One of the key narratives in the restaurant world over the past year has been an increased focus on workers’ rights. Restaurant employees scored big settlements in tip-skimming lawsuits against restaurateurs such as Mario Batali and Eric Ripert, and fought tooth-and-nail for better pay from fast-food conglomerates, even as a few restaurant executives threatened to cut hours to avoid giving employees the benefits that Obamacare would require them to provide. Workers’ struggle for higher pay and better benefits has been conveyed movingly in both personal essays and reported articles.