Food & Beverage - HospitalityLawyer.com®

Deep-Fried Discrimination Claim: Lisa T. Jackson v. Paula Deen, et al.

by Craig Cowart in Food & Beverage, Human Resources, Legal. Posted June 4, 2015

The whole country watched as celebrity chef Paula Deen was roasted over the lawsuit filed by a former general manager of a Deen-affiliated restaurant. Now that the media storm is starting to fade, what lessons can employers and human resources professionals learn from what happened? Keep reading for a recipe to keep you “out of the frying pan” ...

When is a Union Not a Union? When It’s a “Worker Center”

by Steve Bernstein in Food & Beverage, Human Resources, Legal, Lodging. Posted June 4, 2015

When the word union is thrown around everyone seems to cringe. Steve Bernstein walks us through the ins and outs of what “worker centers” concept. The fast-food industry has fallen prey to coordinated demonstrations by a number of loosely affiliated groups, rallying around wages, benefits and other conditions. The strategy invoked by these so-called “worker centers ” (or ...

California Lifts Ban on Sale of Foie Gras

by Jordan Bernstein in Food & Beverage, Legal. Posted June 4, 2015

For the first time in two years, foie gras can be sold by retailers and gourmet California chefs can add the delicacy to their menus. A U.S. District Court judge yesterday ruled that the prohibition on the sale of the fatty liver dish violated the federal government’s regulatory domain. The judge based his decision on ...

A Safe Night Out: Things to Avoid When Serving Alcohol

by admin in Food & Beverage, Legal, Safety & Security. Posted May 14, 2015

For many young adults, a night on the town involves heavy alcohol consumption. In a perfect world, patrons would regulate themselves; no “one shot too many” incidents, no getting behind the wheel after downing a few Jägerbombs, and so on. Of course, in the real world, this stuff happens all the time. Be warned: A ...

4 Tips for Surviving an Active Shooter

by admin in Food & Beverage, Human Resources, Insurance & Loss Prevention, Lodging, Safety & Security, Travel. Posted May 14, 2015

You’re working at your job or out in public, doing what you normally do and not expecting anything particularly exciting to happen. Then you hear a series of loud, muffled pops, not too close, but not very far away. Then you hear screams, faint and distant but getting louder. Then you hear another pop, only ...

Gun Policy and the Hospitality Industry: Ways to Consider Your Own Firearm Policy

by admin in Food & Beverage, Legal, Lodging, Safety & Security. Posted May 14, 2015

Firearms and gun control occupy a hotspot right in the middle of the modern psyche. Every facet of this issue—high-capacity magazines, concealed carry rights, background checks—inspires strong feelings and opinions from most people. Gun control currently enjoys a spotlight that had been absent since the Columbine High School shootings, and it really does affect everyone ...

4 Best Practices for Food and Beverage Operators

by admin in Food & Beverage. Posted May 14, 2015

I’ve been noticing some trends in the feedback I hear from both food and beverage operators and the customers they serve. The operators know what works, and the customers know what they like. If you’re involved in the food and beverage business, I encourage you to review and consider the following best practices: 1. In ...

Sick Leave for Restaurant Workers Necessary for Food Safety

by Fred Pritzker in Food & Beverage, Human Resources, Safety & Security. Posted January 30, 2015

The history of food safety, corporate irresponsibility, and workers’ rights is long and tortuous (as well as tortious). From the days of Upton Sinclair (rotten and diseased meat), unpasteurized and tuberculosis-laden milk, all the way through the present, the dangers of unsafe food have been compounded by improperly trained and poorly paid food workers. In ...

Full Disclosure: The Impact of New Food-Labeling Regulations

by Dan Vecchio in Food & Beverage, Hotel Development. Posted January 5, 2015

What is the impact of the FDA’s New Food-Labeling Regulations? The new rules cover any restaurant or “retail food establishment” selling “restaurant-type food.” Does that include the wide array of retail and hospitality businesses, including bakeries, cafeterias, coffee shops, convenience stores? Dan Vecchio, a litigator in our Seattle office, has been watching the latest developments. ...

Hospitality Industry Remains in the Cross Hairs of Department of Labor Following Wage Violation Study

by Andrea Kirshenbaum in Food & Beverage, Human Resources, Legal, Lodging. Posted December 26, 2014

A December 2014 study of the effects of minimum wage violations commissioned by the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) found associated violations to be “concentrated in the leisure and hospitality industry” and “most prevalent in the service occupations.” The study analyzed the financial and economic impact of minimum wage violations in California and New York on such areas ...

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