changing industry,” Jeremy explains. “Building relationships with your purveyors is a great way to ensure that you have someone to trust and look out for you when you need things.”
Across the Pacific, Talia and Kelly Bongolan-Schwartz, owners of Tali’s Bagels & Schmear in Hawaii, share a similar struggle, but their story is a testament to dedication. “Hand-rolling bagels is very labor-intensive,” says Tali. “It’s always difficult to balance that with pricing, payroll and profit—especially living in Hawaii, where all ingredients are imported and rent is at a premium.” Despite these challenges, they’ve built a loyal following: “About 90 percent of our customers are regulars.”
Adding to the evolving economics, Orly Gottesman of Modern Bread & Bagel underscores how growth comes from multiple lanes: “Margins in retail food are generally tight… Growth potential exists if you find ways to diversify revenue. We supplement our retail business with direct-to-consumer shipping, retail mixes and catering.”
The modern bagel economy blends tradition and trend: hand-rolled classics served alongside inventive flavors designed for a global palate. Courtesy Utopia Bagels
From the Pacific Northwest, Brittany Erwin of B’s Bagels & Butters points to where revenue concentrates: “In Washington there is definitely growth potential, but not in the form of a traditional bagel shop… any growth is in the form of sandwiches or catering.” Erwin adds, “In Washington there has been a bagel explosion in the last 3 years, and the majority of shops are leaning away from NY style. Most of them are leaning towards the sourdough bread craze and serving airy, hard crusty bagels.”
Nationally, the U.S. bakery sector worth over $60 billion with bagels maintaining rapid growth. The global bagel market reached $5.58 billion in 2024 and is projected to hit $7.35 billion by 2030, growing at nearly 5 percent annually. Europe and Asia have embraced the bagel as both a fashionable food and a cultural export.
In Denmark, Emily Bridges, founder of Bagel Belly in Copenhagen, is part of that international wave. “For Americans living in Copenhagen, bagels are an everyday food; they’ll grab one on the way to work or stock up for the week.For Danes, it’s more of a special and unique treat, and something fun to enjoy on weekends or share with friends” she says. “For many of my customers, my bagel is the first bagel they’ve ever tried, which is always exciting and a big responsibility!”
The bagel as cultural currency
More than just a breakfast, the bagel carries deep symbolic weight: of identity, comfort and connection. Declared New York’s official state bread in 2008, it remains a culinary shorthand for the city’s diversity and drive. “NY bagels are iconic because of their long-standing history in a busy, busy world,” says Hutchinson. “We realized that the real secret wasn’t just the bagel itself, it was dedication to community, to early hours and to always baking fresh. Those are the shops that become staples.”
Stathakis adds, “New York bagels have a texture, flavor and history that are unmatched. The secret lies not only in the city’s water but more importantly in its culture: the precision, the pace and the pride of generations who perfected this craft.”
For Yero Rudzinskas, owner of Baltik’s Bagel in Richmond, Virginia, the story has gone national: “The bagel has outgrown the five boroughs and occupies a special place in the imagination of Americans broadly. Of course, the bagel is one of the most recognizable New York culinary exports, but at this point, everyone has the right to expect a freshly baked bagel close enough to enjoy every day of the week.”
From Copenhagen to Honolulu, the New York bagel’s DNA travels well, even as it adapts. “People are hungry for bagels all over the world,” says Bridges. “A bagel transforms any time it’s made in a new location: ingredients, taste, even the malt syrup, but the soul stays the same. The soul of a New York bagel is rooted in tradition but never stops evolving.”
Modern Bread & Bagel’s Gottesman frames that tradition through inclusion. “Bagels are one of NYC’s most culture-centric foods… contributing to that identity meant making our version open to everyone, those avoiding gluten and those who just want a delicious, authentic bagel, so people don’t feel like they’re giving anything up.”
And in Washington State, Erwin sees the culture expanding via social buzz and community ritual. “The bagel boom has spread to TikTok which means bagels are trendy for all ages,” she says, noting that what began as a treat has become a daily staple for many regulars.
At BagelFest, veteran bakers showcase the enduring art of New York bagel-making—boiled, baked and served with a side of nostalgia. Courtesy of BagelFest
The new wave: festivals, global influence and social impact
The modern bagel is no longer confined to the five boroughs. It’s a global connector. The rise of BagelFest, founded by Sam Silverman in 2019, has elevated the humble bagel into a worldwide cultural event. Hosted annually at Citi Field, with this year’s event on November 16, the festival attracts thousands of attendees and dozens of competing bakeries, each vying for the title of “Best Bagel.”
Silverman’s mission extends beyond the event itself. Through BagelUp, he and his team are teaching bagel-making to new audiences and using food as a bridge between cultures in New York, one of the most diverse cities in the world. BagelUp offers immersive hands-on classes where locals and international tourists alike can learn the art of crafting authentic New York bagels. These classes draw aspiring bakers from around the world eager to experience the city’s culinary traditions firsthand.
BagelFest partners are spreading that same spirit of connection globally. Among the most inspiring collaborations is between BagelUp exhibitor Olmo Bagels, which has partnered with Oído, a nonprofit culinary school in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula led by Chef Gabe Erales, the winner of season 18 of Top Chef. Together, they’re building cross-cultural culinary programs that celebrate craftsmanship and community, from New York kitchens to Mexico’s rural classrooms.
“Many of these kids have never had the means to travel outside their community,” Erales explains, “but through food they can connect to the world. When they see the cultural tie between bagels and New York, it’s like a window into another culture. Earlier this year, we took a group of students to Oaxaca to visit a friend’s cooking school. It was their first time on a plane, and for them, it was like going to Disneyland.”
At BagelFest, bakers and enthusiasts gather to taste, rank, and celebrate New York’s most iconic food that has grown into a $7 billion global market. Courtesy of BagelFest
The taste of tomorrow
As New York continues to evolve, so does its most famous food. The next generation of bakers is blending tradition with innovation: experimenting with sourdough starters, regional grains and globally inspired toppings while honoring the heritage that made the bagel a symbol of community.
Gottesman sees the future in “continued diversification: more dietary-inclusive options, more direct-to-consumer retail products and technology integration for ordering and fulfillment,” alongside neighborhood shops that “combine excellent product with smart operations.” Erwin is blunt about the operational direction: “More sandwiches… in this economy we need to be building bigger check averages,” she says, while hoping quality won’t slip as the category scales.
“I think the bagel business is heading in a strong direction,” says Spellman. “It’s one of the few foods that everyone, across ages and backgrounds, continues to love. It’s hard on the outside, soft on the inside—like a true New Yorker”.
From the bustling counters of Queens to the teaching kitchens of Quintana Roo, the bagel continues to unite people across borders. Whether in New York, New Haven or Mexico, it remains more than bread. It is a bridge between cultures, a testament to resilience and a rising symbol of how simple food can inspire extraordinary connection.
Maria worked cleaning schools in Florida for $13 an hour. Every two weeks, she’d get a $900 paycheck from her employer, a contractor. Not much — but enough to cover rent in the house that she and her 11-year-old son share with five families, plus electricity, a cellphone and groceries.
In August, it all ended.
When she showed up at the job one morning, her boss told her that she couldn’t work there anymore. The Trump administration had terminated President Joe Biden’s humanitarian parole program, which provided legal work permits for Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans as well as Nicaraguans like Maria.
“I feel desperate,’’ said Maria, 48, who requested anonymity to talk about her ordeal because she fears being detained and deported. “I don’t have any money to buy anything. I have $5 in my account. I’m left with nothing.’’
An Inc.com Featured Presentation
President Donald Trump’s sweeping crackdown on immigration is throwing foreigners like Maria out of work and shaking the American economy and job market. And it’s happening at a time when hiring is already deteriorating amid uncertainty over Trump’s erratic trade policies.
Immigrants do jobs — cleaning houses, picking tomatoes, painting fences — that most native-born Americans won’t, and for less money. But they also bring the technical skills and entrepreneurial energy that have helped make the United States the world’s economic superpower.
Trump is attacking immigration at both ends of spectrum, deporting low-wage laborers and discouraging skilled foreigners from bringing their talents to the United States.
