Even restaurants that don’t preach the gospel of local, fair trade and organic produce—which is to say, most of them—could face a dilemma when they order fresh tomatoes this winter. Should they source them through the usual channels and pay the market price? Or should they take the high road and pay extra for tomatoes picked by better-compensated workers? Chipotle Mexican Grille plans to voluntarily increase its food costs this way, following the lead of some QSR giants. Would doing the same make a positive difference for your restaurant?

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How close are we to having a tax on sodas and other sugary soft drinks? Consider this. The New York City Department of Health, the agency that single-handedly drove the no-trans-fat movement, just got its “soda-causes-obesity” posters back from the printer—just as revenue shortfalls have legislators racing to see who can write a version of a new soda tax first. High-margin sodas and soft drinks are huge profit makers for most restaurants. If soda drinking declines, where are you going to make your money?

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Today’s labor market might be tighter than in recent years, but employee loyalty is still an issue. And turnover can be expensive. The Work Institute estimates that employers spend an average of $8,500 to replace an hourly staff member. Recruiting, training and paying overtime to others who fill in all add up. Are you doing all you can to keep your employees loyal? Shawn Boyer, c.e.o. of Snagajob.com, advises watching for the following signs that you are not doing so.

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