We 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
Tag Archives: Texas restaurant law
Economic Outlook For 2010?
Posted in NewsPredicting the future is always hard, but the economic outlook for 2010 is absolutely anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I thought that I’d set out some of the differing statistics that I’ve found over the last few weeks and let you decide for yourself whether to believe the optimists or the naysayers. The Optimists… Continue Reading
How Joint Ventures Are Like The Grinch
Posted in Acquisitions, Contracts, Corporate Entity, Franchises, Litigation, NegotiationSince we are right in the middle of the holiday season, I thought I’d discuss the insidious nature of joint ventures and compare them to Dr. Seuss’s mean ol’ Grinch. Many people are astounded when I explain the many risks involved in joint ventures, and like the Grinch, they are to be avoided whenever possible…. 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
Who Really Owns Your Company’s Name?
Posted in Contracts, Corporate Entity, Intellectual Property, LitigationOf course, your company owns its own name, right? Maybe not. The reality is that many companies think they own the rights to their corporate name, when in fact they could be infringing on the rights of other companies. There are at least two sources for this confusion. The first comes from the corporate name… 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
Free Guide On How To Fire Employees
Posted in Employment, LitigationHow do you “legally” fire employees? Don’t know where to begin? Don’t you wish that this type of information was all in one place and provided in an easy to read format? To address these questions and with the very gracious permission of some fantastic employment attorneys, we’re offering a new guide called “You’re… Continue Reading
What Happens To Your Restaurant When You Die?
Posted in Estate Planning, FranchisesDying is an uncomfortable topic for all of us. We would all prefer to cross that bridge when we come to it. However, unlike some questions about death, the question “what happens to your restaurant when you die” has an answer. It boils down to choosing between doing something and doing nothing. I’ll address… Continue Reading
The Texas Two-Step to Restaurant Protection
Posted in Corporate Entity, LitigationWe all want to run our restaurants – or the restaurants we represent – with zero liability. That’s easier said than done, but there is an excellent way to keep your assets and your liabilities separate. This post will show you how many savvy restaurant owners structure their restaurants to maximize liability protection in two… Continue Reading
“The Office” Tells Us How NOT To Manage Your Restaurant
Posted in Employment, Franchises, LitigationSteve Carell’s character, Michael Scott, from “The Office” is a great example of how not to manage employees. Here are some quotes from the show to illustrate the “Dos” and “Do Nots” for restaurant management. Enjoy! 1. Be Honest “Am I going to tell them? No, I don’t see the point of that. As a… Continue Reading
5 Reasons You Think You Don’t Need a Lawyer to Buy a Restaurant
Posted in Alcohol, Contracts, Corporate Entity, FranchisesThe truth of the matter is that you do not NEED a lawyer when you buy a restaurant or any business. Is it a good idea? Could it save you money in the long run? I believe that the answer to these questions is most certainly YES, but I’ll let you be the judge. Accordingly,… Continue Reading
Is a Celebrity Spokesperson the Right Fit For Your Restaurant?
Posted in Commentary, Contracts, Franchises, Recent Law TrendsCelebrity spokespeople often increase retail brand awareness and, thus, boost sales. However, the extent of this sales boost may come as a surprise. Consider, for example, Troy Aikman’s sponsorship of the Wingstop restaurant group. According to the Dallas Business Journal, Wingstop reported 23 consecutive quarters of same-store sales increases since Aikman first appeared as a… Continue Reading
Could Your Salary Get Slashed by the Compensation Czar?
Posted in Commentary, Legislation, News, Recent Law TrendsIn response to criticism regarding bonus pay for executive officials of companies receiving government pay-outs, the Obama administration recently appointed Kenneth Feinberg to regulate the pay of 175 top executives at seven companies receiving levels of government TARP funds not offered to other institutions. Feinberg, who is being referred to as the “Compensation Czar,” is… Continue Reading
Restaurant Industry’s Outlook Finally Improving
Posted in Commentary, NewsThe National Restaurant Association (NRA) released its Restaurant Improvement Index (RPI) stats for April 2009. You can find the complete statistical report on the NRA’s website by following this link. The NRA explains, “The Restaurant Performance Index is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level… Continue Reading
Texas Legislature Leaves Restaurant Industry Alone
Posted in Alcohol, Commentary, Immigration, Legislation, News, Recent Law TrendsEveryone in the restaurant industry should know what new laws affect them. This last legislative session addressed a variety of laws from immigration to fat and smoke, and the this article provides those results. The latest session of the Texas Legislature ended on June 1, 2009. Comprising the 81st Session of the Legislature, Texas lawmakers… Continue Reading
Smoke & Fat: What Texas Restaurants Need to Know in ‘09
Posted in Commentary, Legislation, News, Recent Law TrendsLaws in Texas are changing about what restaurants serve and what they allow from their patrons. Understanding of these trends now could be the difference between prosperity and destruction for Texas restaurants in the coming years. Smoke As reported here several weeks ago in “Where There’s Smoke . . . You’re Not In Dallas ”… Continue Reading
Immigration Survival For Restaurants: Top 5 Tips To Avoid Jail
Posted in Immigration, Litigation, News, Recent Law TrendsCan your business survive a sizable fine by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (“INS”)? Can you survive jail time for failing to adhere to immigration rules? If you answered no to either question, then take the following advice and implement it today. 1. Complete I-9 Forms. This may sound like a “no-brainer,” but it can… Continue Reading
Fast Food Deliverance – NOT
Posted in Commentary, Franchises, NewsWith the global recession looming in everyone’s mind, many have sought fast food as a haven. Indeed, interest in franchising is up as an alternative to finding work due to unemployment. Further, until just recently, fast food stocks outperformed many others. However, as reported in today’s Wall Street Journal, “Burger King’s weak March sales report… Continue Reading
Where There’s Smoke . . . You’re Not In Dallas
Posted in Alcohol, Legislation, News, Recent Law TrendsWe all know that familiar smell of combined stale beer and cigarettes that, until now, marked the relaxed atmosphere of an old fashioned honky-tonk or bar, but in Dallas, that is no more. At midnight on Friday, April 10, 2009, the latest of Dallas’ efforts to eliminate smoke from public buildings became effective. As reported… Continue Reading
Texas Legislature Says, “Trim the Fat” (Trans Fat, That Is)
Posted in Legislation, News, Recent Law TrendsBy: Matthew Sanderson With the support of the Texas Restaurant Association, the Texas legislature is “pressing for legislation that would phase in bans of trans fats in restaurant foods,” according to a recent Dallas Morning News article published on April 6, 2009 and found at this link. The two key proponents of the bills are… Continue Reading
Chili’s And Curves Team Up in Joint Marketing Campaign
Posted in NewsBy: Matthew Sanderson On April 7, 2009, the Triangle Business Journal posted an article, found at this link, showing that Chili’s and Curves are teaming up to “target casual diners who seek healthy fare.” Chili’s is operated by Brinker International (NYSE: EAT), which is a Dallas, Texas based operator of restaurant chains. According to the… Continue Reading
KFC Is “Hot” Over Flammable Products
Posted in Litigation, News, Recent Law TrendsBy: Matthew Sanderson In a suit filed in Federal District Court in early April, KFC alleged that “the popcorn chicken packages supplied by Paris Packaging of Paris, Texas, have all been pulled from all KFC locations following complaints that they were flammable,” according to an April 8, 2009 article from UPI.com. Click here for the… Continue Reading