And he is targeting an influx of foreign workers that eased labor shortages and upward pressure on wages and prices at a time when most economists thought that taming inflation would require sky-high interest rates and a recession — a fate the United States escaped in 2023 and 2024.
“Immigrants are good for the economy,” said Lee Branstetter, an economist at Carnegie-Mellon University. “Because we had a lot of immigration over the past five years, an inflationary surge was not as bad as many people expected.”
More workers filling more jobs and spending more money has also helped drive economic growth and create still-more job openings. Economists fear that Trump’s deportations and limits on even legal immigration will do the reverse.
In a July report, researchers Wendy Edelberg and Tara Watson of the centrist Brookings Institution and Stan Veuger of the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute calculated that the loss of foreign workers will mean that monthly U.S. job growth “could be near zero or negative in the next few years.’’
Hiring has already slowed significantly, averaging a meager 29,000 a month from June through August. (The September jobs report has been delayed by the ongoing shutdown of the federal government.) During the post-pandemic hiring boom of 2021-2023, by contrast, employers added a stunning 400,000 jobs a month.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, citing fallout Trump’s immigration and trade policies, downgraded its forecast for U.S. economic growth this year to 1.4 percent from the 1.9 percent it had previously expected and from 2.5 percent in 2024.
‘We need these people’
Goodwin Living, an Alexandria, Virginia nonprofit that provides senior housing, health care and hospice services, had to lay off four employees from Haiti after the Trump administration terminated their work permits. The Haitians had been allowed to work under a humanitarian parole program and had earned promotions at Goodwin.
“That was a very, very difficult day for us,” CEO Rob Liebreich said. “It was really unfortunate to have to say goodbye to them, and we’re still struggling to fill those roles.’’
Liebreich is worried that another 60 immigrant workers could lose their temporary legal right to live and work in the United States. “We need all those hands,’’ he said. “We need all these people.”
Goodwin Living has 1,500 employees, 60 percent of them from foreign countries. It has struggled to find enough nurses, therapists and maintenance staff. Trump’s immigration crackdown, Liebreich said, is “making it harder.’’
The ICE crackdown
Trump’s immigration ambitions, intended to turn back what he calls an “invasion” at America’s southern border and secure jobs for U.S.-born workers, were once viewed with skepticism because of the money and economic disruption required to reach his goal of deporting 1 million people a year. But legislation that Trump signed into law July 4 — and which Republicans call the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — suddenly made his plans plausible.
The law pours $150 billion into immigration enforcement, setting aside $46.5 billion to hire 10,000 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and $45 billion to increase the capacity of immigrant detention centers.
And his empowered ICE agents have shown a willingness to move fast and break things — even when their aggression conflicts with other administration goals.
Last month, immigration authorities raided a Hyundai battery plant in Georgia, detained 300 South Korean workers and showed video of some of them shackled in chains. They’d been working to get the plant up and running, bringing expertise in battery technology and Hyundai procedures that local American workers didn’t have.
The incident enraged the South Koreans and ran counter to Trump’s push to lure foreign manufacturers to invest in America. South Korean President Lee Jae Myung warned that the country’s other companies might be reluctant about betting on America if their workers couldn’t get visas promptly and risked getting detained.
Sending Medicaid recipients to the fields
America’s farmers are among the president’s most dependable supporters.
But John Boyd Jr., who farms 1,300 acres of soybeans, wheat and corn in southern Virginia, said that the immigration raids — and the threat of them — are hurting farmers already contending with low crop prices, high costs and fallout from Trump’s trade war with China, which has stopped buying U.S. soybeans and sorghum.
“You got ICE out here, herding these people up,’’ said Boyd, founder of the National Black Farmers Association . “(Trump) says they’re murderers and thieves and drug dealers, all this stuff. But these are people who are in this country doing hard work that many Americans don’t want to do.’’
Boyd scoffed at U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins’ suggestion in July that U.S.-born Medicaid recipients could head to the fields to meet work requirements imposed this summer by the Republican Congress. “People in the city aren’t coming back to the farm to do this kind of work,’’ he said. “It takes a certain type of person to bend over in 100-degree heat.’’
The Trump administration itself admits that the immigration crackdown is causing labor shortages on the farm that could translate into higher prices at the supermarket.
“The near total cessation of the inflow of illegal aliens combined with the lack of an available legal workforce,’’ the Labor Department said in an Oct. 2 filing the Federal Register, “results in significant disruptions to production costs and (threatens) the stability of domestic food production and prices for U.S consumers.’’
‘You’re not welcome here’
Jed Kolko of the Peterson Institute for International Economics said that job growth is slowing in businesses that rely on immigrants. Construction companies, for instance, have shed 10,000 jobs since May.
“Those are the short-term effects,’’ said Kolko, a Commerce Department official in the Biden administration. “The longer-term effects are more serious because immigrants traditionally have contributed more than their share of patents, innovation, productivity.’’
Especially worrisome to many economists was Trump’s sudden announcement last month that he was raising the fee on H-1B visas, meant to lure hard-to-find skilled foreign workers to the United States, from as little as $215 to $100,000.
“A $100,000 visa fee is not just a bureaucratic cost — it’s a signal,” Dany Bahar, senior fellow at the Center for Global Development, said. “It tells global talent: ‘You are not welcome here.’’’
Some are already packing up.
In Washington D.C., one H-1B visa holder, a Harvard graduate from India who works for a nonprofit helping Africa’s poor, said Trump’s signal to employers is clear: Think twice about hiring H-1B visa holders.
The man, who requested anonymity, is already preparing paperwork to move to the United Kingdom. “The damage is already done, unfortunately,’’ he said.
Copyright 2025. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Red Lobster was a popular place to eat in South Florida for years. Then it almost sank. But the seafood chain has undergone a resurgence after its sale and the leadership of a new CEO.
All-you-can-eat crab and shrimp almost took down Red Lobster. The restaurant went from fantastic feast to bankruptcy court.
Now, the chain is back thanks to a charismatic new leader, CEO and former investment banker Damola Adamolekun.
Red Lobster was founded in 1968 in Lakeland, Florida, and is now based in Orlando. The company has 42 restaurants throughout Florida and is owned by Fortress Investment Group, an investment management company.
Adamolekun, a Nigerian immigrant, previously worked in finance at Goldman Sachs and as the CEO of P.F. Chang’s restaurant chain.
Now 36, Adamolekun became chief executive officer at Red Lobster in August 2024 while the company was in Chapter 11 from May 2024 to September 2024. Adamolekun led the company out of bankruptcy and back into a popular spot for dining and on social media.
In 2003, Red Lobster’s “Endless Crab” promotion cost the company $3 million in seven weeks. Similar poor financial decisions like the “Endless Shrimp” promotion cost the company $11 million, according to reports, and almost kept Red Lobster under water.
In a business conference presentation and in a Miami Herald interview Tuesday at Florida International University’s Biscayne Bay campus in North Miami, about two miles from a Red Lobster restaurant, Adamolekun shared tips for succeeding in business at the Teach To Fish Summit.
Here are seven of them:
Create a clear plan that all employees can understand
Damola Adamolekun, Red Lobster CEO, center, receives a key to the city of North Miami from local officials during the Teach to Fish Business Summit, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at the Kovens Conference Center in North Miami Beach, Fla. The young CEO led the restaurant chain back to prominence. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Adamolekun said that turning around Red Lobster meant creating a plan that every employee could buy into and understand. That plan included adding seven new items to the menu, including bacon-wrapped scallops, keeping old favorites like popcorn shrimp, and pricing margaritas at $5 instead of $20.
“Explain a plan of how we’re going to improve the business and get through it,” he said. “Get people to buy in to believe that it’s possible, and that you need to celebrate the wins along the way.”
Improve your sales and business will improve
Damola Adamolekun, Red Lobster CEO, laughs while being interviewed by Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothe during the luncheon at the Teach to Fish Business Summit, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at FIU in North Miami, Fla. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Adamolekun attributes Red Lobster’s turnaround to a renewed interest from customers driven by more popular items.
“The most powerful thing you can do for any business is drive top line revenue,” he told the Miami Herald. “And that’s by driving more customers to come visit you by delivering something better.”
