What okay, the confusion exception here's according to California state law set to take effect April 1, 2024, a restaurant chain with more than 60 locations nationwide that produces for sale bread as a standalone menu item does not count as fast food. The confusing exemption led to controversy following a Bloomberg article published February 28 reporting that the fast casual chain Panera bread has dodged an upcoming minimum wage increase for fast food workers in California, $20 an hour. The article connected the bread exemption to billionaire Greg Flynn, a frequent donor to California governor Gavin Newsom's political campaigns, who owns more than two dozen panera bread locations in the state. In a statement to Snopes, however, Newsom spokesperson Alex Stack denied any such connection, played a role in the law, and even suggested the exemption would not actually apply to Panera. The governor never met with Flynn about this bill and the story is absurd, Stack said. Well, they don't have to meet. They can talk on the phone. Our legal team has reviewed and it appears that Panera is not exempt from the law.