📝 Why Starbucks workers are striking

📢 Starbucks Strike

• Workers at Madison’s two unionized Starbucks locations downtown held a surprise walkout Wednesday ahead of a planned nationwide strike today. [Badger Herald]
• Nov. 16 is Red Cup Day, AKA one of Starbucks’ busiest days of the year. In Madison, workers at the Capitol Square and State Street locations will protest again for their rights as workers. Across the country, more than 300 Starbucks stores have unionized but none have successfully made contract negotiations. [Isthmus]
• Looking for coffee? If you need caffeine but don’t want to cross the picket line, check out one of Madison’s (many!) local coffee shops. [Madison Minutes]

🤑 We Have a Budget

• City Council approved the 2024 operating and capital budgets this week. The operating budget funds the day-to-day needs required to keep the city running, like employees, materials, and supplies. The capital budget funds major projects like constructing new facilities, maintaining roads and parks, and buying major equipment. The capital budget totaling $273.1 million is the largest in Madison's history and exceeds last year’s by roughly $23 million. [Cap Times, Madison Minutes]
• Notables: Among the notable items within the 2024 budgets is funding to expand the CARES program, new affordable housing, funding for the north-south Bus Rapid Transit line, funding for Lake Monona waterfront and John Nolen projects, and raises for city employees. [WKOW, City Cast Madison]

🐣 Coming Soon: Butterbird

• The owners of the highly acclaimed Harvey House plan to open their next project in January. Butterbird will be a fast casual restaurant showcasing chef/owner Joe Papach’s fried and rotisserie chicken, draft cocktails, and bar snacks. Located at 1134 Regent St.,  Butterbird will be an order-at-the-counter establishment, catering to families and anyone looking for a quick meal. [Madison Magazine]

Thursday, Nov. 16

• ALL WHO WANDER at The Barrymore Theatre
• BoomBox at Majestic Madison
• Brews and Q's at Karben4
• Chant by Sir Roland Hanna World Premiere at Hamel Music Center
• Five Course Thursday at DelecTable
• Heather Horton at The Bur Oak
• Joel Kim Booster at Comedy on State
• Latin Night at The Rigby
• Madison Jazz Orchestra at Cafe CODA
• MMoCA Cinema: Unrest at Madison Museum of Contemporary Art
• Music Bingo at Starkweather Brewing Company
• Rapid Fire: I got 5 on it at Crucible
• Thanksgiving Charcuterie Workshop with Madison Cheese Boards at Hodge Podge
• Words with Nerds at Crucible

Your Options for Thanksgiving Dinner in Madison

Thanksgiving means food. It’s typically the busiest holiday of the year for grocery stores. But if you aren’t cooking a big meal this holiday, or you need a little extra help, you have options. Several Madison restaurants are offering take-out meals and several are open on Thanksgiving itself.