Understand what connects people to each other
Damola Adamolekun, Red Lobster CEO, at the Teach to Fish Business Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Adamolekun grew up around different people in Zimbabwe and the Netherlands and said that learning what makes people similar despite their differences matters.
“I lived amongst very different people,” he said. “But you also quickly learn what makes people similar.”
Fail fast and move forward
North Miami Vice Mayor Kassandra Timothe interviews Damola Adamolekun, Red Lobster CEO, during the Teach to Fish Business Summit on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
When Adamolekun took over P.F. Chang’s in 2020, business was going well until COVID led to restaurant shutdowns. He had to quickly adapted by better supporting delivery and to-go ordering. Being able to assess failure and move forward is a key trait he believes professionals should have.
“When leadership is in crisis, it’s faster,” he said. “Things need to be decided more quickly.”
Build a company culture where people can speak up
Conference attendees listen to a panel during the Influence That Moves Communities session at the Teach to Fish Business Summit, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at the Kovens Conference Center in North Miami Beach, Fla. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Having a culture where employees at all levels can speak up and share ideas helps companies succeed, Adamolekun said.
“You need to build a culture where people feel comfortable speaking up and contributing,” he said. “I try to build a culture [where] there’s no favorites. We’re not discussing people. We’re discussing ideas. The best ideas win.”
Understand the risks and rewards of scaling your business
Crystal Wagar, former Miami Shores mayor, center, speaks to friends during the Teach to Fish Business Summit, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Adamolekun recommended that business owners interested in scaling their businesses evaluate the pros and cons before doing it.
“When you’re a small business, you’re probably really good at one thing, or you have a niche of customers that come to you and you found something that works,” he said. “Scaling means expanding that, but doing it in an intelligent way. If you grow the right way, then it’s natural and it makes sense.”
Catering to local communities can go a long way
A Red Lobster in Doral. Miami Herald File
Adamolekun expressed support for Florida’s 42 Red Lobster restaurants and mentioned community support as a testament for their success.
“The stores here do well so it’s a credit to the communities here that have embraced Red lobster for a long time,” he said. “The leadership here is excellent. Every restaurant is a reflection of its community. Our restaurants here reflect the South Florida community and the love is authentic.”
Damola Adamolekun, Red Lobster CEO, speaks during the luncheon at the Teach to Fish Business Summit, on Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2025, at the Kovens Conference Center in North Miami Beach, Fla. Alie Skowronski askowronski@miamiherald.com
Michael Butler writes about minority business and trends that affect marginalized professionals in South Florida. As a business reporter for the Miami Herald, he tells inclusive stories that reflect South Florida’s diversity. Just like Miami’s diverse population, Butler, a Temple University graduate, has both local roots and a Panamanian heritage.
More than 100 restaurants have opened across Charlotte in 2025. That’s a lot of new competition coming into the marketplace. And in a city where people are notoriously obsessed with “what’s new,” it raises the question: How do places that have been here a while manage to stand out and stay on folks’ radars?
CharlotteFive spoke to a few established local restaurants about their secrets not only for surviving but thriving, despite a challenging economy and ever-growing competition.
From a focus on hospitality and events to keeping things fresh and investing in their staffs and connecting with the community, here’s what they do to stay in the game.
The Artisan’s Palate, a local restaurant, craft bar and art gallery, hosts a variety of distinctive events including monthly Women of Whiskey tastings. Liz Rothaus Bertrand CharlotteFive
Service and hospitality
When Dalton Espaillat, founder and CEO of Raydal Hospitality Group, started in the restaurant business back in 2010, he said good food, freshness and authenticity were enough to be successful.
“And it worked great,” said Espaillat, whose company owns and operates 19 restaurants, including the Sabor Latin Street Grill fast-casual chain.
“It really put us on the map, and people appreciated what we had to offer, but then the pandemic came and everything just changed.”
Dalton Espaillat is the founder and CEO of Raydal Hospitality. His company owns and operates 19 restaurants, including the Sabor Latin Street Grill fast-casual chain. Jonathan Cooper
Now, he said, hole-in-the wall places have lost some of their charm.
“In order to be successful, you have to have good food, you have to have excellent service — because people are expecting an experience — and you also have to have sort of a beautiful location.”
The company started investing more in how its restaurants looked, improving efficiency and upgrading their interiors and murals, sometimes with nods to local heroes.
Connecting with the local community is an important factor in design choices at each Sabor Latin Street Grill. The Davidson location includes a mural featuring Dominican musician Juan Luis Guerra (left) alongside NBA superstar and Davidson alumnus Steph Curry, pictured enjoying a Presidente beer, a popular Dominican brand. Courtesy of Raydal Hospitality
In Sabor’s Davidson store location, for example, NBA superstar and Davidson College alum Steph Curry graces a wall alongside renowned Dominican musician Juan Luis Guerra. At another shop in the University area, other Latino icons are featured, including former Red Sox star “Big Papi” David Ortiz
For Espaillat, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and his wife, Miriam, from El Salvador, centering authentic Latino culture in their restaurants through their food and decor is a big part of their identity and how they connect with the community.
At the Sabor Latin Street Grill near UNC Charlotte, the mural includes a tribute to Dominican-American former Red Sox star David Ortiz, better known as “Big Papi,” and Dominican Musician Jean Luis Guerra. Courtesy of Raydal Hospitality
Other chefs and owners agreed that hospitality is at least as important as what they serve.
“For Dilworth Tasting Room, hospitality has always been the focus of what we do,” said Zoe Kovic, who launched the restaurant’s original wine bar in the Dilworth neighborhood with her husband, Jaffer, in 2017. The couple now also has locations in SouthPark and Plaza Midwood.
“We believe that guests remember how they felt at our restaurant even more than what they ate or drank …” she said. “So every connection we make with our guests is [an] opportunity to create” an experience that surpasses their expectations.
Dilworth Tasting Room often hosts wine tasting and other events at its Plaza Midwood location and other two restaurants around Charlotte. Chris Rodarte Rodarte’s Corner Media
From wine tasting to themed dinners
One way DTR set itself apart early on was by making wine approachable and non-intimidating. That’s something that Jaffer Kovic, a trained sommelier, has always excelled at, Zoe Kovic said.
Even as the restaurant has expanded from its original wine bar and tapas concept into more extensive menus with varied Mediterranean cuisine at its three restaurants, it continues to host wine tasting events.
“People like unpretentious … casual gatherings where you still have wine experts, there’s a lot of options, but it feels more natural,” said Kovic, adding that at the Dilworth and Plaza Midwood locations, these events often happen on their spacious patios.
The patio behind Dilworth Tasting Room’s original location on East Tremont Avenue in Dilworth. Many guests think of the restaurant as an extension of their living room, owner Zoe Kovic said. Chris Rodarte Rodarte’s Corner Media
Being responsive to what customers want is key because it gives them a chance to feel ownership in the neighborhood spot that DTR aims to be.
Many people look for events they can’t find elsewhere. For example, DTR recently hosted three sold out evenings featuring wines from Croatia, where the Kovics both have family roots.
Kovic said people seek out events “where you can hear interesting stories, interesting experiences, maybe meet a winemaker that you don’t know, maybe learn about the country.”
Kovic said several exciting events are in the works, including a series of bar takeovers featuring top bartenders from across the world and some fun Halloween parties. There’s also a special “Wicked” themed prix fixe menu, with varying dish options at each of the three locations, while the show plays at Blumenthal Arts through Oct. 26.
At The Artisan’s Palate, a restaurant, craft cocktail bar and art gallery featuring local artists, unique events are also a major part of the equation.
The restaurant hosts monthly “Women of Whiskey” tastings, pairing original cocktails made from spirits crafted by women distillers with a selection of seasonally-inspired menu items. There are weekly live music events representing a mix of genres, and for years the restaurant has hosted a popular Charity Drag Brunch, which has raised more than $88K for local charities.
The Artisan’s Palate hosts a variety of unique events including the monthly series, Women of Whiskey. The Artisan’s Palate
On Nov. 5, chef and owner of The Artisan’s Palate, Christa Csoka, will team up with another local culinary team, Orrman’s Cheese Shop, for a special themed dinner paying tribute to legendary chef Jacques Pépin in celebration of his 90th birthday.
