DiscussMormonism.com

Restaurant owners have been fierce critics of the health-care overhaul law, fearing that its mandate for employers to offer insurance more broadly will drive up costs and deter hiring.

Now, some operators say the law may not be that costly after all. They say many employees won't qualify for coverage, and many of those who do qualify will decline company-offered insurance.

Wendy's Co. initially estimated the health-care law would increase the cost of operating each of its 5,800 U.S. restaurants by $25,000 a year. But Chief Financial Officer Steve Hare told an investment conference on March 14 that executives have cut the estimate by 80%, to $5,000 a year, primarily because they expect many employees to decline the insurance offering.

"It is still going to be an additional cost that both the company and our franchisees will have to absorb, but we think it is going to be manageable," Mr. Hare said. A Wendy's spokesman said the company continues to refine its cost estimates and it would be "premature" to discuss them further.

Executives of other restaurant chains, including Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., Jack in the Box Inc. and Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen, have offered similar cost estimates in recent months.

Analytics wrote:Scouring my superlatively discredited leftist lamestream news sources for something to write about, I came across the following on a topic that's been discussed here over and over again: the cost of Obamacare to small business.