POSAIDC Blog

In January, President Obama emphasized the role of retail in job creation during his State of the Union – and retailers heard the call to action loud and clear. As the industry closest to the consumer, it’s no surprise retailer and restaurant leaders are the first in line to facilitate an economic comeback.

In recent months, we’ve seen retailers like Gap and Macy’s answer the call. And now McDonald’s will join other industry brands in doing what they can to foster job creation.

As one of America’s favorite fast food restaurants and a supplier of nearly 400,000 jobs in the U.S., McDonald’s has announced plans to hire 50,000 new employees in April – a feat that the company is hoping will spur economic growth nationwide. According to McDonald’s, the April 19 National Hiring Day investment will generate more than $1.3 billion in consumer spending. And that breaks down to quite an impact to our nation’s local communities. State and local economies can expect to see the expected revenue from this initiative translate into an additional increase in spending as follows:

• $421.1 million spent on housing
• $181.8 million spent on taxes
• $176.5 million spent on groceries
• $38.8 million spent on healthcare

The value of retail as a job creation engine is not to be ignored, especially by our nation’s lawmakers. As retailers like Gap, Macy’s and McDonald’s continue to bring workforce initiatives to the table, it is NRF’s hope that Congress and the President will work to create policies that are pro-growth and encourage investment and consumption — front-of-mind issues include repealing health care employer mandates or finalizing swipe fee relief for retailers and consumers.

As NRF President Matthew Shay has said, NRF and the retail industry as a whole, stand ready to work with our nation’s leaders to “put Americans back to work.” NRF hopes our lawmakers feel the same.

McDonald’s is holding a national hiring event to bring in as many as 50,000 new part time and full time workers at nearly 14,000 franchise locations. The event will occur on April 18th and the new employees will cost the company $3.5 million a day in increased payroll costs. Sbarro has reached an agreement on [...]

After conquering the restaurant industry’s Oscar equivalent as number one in the nation, Cafe Rio Mexican Grill sets its sights on a new challenge: making a presence on the East Coast. Cafe Rio Mexican Grill will be opening its very first East Coast location, about 30 minutes from the White House itself, in Olney, Maryland. [...]

In celebration of the end of tax season and the extension of Tax Day to April 18, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. will reward guests nationwide with a 15 percent discount on April 18. The special one-day deal encourages P.F. Chang’s diners across the country to celebrate the end of tax season with extra savings. [...]

In celebration of the end of tax season and the extension of Tax Day to April 18, P.F. Chang’s China Bistro Inc. will reward guests nationwide with a 15 percent discount on April 18. The special one-day deal encourages P.F. Chang’s diners across the country to celebrate the end of tax season with extra savings. [...]

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has announced the appointment of David Makula, the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Oak Street Capital Management to its Board of Directors. The Company also announced it has signed a “Support Agreement” with Oak Street in conjunction with Mr. Makula’s appointment to the Board. Under the terms of the [...]

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers has announced the appointment of David Makula, the Managing Member and Chief Investment Officer of Oak Street Capital Management to its Board of Directors. The Company also announced it has signed a “Support Agreement” with Oak Street in conjunction with Mr. Makula’s appointment to the Board. Under the terms of the [...]

 Pizza Inn, Inc., an international pizza chain recognized for serving a variety of fresh, popular traditional and specialty pizzas, is now available in Saraland, Alabama.   A new Pizza Inn delivery/carryout location opened at 617 Celeste Road, and marks the fourth location for multi-unit franchise owner Flash Market Convenience stores. As part of a large travel [...]

Wingstop announced today that same store sales for the first quarter are up 2.5 percent over the same quarter last year.   The fast-growing 480-unit chain hit the ground running this year, selling more than 5 million wings on Super Bowl Sunday – a record for the company – opening six new stores and awarding development [...]

Why is Red Lobster so popular, particularly among African Americans? The chain – a key brand of multi-chain operator Darden Restaurants, which serves 400 million meals each year and has $7 billion in annual sales – consistently ranks high in national restaurant surveys. Industry analysts chalk up Red Lobster’s success to good management and fine-tuned [...]