The Artisan’s Palate is one of 90 restaurants across the country hosting dinners and raising funds for the Jacques Pépin Foundation, which supports free culinary training for people with employment barriers, such as homelessness or addiction recovery.
Christa Csoka is chef and owner of The Artisan’s Palate. Courtesy of The Artisan’s Palate
It’s personal for Csoka, as well as Orrman’s founder, Rachel Klebaur, and chef Jose Espinosa, who were all classmates at the former French Culinary Institute when Pépin served as dean.
“With grace, humor and passion, he led so many young chefs into the world of restaurants,” said Csoka, who considers him a true mentor, and recalls how Pépin would sometimes join her and others for a drink after class.
Chef Christa Csoka, center, is pictured at her graduation from The French Culinary Institute, where legendary chef Jacques Pépin, second from right, served as dean. Courtesy of The Artisan’s Palate
Staying relevant
At Customshop, chef and owner Andres Kaifer said hosting special events is one of the ways it stays relevant and community-focused. Kaifer took over the longstanding Elizabeth neighborhood standout in 2022, but the restaurant first opened in 2007.
“We try to constantly be planning collaboration events with other chefs and other restaurants that we have copious amounts of respect for,” Kaifer said. The one-night takeovers are fun for his team and educational, as they see how another kitchen operates. The events are popular with customers, too.
Recent events featured collaborations with chef Michael Beltran from Michelin-starred Miami restaurant Ariete for a six-course dinner, as well as a brunch takeover with the same restaurant group’s more casual Cuban-American Chug’s Diner.
Chef Michael Beltran of Ariete & Chef Andres Kaifer of Customshop during August’s Customshop X Ariete Collaboration. Ryan Allen
Kaifer said warm, welcoming hospitality is what keeps customers coming back and recommending it to others. But you have to keep things fresh with new menu items and events to keep things interesting for regular customers and make a splash online.
“Word of mouth is always going to be king …” Kaifer said. “But I think second to word of mouth comes Instagram.”
At DTR, seasonal menu changes include new craft cocktails, too. For the last year and a half, the restaurant has hosted an internal competition among bartenders at its three locations to see which drinks should go on each new menu of seasonal drinks. At first, bartenders were reluctant to participate, but now the competition is fierce and popular, Kovic said.
There were so many great entries, Kovic said, that the restaurant ended up with 18 new drinks — the most ever — for the latest menu. This fall’s selections include drinks like SHHH! I’M HUNTING WABBITS (made with Ketel One Grapefruit, allspice, carrot, lime, ginger, Fresno chili) and PEAR PRESSURE (Plymouth Gin, spiced pear, Pasubio, lemon, thyme, aquafaba).
At Dilworth Tasting Room, food and cocktail offerings change seasonally. The restaurant recently launched 18 new drinks on its Seasonal Cocktails Menu. Chris Rodarte Rodarte’s Corner Media
Kovic said DTR’s staff has a lot of fun with the competition, but it’s strategic, too. It’s a way to keep people motivated.
“I mean, they are the core [of] what we do … I always say, we’re really nothing without you.”
Investing in staff
At Raydal Hospitality, providing staff with opportunities to learn about the restaurant business and achieve upward economic mobility through the company has been an essential part of the business plan, Espaillat said.
It’s “part of the DNA of our company that if you want to own your restaurant, we can teach you. If you don’t have an education, we can teach you the basic … cooking methods and this and that, and then we go into the management,” understanding P&L (profit and loss statements) and the legal components of starting an LLC, he added.
“It has been the reason for our growth,” Espaillat said, noting that Sabor now has three franchisees, all former employees who worked their way through the ranks. At other non-franchisee locations, he said some cooks and managers also have an ownership stake in the business.
Investing in the community
Being actively involved in the community is another way to stay relevant and connect with folks. At Raydal Hospitality, Espaillat said it goes beyond simply donating food or gift cards. He encourages his managers to attend community events and meet the people they support.
It also means investing in the community in other ways.
Miriam Espaillat, the company’s director of community engagement, serves on several local nonprofit boards. She’s co-chair of Leading on Opportunity, which focuses on implementing systemic changes to boost economic mobility for everyone in the community. She’s also on the board of the Charlotte Bilingual Preschool, a dual-language program focused on early education, particularly for native Spanish speakers.
Participating this way “really helped us to get ourselves ingrained in the community and really being intentional on our involvement,” Espaillat said.
As a whole, DTR’s Kovic said the local food and beverage scene is probably more competitive than ever.
Miriam and Dalton Espaillat, shown in this 2020 file photo, own Three Amigos Mexican Grill Cantina, MaBi Tropical Cocina and multiple locations of Sabor Latin Street Grill. Courtesy of Miriam and Dalton Espaillat
“Everybody’s trying to find the magic formula …” she said. Attracting new customers is always a goal, but making sure regular customers keep coming back is what their business is built upon.
“So, you got to keep listening to people, you got to stay connected to community, you got to give back. I mean, it’s all of that … and just keep providing the best experience for the guest.”
Liz Rothaus Bertrand is an award-winning writer based in Charlotte, NC. She writes frequently about the arts, food, travel, education and social justice. You can find her on Instagram @tournesol74.
New wine program further elevates private jet travel with personalized experiences
BOSTON, October 15, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Magellan Jets, a leader in private aviation, today announced the appointment of renowned wine expert Jesse Rodriguez as the company’s resident Sommelier. This partnership sets a new standard in luxury travel, with Rodriguez spearheading bespoke experiences for Magellan Jets Clients.
Rodriguez, a two-time James Beard Semifinalist, previously served as Head Sommelier of The French Laundry in Napa Valley, California and was part of the team that won the restaurant’s inaugural Michelin three-star award. His background also includes roles as Head Sommelier at the Michelin-starred Addison at The Grand Del Mar in San Diego, California, and Head of Beverage for Montage Hotels & Resorts.
Magellan Jets’ tailored wine programs will include in-flight tastings led by Rodriguez and access to private vineyards. Rodriguez will also offer at-home wine tastings and cellar consultations, extending Magellan Jets’ passion for Client care beyond the runway.
“Jesse Rodriguez’s expertise in curated hospitality and his gift for creating personalized moments make him a perfect fit for Magellan Jets,” said Josh Lesnick, Chief Commercial Officer at Magellan Jets. “Passengers fly with us to celebrate milestones, close business deals, and reconnect with the people who matter most. By bringing Jesse on board, we’re living by our belief that Every Journey is Personal.“
“Great wine tells a story – of regions, of winemaking craft, and of the people who gather to share it,” said Rodriguez. “I’m thrilled to bring that storytelling to Magellan Jets Clients, whether we’re designing a unique tasting at 40,000 feet or opening doors to hidden vineyards in Napa Valley. My goal is simple: tailor one-of-a-kind wine journeys and transform trips into memories.”
Activations created by Rodriguez will officially launch in January 2026. This announcement builds on Magellan Jets’ commitment to creating signature moments. Recent events include a private breakfast with Sam Kennedy, President and CEO of the Boston Red Sox, and a behind-the-scenes invitation to New England Patriots training camp led by Head Coach Mike Vrabel.
Learn more about Magellan Jets’ curated experiences with Jesse Rodriguez on the company’s website.
About Magellan Jets
Magellan Jets is a world-class private aviation solutions provider offering Jet Cards, Private Charter Flights, Fractional Ownership, and Aircraft Sales and Management Services. With a focus on safety, hospitality, and Client care, the company is setting a new standard in private jet travel.
Magellan Jets has flown Private Clients to over 100 countries and consistently delivers exceptional service, maintaining a 4.9-out-of-5-star rating. The company has been featured on the Inc. 5000 list of “Fastest Growing Companies in America,” awarded Robb Report’s “Best of the Best,” and named Modern Luxury’s “Best Private Charter.”
Founded in Boston in 2008, Magellan Jets is headquartered in Quincy, Massachusetts with a private terminal in Bedford, Massachusetts. To learn more, visit www.magellanjets.com and follow the company on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Facebook.
Leading full-service property management company Awayday has announced PriceLabs as its preferred revenue management partner to optimize revenue across its network of more than 11,500 vacation rentals across the U.S.
