At TexasRestaurantLaw.com, we have covered “Who Owns Your Restaurant Name?” and “Is Your Restaurant Recipe Safe?” However, we have not previously discussed the many parts of restaurant intellectual property. This post shows some of the most critical pieces that encompass restaurant intellectual property. Your Name & Brand We all hear that branding is everything. Likewise,… Continue Reading
Category Archives: Vendors
Subscribe to Vendors RSS FeedSugar And Horses: How To Deal With Restaurant Supply Issues?
Posted in Commentary, Liability, Litigation, Negotiation, News, Recent Law Trends, VendorsTwo recent news stories present the issue of how restaurants should deal with supply issues. The first story is the infamous horse meat scandal that has plagued Burger King in the United Kingdom since January. Click here for that story. The second story appeared in today’s Wall Street Journal. It deals with the fact that… Continue Reading
Can An Email Bind Your Restaurant Like A Contract?
Posted in Acquisitions, Commentary, Contracts, Employees & Waitstaff, Liability, Litigation, Negotiation, Recent Law Trends, VendorsWe all think of email as a convenience. The same is true for text messages. These are just easy ways to communicate. They don’t really mean anything. Right? Wrong! Email and text messages are some of the most dangerous tools created. They are powerful. They are permanent. And in Texas, they are binding. Don’t believe… Continue Reading
What To Know About Texas Alcohol Permits: An Industry Perspective
Posted in Alcohol, Commentary, Competition, Legislation, Liability, Negotiation, News, VendorsObtaining and dealing with alcoholic beverage permits requires a lot of time and effort, and it can be full of legal pitfalls as well. Sometimes you need a lawyer, but often an outside alcohol permit company can be more cost effective. As one example, we recently interviewed Nancy Scott, with Joe LaBarba Permit Service in… Continue Reading
5 Ways to Avoid Costs of Acquiring Restaurants
Posted in Acquisitions, Contracts, Corporate Entity, Franchises, Negotiation, Real Estate, VendorsAll too often the margins of restaurant acquisition require stringent cost control. To help, here are five things to keep those costs low when considering the purchase of a restaurant: 1. Assemble Your Team – It’s hard to decide when to get your team of counselors (like attorneys, accountants, appraisers) involved in a deal. If… Continue Reading
Partnership Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
Posted in Acquisitions, Competition, Contracts, Corporate Entity, Franchises, Intellectual Property, Litigation, Real Estate, VendorsNearly anyone who has been in business either knows of or at least has heard of the pitfalls of partnerships. However, a lot of people don’t know that you can be partners with someone and not even know it. You might say, “Funny lawyer. Who cares?” But you should care, and here’s why. Partnerships make… Continue Reading
Is Your Restaurant Business Down? 5 Things That May Help
Posted in Commentary, Competition, Franchises, Litigation, Negotiation, Real Estate, VendorsIn our last post, we wrote about 5 Things Not To Do when your restaurant business is down. This week, we’re talking about 5 Things That May Help in the event that you have more people to pay than funds to pay with. Therefore, take it from some restaurant lawyers that have seen many mistakes,… Continue Reading
Is Your Restaurant Business Down? 5 Things Not To Do
Posted in Contracts, Corporate Entity, Employment, Franchises, Litigation, Negotiation, Real Estate, Recent Law Trends, VendorsIt’s no secret that many restaurants are suffering from the current recession, which is hopefully going to end soon. As a result, many restaurant owners are faced with the dilemma of “who to pay” when there’s not enough funds to pay everyone. In situations like these, it’s easy to make a misstep. With that in… Continue Reading
5 Things Your Restaurant Insurance Won’t Protect You From
Posted in Contracts, Corporate Entity, Franchises, Litigation, Negotiation, VendorsWe all know that insurance is the best protection from most forms of liability in a restaurant. However, there are a variety of things that insurance doesn’t protect against. Here are five things often omitted from insurance coverage, and some solutions to this issue. 1. Creditors In General – Creditors come in a variety of… Continue Reading
How To Turn Your Competitors Into Assets
Posted in Acquisitions, Commentary, Competition, Corporate Entity, Franchises, Negotiation, VendorsThe start of a new year often reminds us to try new things. I suggest that this year you try turning your competitors into assets. There are a variety of ways to do this, but this post will show one unique and forgotten strategy of achieving this goal. If You Can’t Beat’em, Join ‘Em Believe… Continue Reading
The Best of TexasRestaurantLaw.com 2009
Posted in Acquisitions, Alcohol, Commentary, Contracts, Corporate Entity, Employment, Franchises, Immigration, Intellectual Property, Legislation, Litigation, Negotiation, News, Recent Law Trends, VendorsWe couldn’t close out the year without a “Best of 2009″! Here’s the best TexasRestaurantLaw.com content of the year, based on your enthusiasm via comments, links, and retweets. We thank you all for your continued support! Let’s get started: Recent Nutrition Law Trends – This will likely be a continued source of legislation on… Continue Reading
How A Late Night Email Could Put You In Jail
Posted in Commentary, Employment, Litigation, News, Recent Law Trends, VendorsNo matter what industry you are in, many of us are responsible for hundreds of emails per day. Each of those emails can become permanent records of what you are thinking, doing, or planning. Email errors can sometimes cause only minor disagreements, for which you can apologize and move on. However, in the most severe… Continue Reading
5 Simple Tips To Resolve Conflict At Work (Or Anywhere)
Posted in Employment, Litigation, Negotiation, VendorsLet’s be honest: sometimes the holidays bring out the worst in us. Whether it’s that family member you only see once a year (for a reason) or the hustle and bustle of all the extra things that go into it, the holidays can make us crazy. Holiday or not, I deal with conflicts everyday as… Continue Reading
The Biggest Contract Mistake & How To Avoid It
Posted in Acquisitions, Alcohol, Commentary, Contracts, Corporate Entity, Franchises, Litigation, Negotiation, Recent Law Trends, VendorsThe ugly truth is that people make mistakes every day when they sign contracts for their companies. What’s worse is that many people don’t even realize that they are making a mistake. This particular mistake can cost your company thousands of dollars in legal fees. This mistake can cost you personally in legal fees and… Continue Reading
How To B.E.A.T. Vendors In Contract Negotiations
Posted in Contracts, Franchises, Negotiation, VendorsWe all rely on vendors. They are part of what we do and how we do it. However, we often choose vendors and negotiate with them based on non-objective criteria that often fails to accomplish our goals. With that in mind, the following steps should prevent this from happening and it should help you win… Continue Reading