The times are a-changin’ in the restaurant world as changes in consumer preferences and advances in technology are drastically altering business models and restaurant operations. This week, the team from Align Public Strategies sits down with Mike Harrison, head of communications at Reef Technology, to understand the changing environment and how Reef looks at their role in the process.

Labor shortage? What labor shortage? Last weekend, Amazon hosted a 24-hour virtual job fair and over a million potential applicants participated, over half of them in the United States. The team looks at why some entry-level employers have all the help they need.

Related: Working Lunch: Retailers winning battle for top employees

Then Align Public Strategies gives an update on this week’s unionization campaigns, with key developments in both the Starbucks campaign in Buffalo and the Darwin’s effort in Boston. The episode wraps up with the weekly legislative scorecard.

Align Public Strategies is a full-service public affairs and creative firm that helps corporate brands, governments and nonprofits navigate the outside world and inform their internal decision-making. This article does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors or management of Nation’s Restaurant News or Restaurant Hospitality.