CHICAGO, IL, October 13, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– PriceLabs, a global leader in revenue management solutions, today announced a new partnership with Awayday, a leading full-service U.S. vacation rental property manager with a portfolio of over 11,500 properties. Awayday has chosen PriceLabs as its preferred partner to deploy its state-of-the-art dynamic pricing and automation tools, optimizing revenue strategy across its rapidly expanding network of local brands.
The partnership is poised to set a new standard in professional, high-quality property management, combining Awayday’s scale and operational excellence with PriceLabs’ best-in-class, AI-powered technology. Awayday has been rapidly growing its properties and brands under management, combining a local focus with national scale. To power this expansion, Awayday sought an innovative partner capable of meeting the complex demands of a large-scale, diverse property portfolio, with a team of revenue managers handling thousands of properties across the U.S.
Awayday’s decision came after a comprehensive evaluation process, including data science deep dives and head-to-head comparisons of various platforms. PriceLabs distinguished itself through the superior accuracy of its pricing algorithm, seamless user interface and a human approach to partnership.
Eric Schueller, EVP Revenue at Awayday, said: “As we scale, we need a partner whose vision for the future of revenue management aligns with our own – one where intelligent algorithms and smart revenue managers work together to drive superior results. We were looking for a true technology leader. PriceLabs’ advanced algorithm, combined with its intuitive user experience, gives our team the confidence that we can calibrate our pricing effectively and deliver the best possible returns for our homeowners. We have been impressed by the platform’s evolution and the team’s deep understanding of our needs.”
Anurag Verma, Co-Founder of PriceLabs, said: “We have immense respect for how the Awayday team has executed its vision and built a high-quality organization at scale. This partnership is a significant win and a powerful validation of our platform’s ability to perform for the industry’s top professional operators. We are thrilled to partner with a team that thinks so clearly about the future and we are excited to support their continued growth.”
This partnership underscores PriceLabs’ continued expansion and success in serving enterprise-level vacation rental companies, both in optimizing revenue and supporting robust reporting needs.
About PriceLabs
PriceLabs is a global revenue management platform for the hospitality industry. Operating since 2014, it powers pricing for 500,000+ listings worldwide. Learn more at Pricelabs.co.
About Awayday
Awayday is a leading vacation rental property platform composed of 30 local brands in vacation-focused destinations across the U.S. With more than 11,000 exclusive properties managed, Awayday provides property owners with a fully integrated suite of local services, including rental bookings, cleaning and housekeeping, maintenance and repairs, unit inspections, equipment rentals, and 24/7 customer support. For more, visit www.awayday.com.
It’s a Tuesday afternoon, and I’ve sunk into a plush, jewel-toned sofa under a skylight. I’m pecking out the first lines of this article, while sipping sparkling water at the ritzy coworking space The Malin. At the Flatiron location in New York City there’s a buzz of productivity around me, as everyone speaks in library voices or types intently on their laptops. Several members rush to the kitchen for the daily afternoon snack drop. Sure, there are people eating sad desk salads or sipping Muscle Milk, but the space feels pristine, with empty cups silently whisked away and none of the normal office clutter in sight.
The Malin, which launched with a single coworking space in 2021, is on track to have 11 locations by early 2026, including spaces in Nashville, Savannah, Austin, and Washington D.C. In 2024, the company brought in $10 million in revenue, and it expects to double that to $20 million next year. That growth propelled the Malin to No. 41 on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America.
Founder Ciarán McGuigan, 36, attributes that success to “doing the basics really, really well.” From the start, he knew he wanted to capture the high end of the coworking market and offer personalized service to each member. He believed the footprint should be 20,000 to 25,000 square feet: spacious but not overwhelming.
Decorated with overstuffed velvet seats, dark green walls, abstract oil paintings, and stacks of art books, the workspace is designed to attract founders who want a stunning backdrop for meetings, startups that want their own office without the hassle of maintaining it, and larger tech firms that want to give their remote workers an office option. Over the summer, the Malin’s SoHo location appeared onscreen in the movie Materialists, as the office where Dakota Johnson’s character worked as a matchmaker for wealthy Manhattanites.
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Can the Malin succeed where many of its competitors have stumbled? WeWork launched in 2010, and by 2018 it leased the most private office space of any business in Manhattan, burning through hundreds of millions in venture capital in the process. But as market conditions changed, the company could not keep up with its expenses, and WeWork filed for bankruptcy in 2023. (After shedding many long-term leases, WeWork exited bankruptcy last year and continues to operate about 150 spaces.) In September, NeueHouse, a high-end members’ club and coworking space with locations in New York and Los Angeles, shut down with only 48 hours’ notice to members. In a statement on its website, the company citied “legacy liabilities.”
The Malin, like many new entrants into the coworking business, strikes management agreements with landlords, rather than taking on the sort of long-term leases that proved unsustainable for earlier entrants in the market. The spaces operate as joint ventures: Landlords provide much of the early capital while the Malin handles the design, management, and operations. Both parties take a share of the revenue.
For commercial landlords facing an industry-wide decrease in demand for office space, partnering with the Malin has proven an attractive proposition. In December 2023, the Malin opened a coworking space in Nashville’s Wedgewood Village, a new mixed-use development from AJ Capital Partners, the team behind Graduate Hotels, the boutique hotel chain that sold to Hilton in 2024. “With shared roots in hospitality, our partnership was built on a belief that design and service are essential to meaningful placemaking,” says Ruben Navarro, Chief Brand Officer at AJ Capital.
Hali Letlow, senior manager of content and community at ShopMy. Photo: Nathan Bajar
Developer TF Cornerstone began working with the Malin on a location in New York City’s NoMad district in 2023. “The revenue from the Malin is more variable than a traditional fixed-rent, long-term office lease, but we felt that it was worth taking a chance that we could outperform on revenue over time and that the tradeoff in volatility was acceptable for one floor of a twelve floor building,” says Jake Elghanayan, a senior vice president at TF Cornerstone. “Their team’s analogy is that it’s like introducing a little bit of equity exposure to a primarily fixed-income portfolio.”
For landlords, the costs of building out a new Malin space are higher than a regular office tenant, but when you factor in broker commissions, building costs, and rent concessions to new tenants, the outlay is like a traditional deal, Elghanayan adds. With time, McGuigan says, the joint ventures earn landlords about 40 to 50 percent more per square foot than they’d get from a normal landlord-tenant lease. And clearly TF Cornerstone is happy with the partnership, which has since expanded to a location in Washington D.C. and a forthcoming New York City location.
Jonny Grubin, founder of SoPost. Photo: Nathan Bajar
The concept of flexible office space has been around for decades, pioneered by companies like Regus. Coworking got a boost in recent years, as companies and workers embraced hybrid work schedules and looked to reduce office space. Today the average daily occupancy rate for offices is about 55 percent of pre-pandemic levels—a stat that’s not likely to change anytime soon, says Peter Kolaczynski, an associate director of commercial data at real estate research firm Yardi.
Despite their increasing popularity, coworking spaces currently account for just 2 percent of office space nationwide. “There’s a ton of room to grow,” says Kolaczynski, who anticipates that eventually more than 10 percent of all office space will be coworking or shared offices. Much of the demand will be driven by large corporate clients that want to offer flexibility to workers or open satellite offices in new locations.
Memberships at the Malin don’t come cheap. Depending on the region, access to the common areas starts at $275 a month, and private offices range from $3,500 to $35,000 a month. But that hasn’t dampened demand, particularly for private offices, which often sell out before a new coworking space even opens. In fact, within two hours of NeueHouse announcing its closure, the Malin says it received 11 inquiries for private offices.
Bringing hospitality and partnerships into coworking
If the Malin looks like a boutique hotel lobby—one Yelp reviewer sniffed at the SoHo location, calling it a “glorified furniture showroom”—there’s a reason for that. In addition to running the Malin, McGuigan is the creative director of Orior, the furniture company his parents founded in Rostrevor, Northern Ireland in 1979. The family also runs Ardor, a furniture manufacturing business that counts among its clients the interior designers behind high-end hotels and nightclubs, including Annabel’s in London and the Pembroke in Washington, D.C.
Around 2015 he realized the family businesses were “adding all this value to real estate.” Maybe he should launch his own hospitality company? A hotel brand would be an obvious choice, but the market was saturated.
