RESTAURANT WORKERS - CORPORATE HOSTAGES

RESTAURANT WORKERS, CORPORATE HOSTAGES Food Travel USA with Elizabeth DoughertyAlbum: The TRUTH About Food and Travel 072625 Episode #: 1952 Original Broadcast Date: 07/26/25 The next time you tip your server, remember this: you’re not just rewarding good service—you’re covering a billion-dollar corporation’s payroll. That’s not hyperbole. Thanks to a legal loophole, giant restaurant chains pay their front-line workers as little as $2.13 an hour, then expect you to make up the rest. These companies rake in billions, funnel profits to executives and shareholders, and still refuse to pay their own customer-facing, front-line employees a livable wage. They call it “tipping culture.” We call it wage theft disguised as tradition. And here’s the kicker—if that underpaid server doesn’t earn enough in tips to reach minimum wage? Technically, the company’s supposed to make up the difference. But they rarely do. Why? Because they know customers will keep blindly paying the gap. This isn’t just shady—it’s systematic exploitation. These fat-cat CEOs get richer while we, the customers, get guilt-tripped into footing the bill. Meanwhile, servers scrape by with no benefits, no job security, and no respect. Enough is enough. It’s time to call out this rigged system for what it is: corporate greed, hiding behind a smile and a side of fries. In this podcast, you'll hear mention of how two companies (BlackRock and Vanguard) own sizeable shares of these HUGE restaurant chains with recognizable names.  Here's the breakdown according to Chat GPT: BlackRock and Vanguard are the two largest asset managers in the world, and they hold shares in virtually every major publicly traded company, including nearly all large restaurant chains. They don't "own" these companies outright, but they control significant voting power through institutional investments on behalf of index funds and ETFs. Here are major restaurant chains in which BlackRock and Vanguard are known top shareholders: ✅ Fast Food & Quick Service Chains McDonald's (MCD) Yum! Brands (YUM) – owns KFC, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut Restaurant Brands International (QSR) – owns Burger King, Popeyes, Tim Hortons Wendy’s (WEN) Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) Domino’s Pizza (DPZ) Jack in the Box (JACK) Shake Shack (SHAK) Wingstop (WING) Del Taco (now owned by Jack in the Box) ✅ Casual Dining Chains Darden Restaurants (DRI) – owns Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Cheddar’s Brinker International (EAT) – owns Chili’s, Maggiano’s Little Italy Bloomin’ Brands (BLMN) – owns Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s, Bonefish Grill Texas Roadhouse (TXRH) Cracker Barrel (CBRL) The Cheesecake Factory (CAKE) BJ’s Restaurants (BJRI) Red Robin (RRGB) ✅ Coffee, Bakery, and Specialty Chains Starbucks (SBUX) Dunkin’ (was public; now private under Inspire Brands) Krispy Kreme (DNUT) BlackRock and Vanguard typically hold 5% to 15% stakes in these companies, and when combined, they’re often the top two shareholders—effectively giving them immense influence over board decisions, executive pay, and corporate policies. FOOD TRAVEL USA FAST FACTS About the Show Using the chassis of a food and travel show, Elizabeth Dougherty has carved out her own lane in Talk Radio, covering the contamination of the food supply and the travel restrictions placed upon us by an overreaching government. The show also covers data protection, self-sufficiency, and homesteading-related topics to help protect us from this evil, corrupt system. With Elizabeth as the host, the show has a very different sound from the typical male-oriented talk radio. In combination with terrestrial stations that carry the show, we reach people who don't normally listen to politically-driven talk radio. In addition to the LIVE FEED of the show on Saturday afternoons from 5pm–7pm (Eastern) / 2pm–4pm (Pacific), we produce and distribute a dozen podcast segments each week. Website & Social Media Website: FoodTravelUSA.com Social Media: Facebook | X (formerly Twitter) | Truth Social | YouTube Broadcast Details Live Broadcast: Saturday, 5 PM Listen Anytime Production Team Executive Producer: Michael Serio Email: [email protected] Why Listeners Tune In ✔ The latest food & travel insights—every week ✔ Homemade videos of healthy, easy-to-make recipes ✔ No-holds-barred interviews on a LIVE, fast-paced, nationwide call-in show ✔ Elizabeth Dougherty: Writer, trained chef, world traveler, and award-winning talk show host ✔ First to bring expert insights on GMOs—before anyone else ✔ A true LIVE SHOW—NO “Best Of” reruns! ✔ Hard-hitting topics & interviews—no recycled political spin ✔ Engaged social media presence—200,000+ followers