Tag Archives: Restaurants

by | June 16, 2013 · 6:46 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Maryland Restaurant Damaged And Two Employees Injured After Drunk Driver Crashes Vehicle Through Building’s Front Glass Exterior

“…two people were taken to the hospital initially, after a patron and an employee suffered non-life threatening injuries. A second worker was Restaurant Damage From Car Crashtransported to the hospital for anxiety…the driver was taken into custody and charged on suspicion of DUI…(a district manager) doesn’t know when the restaurant will reopen…”

A Lanham, Maryland Wendy’s restaurant is picking up the pieces after a driver of an SUV crashed through the shop and nearly reached the counter just before 9 p.m. on Friday in the 9400 block of Annapolis Road.

There was a steady flow of people on Saturday trying to place orders through the drive through and people were trying to get into the restaurant, but it’s closed. Customer after customer came to the seemingly popular spot surprised at what happened.

For more: http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/262879/373/Picking-Up-Pieces-After-Wendys-Crash-In-Md

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by | June 10, 2013 · 6:01 am

Hospitality Industry Health Risks: Arizona Restaurant Kitchen Workers Suffer “Heat-Related Illnesses”; “Inoperative Air Conditioning System” Leads To Hospitalization Of 3 People

“…the air conditioning in the kitchen at the restaurant may have been out for up to a week…A 19 year employee was having Restaurant Kitchen Health Riskstrouble breathing, and complained of being light-headed and dizzy…Soon after 10 other employees said they too were feeling ill…In all three people were taken to the hospital with heat related illnesses, the remaining eight were treated and released…”

Northwest Fire, along with emergency medical personnel are on scene at a McDonald’s Restaurant located at 8280 North Cortaro Road. The restaurant was evacuated after 11 employees became ill. Firefighters with the Northwest Fire District said they initially thought hazardous materials was the cause, turns out it was heat related.

Captain Adam Goldberg says, “It is a hundred and some odd degrees outside, 96 degrees inside and for anybody who doesn’t prepare for high temperatures certainly they will feel the effects of that heat, and some who are not in good physical condition to begin with will feel those effects sooner.”

The 19 year old is listed in serious condition, the other two are stable.

For more:  http://www.kvoa.com/news/mcdonald-s-employees-suffer-heat-symptoms/

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by | June 9, 2013 · 6:35 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Ohio Restaurant Fire Starts In “Kitchen Fryer” And Heavily Damages Structure; “Advanced Fire In Building’s Center” Limits Firefighters To Defensive Action

“….an employee saw smoke at a fryer as he was walking through the kitchen, preparing to make a Restaurant Fire Risksdelivery…he and the two other employees cut off power to the fryer and tried to use a fire extinguisher “but it only got worse…(there was no) way of getting it stopped…”

A fire Friday afternoon that heavily damaged a popular Irish pub and restaurant, as well as a catering business, started in a kitchen fryer. That’s the preliminary assessment from Springfield Fire Rescue Division Chief Nick Heimlich, who kept firefighters on the scene at McMurray’s Irish Pub, Paddy’s Backdoor Pizza and Carmae Catering, all housed at 122 E. College Ave., on Friday night.

Heimlich said firefighters found “an advanced fire” in the center of the structure and noted that the progression of the fire was very rapid. Because the three businesses are connected and under one roof “a problem in one pretty quickly becomes a problem in the others,” the chief said.

When the decision was made to pull back and take a defensive posture in battling the flames because crews weren’t making the kind of progress they wanted in putting out the fire, Heimlich said, “basically that means for the most part the structure is a loss.”

For more:  http://www.whiotv.com/news/news/local/mcmurrays-popular-springfield-pub-is-on-fire/nYFfP/

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by | June 6, 2013 · 6:15 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Maryland Restaurant Owner Faces “Sexual Harassment And Retaliation” Charges In Lawsuit Filed By EEOC

“…the EEOC seeks injunctive relief prohibiting Basta Pasta from engaging in sexual harassment or retaliation, as well as lost wages and compensatory and punitive damages for Smith, Doe, Kokkinakos and other similarly-situated female employees, and other affirmative EEOCrelief…’No employee, male or female, should have to endure being subjected to offensive sexual comments and touching in order to earn a living, but the unlawful harassment is even more vile and intolerable when it includes sexual assaults by a company owner’…”

SPOA, LLC, which runs the Italian restaurants Basta Pasta in Fallston and Lutherville-Timonium, Md., subjected female employees to flagrant sexual harassment and fired a manager who complained about the harassment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) charged in a lawsuit filed today.

The EEOC alleged that the restaurant owner repeatedly subjected female employees, some of whom were teenagers, to unwelcome and offensive sexual harassment, including touching them on their buttocks, lower backs and shoulders; rubbing his genitalia against the buttocks of female employees; leering at female employees and making comments about their bodies, including calling them “sexy” or “hot;” making sexually suggestive remarks and crude sexual innuendos; and asking for massages.

The EEOC further charged that the owner pressured female employees to have alcoholic drinks at the end of their shifts and acted offended if they did not stay and drink.  The EEOC alleges that the owner gave one female employee, “Mary Smith,” alcohol, causing her to pass out and later wake up vomiting, and that Smith believed the owner drugged her in an attempt to sexually assault her.  The EEOC also charged that the owner took another female employee, “Jane Doe,” to his house, purportedly to talk about a management opportunity, but instead Doe believes he drugged and sexually assaulted her.  (Given the public interest in protecting the identities of sexual assault victims and attempted sexual assault victims, the EEOC is utilizing pseudonyms.)