Arjan Singh, co-founder of Jolie. Photography by Nathan Bajar
Companies like WeWork had turned flexible office space from something stodgy—the office equivalent of an airport Marriott—into a cool new way to work, even a lifestyle. But where WeWork raised about $12 billion in venture funding and struggled to turn a profit, McGuigan has been a careful steward of his investors’ and partners’ money. In 2021, the Malin closed a seed round of $6.5 million to get the business off the ground—the only outside funding it’s raised to date.
When the Malin’s first location in SoHo was slow to catch on, he stopped taking the Malin’s share of the revenue split he’d agreed to with the landlord for nine months. “I said I was going to do something, I hadn’t achieved it, and I didn’t feel good taking the money,” says McGuigan. “The landlord couldn’t fucking believe it.”
With a little time, new members started signing up, and the landlord has since quadrupled the Malin’s footprint in the building. And the Malin hit profitability in March of this year.
In recent months, the Malin has inked a partnership with Equinox gyms, has begun adding event spaces to its new locations, and is in talks for its first international location in London. (The Malin is partnering with Inc. on a series of events for founders.) But McGuigan says he wants to create an environment that’s conducive to work, without branching into things like community building or creating an off-hours social hub.
Syndey Landau, associate at Shakti VC. Photo: Nathan Bajar
Last year, I met Arjan Singh at the Malin SoHo, for an article about Jolie, the luxury showerhead company he co-founded. Now, Singh has a dedicated office in the Flatiron location. He likes that the space keeps the focus on work, rather than offering social activities, ping-pong tables, and other diversions that some other coworking spaces provide. “I like the sole focus on work,” “As a very social person, the productive environment helps me keep the focus,” says Singh, whose company brought in $28 million in revenue in 2023. Nonetheless, he’s made several founder friends at the Malin.
McGuigan takes pride in the fact that businesses like Jolie are thriving in the Malin. “The fact that they’ve had that growth, and they’re applying their craft within these four walls is unbelievable,” McGuigan says. “When I see 10 people sitting at the communal tables, someone could be writing a book. Someone could be doing the next OpenAI. The amount of commerce that’s happening is amazing.”
Expected $160 million economic boost and 1,000 new jobs for the region
Over 250,000 visitors anticipated
Hotels and Airbnb near Bethpage nearly sold out with premium pricing
Long Island is gearing up to host the 2025 Ryder Cup, scheduled for September 23–28 at the renowned Bethpage Black course in Farmingdale. The PGA of America announced Bethpage as the event’s host back in 2013, setting in motion years of preparation for the tournament.
New projections reveal that the event is expected to infuse $160 million into the Long Island economy, and create an estimated 1,000 jobs, according to the LIA Research Institute, the research arm of the Long Island Association.
The event is expected to draw more than 250,000 people – including President Donald Trump. Of the attendees, at least 65-70 percent will likely hail from elsewhere in the U.S., and other countries, according to the LIA Research Institute. They will look on as 24 of the top male players from around the world compete between Team USA and Team Europe.
“Long Island is an unparalleled place to live and work, and assets like the Bethpage Black Course allows our region to attract world-class sporting events including this year’s Ryder Cup,” Matt Cohen, LIA president and CEO, said in a written statement.
“This preeminent golfing tournament will provide a unique opportunity for Long Island to host visitors throughout the world who will spend their money at our hotels and restaurants and boost job growth both on and off the course,” Cohen added.
The latest analysis considered several types of spending related to the Ryder Cup. This includes direct spending, such as money for tickets and merchandise. It also includes indirect spending, such as expenses at local hotels, restaurants and other businesses. And it includes induced impacts, which refer to how employees may spend the wages they earn from Ryder Cup-related jobs. Overall, the total income earned by workers is expected to be approximately $57 million, according to the report.
Research shows that there are 16 hotels within 25 miles of Bethpage Black, and all are nearly sold out with prices per night at between $900 and $1,000. Airbnb properties within 25 miles were also largely sold out, though at the time of the report’s release, one three-bedroom location was priced at $36,000 for a six-night booking.
Tournament packages, including hotel, transportation, tickets and upgraded food options started at $7,000 and ranged up to $20,000. Week-long passes were being resold for more than $6,000.
Billy Lodato, catering director at Lessing’s Hospitality of Heritage Club at Bethpage – a venue located within Bethpage State Park – has been leading the venue’s preparations throughout the Ryder Cup process.
“It is an honor to lead Lessing’s in executing one of the world’s premier sporting events,” Lodato told LIBN.
“Hosting the Ryder Cup is not just about service, it’s about precision, planning and the relentless attention to detail required to welcome golf’s biggest stage,” Lodato said.
“From meticulously coordinating logistics and culinary offerings to ensuring every guest experience is seamless, this event showcases the true scale and capability of our team,” he added. “Employees from every division, from New York to Florida, have come together, bringing expertise, dedication and pride to make this moment truly unforgettable. This opportunity highlights not only our company’s strength and spirit, but also our unwavering commitment to excellence in every detail.”
And for those who didn’t get tickets, viewing parties will help them participate.
Optimum, for instance, is hosting viewing parties. There is one slated for Sept. 26, from 12-4 p.m. at Bacaro Italian Tavern in Massapequa Park. Another is scheduled for Sept. 27, from 12-4 p.m. at B.K. Sweeney’s Parkside Tavern in Bethpage. And yet another on Sept. 28 will take place from 12-4 p.m. at Sal’s Place in Hicksville in North Massapequa.
The economic impact extends beyond Long Island, officials said.
“When including the entire state of New York, the Ryder Cup will leave an economic impact far more than $200 million,” Bryan Karns, Ryder Cup director, said in a written statement.
“The Ryder Cup economic impact goes well beyond the initial spend by the PGA of America, sponsors and visitors; it creates a ripple effect through Nassau and Suffolk Counties,” Steve Kent, chief economist of the LIA Research Institute, said in a written statement. “Our regional businesses also buy locally and hire locally, so there is a multiplier effect that percolates throughout Long Island.”
Activist investor Sardar Biglari launched his eighth proxy battle at Cracker Barrel after the dining chain reported disappointing fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday. In a filing on Thursday, Biglari, who is also the CEO of Steak n’ Shake, urged shareholders to vote against the re-election of Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino and railed against the chain’s management, which he deemed “worse than mediocre.”
Biglari’s latest campaign is part of a 14-year entanglement with Cracker Barrel in which he has repeatedly failed to get himself elected as a director. He has, however, managed to elect two candidates of his choosing (in 2022 and 2024), while fighting against his proxy battles has cost Cracker Barrel millions. Even this was cause for criticism from Biglari: “The Board has spent $31 million of shareholders’ money to prevent one of its largest shareholders [Biglari] from having a minority voice. Now the Company has become a laughingstock.”
For many years, Biglari was one of the company’s largest shareholders, at one point owning nearly 20% of Cracker Barrel’s shares. He has since sold off much of his stake, and disclosed ownership of a 2.9% stake in the proxy filing.
Cracker Barrel’s stock fell approximately 10% in after hours trading and was down more than 8% at time of publication.
Biglari, who is also the CEO of Biglari Holdings, which also controls Maxim magazine, isn’t going away. On Thursday, he urged shareholders to vote against the board’s directors, whom he accused of “severe destruction of shareholder value,” an inability to understand Cracker Barrel’s brand, and a failure to select a suitable CEO.
“Instead of demonstrating the discipline and stewardship required to protect and enhance a storied brand, management has relied on ill-conceived strategies that have worsened existing challenges rather than solved them, culminating in the disastrous “brand refresh” that has ranked among this century’s worst brand blunders alongside Bud Light and Jaguar,” he wrote. “CEO Julie Masino’s tenure has been marked by repeated and highly publicized missteps, from misguided rebranding efforts to ill-fated “transformation” initiatives, that reflect the Company’s troubling pattern of tone-deafness and disregard for shareholder capital.”
Biglari also took aim at the Cracker Barrel board’s marketing expert, Gilbert Dávila, whom he accused of being responsible for the chain’s struggles, and “eroding shareholder value” by approving “outsized pay packages” for Cracker Barrel executives.
