Posts tagged as:

restaurants

Employment law roundup

by Walter Olson on February 7, 2012

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And soon finds cause for regret [NY Post via Radley Balko, to whom congratulations are in order; related]

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The slogan “Eat More Kale” gets a Vermont t-shirt silk-screener in trouble with the fast-food chain. [Gothamist]

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Cracked has a selection that includes disgraced Pennsylvania judge Michael Joyce (on whom), the pro wrestler on disability, a church with leaders who “have had so many X-rays that I wouldn’t be surprised if they glowed in the dark,” and — eeeeuw! — a couple of deliberately glass-eating restaurant-goers.

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Entrepreneurial lawyers have filed numerous suits against New York City restaurants over alleged violations of tip-splitting and overtime rules, a trend helped along by wage rulings from the state Labor Department. Now one of the town’s best-known restaurateurs says he’s had enough, per the New York Post:

“Money-hungry lawyers, through frivolous lawsuits, are shaking down the very foundation of Manhattan’s restaurant industry,” fumed Joe Bastianich, co-owner of Eataly, Del Posto and Babbo.

Bastianich said the litigation — he has been sued twice — has left such a bitter taste that he’s done with setting up new ventures in New York.

“We opened Eataly and put 700 jobs in the New York economy. Since then we haven’t opened another restaurant in New York, nor will we,” Bastianich told The Post. “We opened three other restaurants, in California and Connecticut, worth 1,000 jobs that could have been here in New York. Someone in Albany needs to understand the agenda, what this is really costing the greatest restaurant city in the world.”

Earlier here, etc.

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Food law roundup

by Walter Olson on September 13, 2011

  • Feds fund Boston campaign bashing sweetened drinks [Globe; see also on NYC] More on ObamaCare “Public Health Fund” subsidies to local paternalist initiatives on diet [WLF]
  • Thanks to federal funding priorities, New York education department had 40 experts on school lunches, only one on science education [Frederick Hess via Stoll]
  • Grocers hope to escape federal menu labeling mandate [FDA Law Blog] How regulations exasperate midsize restaurant operators [Philip Klein, Wash. Examiner]
  • “The Eight Dumbest Restaurant Laws” [Zagat]
  • Proposed federal standards on kid food ads extreme enough that many USDA “healthy” recipes would flunk [Diane Katz, Heritage] Do FTC’s guidelines violate the First Amendment? [WSJ]
  • Compared with what? “Egg farm regulations still skimpy” [Stoll] Deer blamed for E. coli in pick-your-own strawberries [USA Today]
  • U.K.: Your kids are too fat so we’re taking them away [Daily Mail; earlier here, here, etc.]

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New York: “A 290-pound diner claims the White Castle chain has violated the civil rights of its more sizable clientele by not following through on promises to make its tight booths bigger to accommodate their bellies.” [S.F. Chronicle]

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A victory for California consumers and producers in search of artisanal tippling. [San Francisco Chronicle, last year]

Taco Bell finds itself at odds with the EEOC. [Jon Hyman]

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The CEO of the Carl’s restaurant chain “said he’s had to fire managers who insisted on working more hours than state allows.” [David Houston and Jot Condie, San Jose Mercury-News]

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Yet another lawsuit against a Manhattan bar filed by a patron who fell off its mechanical bull [New York Post]

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Groupon and other novel discount-voucher services have been enjoying much attention lately. But state consumer law has long imposed substantial regulation on the practice of coupon discounting: some states bar the use of coupons for the purchase of alcoholic drinks, others require that coupons carry a maturity at least as long as five years or some other time span, and so forth. Are the new social-discount services at risk for significant legal exposure? [Benjamin Edelman and Paul Kominers via Felix Salmon]

June 7 roundup

by Walter Olson on June 7, 2011

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According to the actor, in an op-ed (co-authored with Stephen DeMaura) in today’s WSJ:

Two women get into a fight in the ladies’ restroom at a restaurant. Afterward, they sue the restaurant owner, claiming someone should have been in there to break up the fight. It costs the small-business owner $2,000 to pay each plaintiff to drop the complaint, which was cheaper than fighting the lawsuit would have been.

This completely ridiculous story is true, and the restaurant owner was one of us, Mr. Norris. …

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The fast-food chain, which had fought back against the large Alabama law firm with spirited ads defending its product, “said no money was exchanged and it is not changing any of its products or advertising.” [WAVY, earlier]

P.S. Cheeky new ad from Taco Bell aimed at the law firm: “Would it kill you to say you’re sorry?” [AP] More of this, please!

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A nannyish idea making its way around the country finds its sponsor in New York. [NewsCore] Earlier here, here, here, etc.

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Donner Lake Kitchen, a popular family-owned restaurant in rural Truckee, Calif. is closing its doors following a legal battle with attorney Scott Johnson, who is said to have filed “countless” complaints of lack of handicap accessibility at California businesses. The owner estimates that $20,000-$60,000 in repairs and upgrades would have been needed to bring the dining establishment into ADA compliance. [Sierra Sun via CJAC]

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March 23 roundup

by Walter Olson on March 23, 2011

  • New Yorker suing boss for $2M because working in New Jersey caused him “anguish” [Biz Insider]
  • British lawyer’s libel threats impede UK publication of Paul Offit vaccine book [Respectful Insolence]
  • Lawsuit settlement leads to Florida push to curb tobacco discounter [WSJ; background, Jeremy Bulow]
  • Allegation: attorneys made personal use of cy pres fund in Armenian genocide settlement [PoL]
  • “Telecommuting employees raise special wage and hour issues” [Hyman]
  • UK bias cops wonder whether to ban gay-preferred along with gay-not-preferred guesthouses [Ed West, U.K. Telegraph]
  • Copyright mills: “Local law firm wants to defend people sued by local law firm” [TBD] Related: [Citizen Media Law, Coleman]
  • “Top 10 Reasons to Not Open a Bar or Restaurant in NYC” [NY Enterprise Report]