“Shareholders can send a message that merit and performance, the foundation that built America, rank above DEI,” he continued.
Cracker Barrel has dismissed Biglari’s antics, previously tellingFortune that the activist investor has made “numerous false and misleading claims about Cracker Barrel, its Board and management.” Shareholders have rejected nearly all of his proposals.
In June, The Wall Street Journal reported that many Cracker Barrel customers were mourning the “loss of that old-timey feeling,” and the uproar escalated in August after a particular tweet by Donald Trump Jr., highlighting allegations that the rebrand was “woke.” The market reaction alone wiped out roughly $100 million from the chain’s value. At issue was, in part, the new logo that did away with the traditional “Uncle Herschel” mascot—a denim-clad old man perched on a chair beside a barrel.
The redesign, which was a key part of Cracker Barrel’s $700 million modernization campaign—and was intended to reverse an outflow of customers from the chain, performance that Biglari has criticized for years—immediately ignited controversy, drawing outrage from longtime diners, Biglari, and even President Trump. Biglari used his restaurant’s social media accounts to troll Cracker Barrel over the blunder.
Cracker Barrel quickly reversed course, ditching the rebranding and suspending its planned restaurant renovations. The company’s stock is down roughly 17% year-to-date.
Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.
Vital signs for the labor market indicate that it’s getting sicker, and the healthcare sector is one of the few that is keep it from looking even worse.
The latest jobs report revealed the U.S. economy added just 22,000 jobs in August with revisions to prior months showing June actually saw a decline. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate edged up to a four-year high of 4.3%.
In a note on Saturday, Torsten Sløk, chief economist at Apollo Global Management, observed that job growth in tariff-impacted sectors is negative. Manufacturers alone cut 12,000 workers last month.
By contrast, the health care and social assistance sectors added 46,800 jobs, while the leisure and hospitality industry added 28,000. In fact, they have been doing the heavy lifting throughout the year, a trend that concerns Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics.
“What’s perhaps most disconcerting about the flagging job market is how dependent it is on healthcare and hospitality for what little job growth is occurring,” he wrote on X on Sunday. “Since the beginning of the year, the economy has created a paltry 600k jobs, but without the job growth in these industries, there would be zero job growth.”
The year-to-date gains of the health care and social assistance sectors plus the leisure and hospitality industry total 855,900, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, meaning the economy would actually be in the hole by more than 250,000 jobs if not for those groups.
Zandi also pointed out that less than half of the industries tracked by BLS have added to payrolls over the past six months, adding that “this only happens when the economy is in recession.”
The diffusion index in the jobs report gauges the concentration of growth. A reading below 50 means more industries cut jobs than added. In August, it was 49.6, and the three-month average was 47.9.
After the August jobs report was released on Friday, Zandi told Fortune’s Eva Roytburg that the economy is on the edge of recession and may already be in one.
He called the revision to June, which showed a loss of 13,000 jobs, especially significant as downturns are typically dated back to the first month of payroll declines.
Meanwhile, long-term unemployment has ticked higher over the past year, and more than 6 million people outside the labor force now say they want a job, up from roughly 5.7 million about a year ago, according to the BLS.
“This really feels like a jobs recession,” Zandi told Fortune. “Employment is flat to down. Output and incomes are still growing, but the economy is incredibly vulnerable. Nothing else can go wrong, or it could tip us into a full downturn.”
To be sure, the economy remains in positive territory for now. GDP expanded by 3.3% in the second quarter, and the Atlanta Fed’s GDP tracker shows the third quarter is on pace for a 3% increase.
Earlier on Sunday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent was asked to respond to Zandi’s jobs recession comment.
In an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, he said policies are in place that will create good, high-paying jobs. Bessent also said payroll data collected in August has historically been prone to big revisions later, and he blamed the Federal Reserve for not cutting rates sooner.
“President Trump was elected for change, and we are going to push through with the economic policies that are going to set the economy right. I believe by the fourth quarter, we’re going to see a substantial acceleration,” he predicted.
Fortune Global Forum returns Oct. 26–27, 2025 in Riyadh. CEOs and global leaders will gather for a dynamic, invitation-only event shaping the future of business. Apply for an invitation.
Not the investor. Not the strategist. Not the guy fixing tech stacks or analyzing labor margins. Just the guy at the sink, scrubbing trays, rinsing off sheet pans.
It wasn’t exactly what he had pictured when he told his wife he was ready for a new challenge.
Today, Smith is the managing partner and co-founder of Savory Fund, a restaurant investment firm known for helping brands scale nationally. But before the boardrooms and portfolios, he started where few investors do: behind the dish pit.
Rewind a year. His wife had launched a bakery, a fast-casual dessert concept that opened in the middle of the 2008 financial crash. Smith, still deep in his tech CEO role, didn’t exactly love the idea. “In my mind, I’m like, that’s the worst idea,” he now admits. “But you know what I responded? I was like, ‘I think it’s a great idea. Of course. And we should absolutely do that.’”
It wasn’t sarcasm. It was marriage. And, as he puts it, “because of that, I just celebrated my 26th anniversary.”
Fast-forward a year, and his company was stable. The bakery was bustling. And Smith was ready to do something new. Something less theoretical. Something real. He called his wife and said, “I think I want to come join you in the restaurant business.”
Her reply? “Perfect. My dishwasher just called out.”
So that’s how Smith, a guy who had sold companies, raised millions and built tech startups, walked away from the boardroom and stepped straight into the dish pit.
No business cards. No title. Just soap, steam and a head-first dive into restaurant life. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was the beginning. And eventually, it led to the creation of Savory Fund.
If your restaurant doesn’t have a story, it doesn’t have a brand. That’s Smith’s philosophy, and it’s baked into everything Savory Fund does. Before the systems, funding and growth playbook, there’s the story. Who are you? Why do you exist? And why should anyone care?
“Storytelling is what galvanizes your consumer with your brand,” Smith says. “If you can’t explain your purpose, it’s a pretty hollow business.”
At Savory, storytelling isn’t fluff. It’s foundational. It shapes how a brand communicates, hires, markets, scales and builds culture. From social media presence to internal training, it’s the thread that holds everything together.
But make no mistake. Savory is more than a storytelling shop. It’s a serious growth engine.
The firm combines more than $750 million in assets under management with a proven operational playbook developed over 16 years in the restaurant industry. Savory partners with high-potential, profitable, emerging restaurant brands and gives them more than capital. It provides hands-on support with operations, real estate, marketing, systems and training.
Savory’s team of more than 85 people contributes directly to all aspects of growth. The goal is not just expansion, but sustainable replication. Founder involvement is a must. The early success of a restaurant often hinges on instincts and insights that only the founder can explain. Savory helps translate that into scalable systems without losing what made the brand matter in the first place.
It’s a deeply personal mission for Smith. His wife, Shauna K. Smith, serves as CEO of Savory Fund and leads the charge on brand support and development. Together, they’ve built a company that doesn’t just invest in restaurants. It invests in the people who make them work.
When his sons were younger, Smith brought them into his world — taking calls on the way to football practice, asking what they noticed and learned. It wasn’t a balancing act between work and life. It was an intentional blend, designed to make both more meaningful.
That mindset carries into how Savory works with founders. Business should be personal. And the best brands don’t just serve food. They serve a purpose.
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The Olympics are still three years away, but Los Angeles is already bracing for its first major showdown over the 2028 Games
A gathering of Unite Here Local 11 members yesterday.Photo: Courtesy of Unite Here Local 11
Outside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on Thursday morning, workers in red shirts waved signs reading “Fair Games.” Hotel housekeepers, bellmen and cooks stood in protest together, demanding their cut of the city’s Olympic payouts. It was a rally, but also a warning.
Unite Here Local 11, the Los Angeles hotel workers union, launched its “New Deal for Our Future” campaign, demanding that Olympic organizers commit $5 billion to build affordable housing, impose a city-wide moratorium on Airbnb rentals and cut ties with the company altogether. If not, the union warns, it is prepared to strike when the Games arrive in 2028.
“ If LA28 and their billionaire backers refuse to change course, we will take this fight to the streets and to the Games,” said Kurt Petersen, Unite Here’s co-president. “ When the world’s eyes are on Los Angeles in 2028, we will not hesitate to strike.”
The union’s timing is not accidental. Dozens of Unite Here contracts with hotels, airports and stadiums are set to expire just ahead of the Olympics, giving workers rare leverage over an event projected to bring hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city. Tourism workers at the rally do not intend to let the moment pass them by.
“ A lot of people are gonna stay in our hotels,” said Emmanuel Cabrera, a bellman at the Westin Bonaventure and organizer with Unite Here. “We’re just asking for our fair share.”
In response, organizers with LA28 issued a statement, promising that the Games would create good-paying jobs and real opportunities for working people in Los Angeles. The International Olympic Committee has not yet weighed in.
The “New Deal” campaign comes amid escalating political fights tied to the Games. Earlier this year, the City Council approved a $30 minimum wage for hotel and airport workers. Business groups, backed by Delta and United Airlines, are now pushing a referendum to overturn it. Unite Here countered with its own ballot initiatives, including raising the minimum wage for all workers and taxing companies with high CEO-to-worker pay gaps.
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Meanwhile, Airbnb has mounted a shadow campaign to loosen restrictions on short-term rentals before LA hosts a string of mega-events — the 2026 World Cup, the 2027 Super Bowl and the 2028 Olympics. The company argues that expanded rentals could help cover the city’s $1 billion deficit. But Unite Here insists that Airbnb worsens LA’s housing crisis by removing units from the long-term rental market.
Olympic organizers insist that the Games will be privately funded. LA28 recently announced that for the first time, the IOC will allow naming rights for Olympic venues (Honda and Comcast have already signed on). But if the budget overruns and costs spiral, the city is ultimately responsible, and activists warn that Angelenos could end up footing the bill. Sponsorships are nothing new, but critics say the deals have taken on a new intensity.
“ LA28, as we speak, is literally auctioning off our city,” Peterson said. “What’s next? Welcome to ‘Airbnb Los Angeles?’”
With contracts expiring, ballot measures on the horizon, and billions of dollars at stake, labor organizers say their battle with Olympic leaders has already begun, years before the opening ceremonies.
TORONTO, ON AND AUSTIN, TX, April 15, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– InnVest Hotels, one of Canada’s largest hotel owners and operators, has entered into a strategic partnership with Tailos Robotics, the Austin-based innovator in AI-powered cleaning solutions. Together, the companies are bringing smarter, more efficient, and people-first automation to InnVest’s portfolio of properties.
This collaboration reflects InnVest’s deep commitment to delivering exceptional guest experiences while supporting the team members who make them possible. As part of the partnership, Tailos’ robotic vacuum, Rosie, will be deployed across multiple InnVest hotels throughout 2025.
The partnership follows an in-depth, two-year evaluation led by McLean Xavier, Chief Information Officer at InnVest Hotels. After testing multiple robotic solutions, InnVest selected Tailos as its preferred provider.
“Normally, an evaluation process takes a bit less than two years, but for us, we wanted to make certain that the partner we chose would be one that we could rely on when we needed them most,” said McLean Xavier. “That means having access to the right person within the group with the right influence to deal with our challenges and respond to our changing needs.”
“I found it very easy to interact and get responses from the Tailos team,” Xavier added. “They have been very accommodating to our needs. It also helps when the team that you are working with stays within all project goals, which Tailos did.”
By integrating Rosie into daily operations, InnVest expects to clean more than 80 million square feet of carpet in the next 12 months. Beyond efficiency, Rosie also helps reduce physical strain on housekeeping staff by automating repetitive vacuuming tasks-addressing a well-documented source of wrist injuries in the hospitality industry.
“Our partnership with InnVest Hotels exemplifies the powerful role robotics and AI can play in transforming hospitality operations-not merely from an efficiency standpoint but, importantly, by significantly improving employee well-being,” stated Micah Estis Green, CEO at Tailos Robotics. “Rosie empowers housekeeping teams, enabling them to focus energy on activities that truly enhance guest experience.”
Together, InnVest and Tailos are demonstrating how thoughtful automation can drive both operational excellence and employee care-proving that better guest experiences start with better support for the teams behind them.
For more information about InnVest Hotels, please visit innvesthotels.com. To learn more about Tailos Robotics and Rosie, visit tailos.com.
STERLING, Va., April 2, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– Mvix Digital Signage, a leading provider of enterprise digital signage solutions, is excited to announce the launch of its native integration suite with Delphi EMS. This seamless EDI will enable hotels, resorts, and event venues to seamlessly display real-time availability for event spaces, meeting rooms, banquet halls, and conference centers through digital signage screens. By delivering up-to-the-minute updates and automated scheduling, this technology enhances the guest experience while optimizing space utilization and streamlining booking operations.
“This integration is a game-changer for our hospitality clients,” said Mike Kilian, Executive Vice President of Mvix. “By integrating our digital signage solutions with this state-of-the-art, enterprise-level event management systems, hotels can instantly showcase their daily/weekly event space listings and meeting room calendars without the need for any manual updates.“
Mvix’s best-in-class digital signage solution integrated with Delphi’ robust hospitality management system and hotels can further improve guest engagement while reducing reliance on printed materials and minimizing front-desk congestion. This ensures key information is always accessible at crucial touchpoints such as lobbies, lounges, hallways, and conference areas, creating a more efficient and interactive communication strategy.
“Our goal is to help hotels optimize their event and space booking processes while also improving operational efficiency,” added Kilian. “By streamlining these operations, hotels can maximize revenue opportunities, reduce administrative burdens, and enhance the guest experience-leading to higher satisfaction and increased repeat bookings.“
This end-to-end EMS integration is now available for facilities using Delphi EMS and looking to enhance their event and space booking strategy with digital signage. For more information on how this integration can benefit your hospitality business, visit www.mvix.com
About Mvix Digital Signage Mvix Digital Signage has been a leading provider of enterprise-grade digital signage solutions since 2005, delivering innovative and scalable display solutions to businesses across multiple industries, including hospitality, healthcare, corporate, and education. With a focus on automation, cloud-based technology, and user-friendly interfaces, Mvix helps organizations enhance communication, engagement, and branding.
West Palm Beach Marriott Completes Multimillion-Dollar Renovation
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., March 19, 2025 (Newswire.com)
– The West Palm Beach Marriott is delighted to announce the completion of a multi- million dollar guest room renovation. Drawing inspiration from South Florida’s stunning sunsets, rich warm hues and dynamic textures blend seamlessly to offer guests a luxurious retreat with stunning views of the bustling cityscape and serene lake.
As West Palm Beach cements its status as a premier destination for 2025, the West Palm Beach Marriott stands at the heart of the action. Guests can easily explore the best the city has to offer-from indulging in upscale shopping at CityPlace and taking in world-class performances at The Kravis Center to discovering culinary delights along Clematis Street.
General Manager Marcus Borman shared, “We are proud to unveil a guest room transformation that shatters expectations and redefines class in West Palm Beach. Every detail has been meticulously crafted to create a truly memorable experience. This renovation isn’t just an update; it’s a statement of our commitment to excellence – and this is only the beginning.”
As a legacy Marriott property, service is at the forefront of the culture. Whether it’s anticipating needs or following through on their promises, guests can rely on the exceptional and heartfelt service the hosts provide with every interaction.
Discover the new standard of class and comfort-where timeless elegance meets modern sophistication at the West Palm Beach Marriott.
ABOUT WEST PALM BEACH MARRIOTT
The West Palm Beach Marriott is the premier destination for guests traveling to the Palm Beaches. Located in a vibrant downtown, just steps from Palm Beach Convention Center and The Kravis Center, minutes from shopping at CityPlace, Brightline West Palm Beach Station, and the airport. The recent completion of its guest room renovation positions the hotel competitively in the market. The property features a sparkling outdoor pool, a lighted courtyard with firepits, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a signature restaurant, Bistro Ten Zero One, offering American cuisine. Moreover, the hotel is an ideal venue for business or social events, with over 20,000 square feet of flexible indoor and outdoor space. For additional information about the hotel and reservations, visit www.westpalmbeachmarriott.com or call 1.888.236.2427. For media inquiries, please email Michelle Gamboa, Marketing Manager, at michelle.gamboa@marriott.com.