The sexual harassment was so intolerable that these two employees felt compelled to quit their jobs, the EEOC says in the lawsuit.  Jane Doe was 18 years old when she started working for the company and 21 years old when she was forced to quit her job due to the sexual harassment.

The EEOC also charges that a restaurant manager, Dimitra Kokkinakos, had complained to management about the owner’s sexually offensive behavior but the company failed to take action to stop the harassment.  After learning that Kokkinakos had been in touch with Jane Doe, the restaurant warned Kokkinakos to “keep her mouth shut” and fired her in retaliation for her opposition to the sexual harassment.  The restaurant also threatened Kokkinakos when she participated in the EEOC investigation, including pressuring her to recant her testimony, according to the lawsuit.

For more:  http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/6-5-13.cfm

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by | June 5, 2013 · 6:33 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Texas Restaurant Group Faces “Wage Violation Class-Action Lawsuit” Over Tip Sharing, Food Discount Deductions

“…(the lawsuit) alleges that a Rainforest Cafes policy illegally required servers to share their tips with some employees who were not part of the wait staff…(plaintiffs were forced) to split tips with hosts, who do not qualify as wait staff because they do not serve food or beverages, or clear Hospitality Industry Wage Violation Lawsuitstables…The suit also targets a “discount program” at Rainforest Cafe that deducts a flat fee from employee paychecks to cover any drinks consumed at work and provides a discount on food…the deduction is too high and violates state law by requiring employees to pay more for food than it costs the employer…”

A Boston law firm filed a suit seeking class-action status Monday against one of the nation’s largest restaurant groups alleging the company’s Rainforest Cafe in Burlington violated state wage laws. Two servers employed at the Rainforest Cafe since 1998 are named plaintiffs in the case. Hundreds of workers might qualify for damages, according attorney Hillary Schwab of Fair Work, P.C.

The defendant, Landry’s Inc., is the Houston parent company of more than 40 restaurants chains across the county with total US sales of about $1.67 billion last year, according to restaurant industry research firm Technomic. Landry’s, run by chief executive Tilman J. Fertitta, a Houston billionaire, owns a number of restaurants groups with a presence in Massachusetts, including Morton’s The Steakhouse, Chart House, McCormick & Schmick’s, and the Oceanaire Seafood Room.

The plaintiffs are seeking restitution for all gratuities not received, wages not paid in full, money deducted from pay, and all court and attorney fees. Schwab said she will attempt to determine whether the tip practice is limited to the Rainforest Cafe or is a Landry’s corporate policy that might affect other restaurants in the state.

For more:  http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2013/06/03/rainforest-cafe-servers-sue-restaurant-over-tip-policy/IOwix0twRIooe1FP8Cz4fJ/story.html

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by | June 4, 2013 · 6:04 am

Hospitality Industry Risk Solutions: “3rd Global Congress On Travel Risk Management” To Be Hosted By HospitalityLawyer.com On Sept. 30 – Oct 1 In Houston, TX (Video)

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij1BHdG4N-8&feature=player_embedded]

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HospitalityLawyer.com

HospitalityLawyer.com, in coordination with the Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, will host the 3rd Global Congress on Travel Risk Management, September 30 to October 1, 2013, in Houston, Texas, at the Galleria Omni Hotel. The Global Congress focuses on  solutions enabling businesses and governments to meet their Duty of Care to mobile employees and protecting mobile data.

The travel, tourism and hospitality industries are a $3.5 trillion global economic powerhouse encompassing transportation, lodging, and venues and events. Governments around the world spend trillions on infrastructure and travel support systems. Disruptions are costly, both financially and in customer goodwill. The Global Congress’s objective is to facilitate the delivery of safe, secure and uninterrupted travel via an all-encompassing public-private dialogue dedicated to the sharing of best practices for issues faced by the global travel, tourism and hospitality industries.

For more:  http://www.hospitalitylawyer.com/?post_type=gc&p=565

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by | May 31, 2013 · 6:00 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Hawaii Restaurant Group Settles “Sexual Harassment” Lawsuit With EEOC For $150,000, Harassment Training For All Employees & Managers

“…the (kitchen) supervisor subjected the workers, some of whom were between the ages of 17 and 19, to sexual comments, language and advances, the EEOC said.  Upon reporting the harassment to the general manager, the EEOC said, Panda Express management failed to take EEOCenough action to stop or correct the situation…”

Chinese quick service restaurant giant Panda Express will pay $150,000 to settle an EEOC lawsuit on behalf of at least three female teenagers who were allegedly sexually harassed between 2007 and 2009 while working in a restaurant in Kauai, Hawaii, the federal agency announced today.

Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.  The EEOC filed its lawsuit in September 2012 in U.S. District Court for the District of Hawaii (EEOC v. Panda Express, Inc. and Panda Restaurant Groups, Inc., Case No. 1:12-cv-00530-SOM-RLP) after first attempting to reach a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process.  As part of the settlement announced today, the parties entered into a two-year consent decree requiring Panda Express to designate an in-house equal employment opportunity (EEO) coordinator; revise and distribute its anti-harassment policy and procedures; and provide annual sexual harassment training to all employees in Kapaa and to all general managers in the state of Hawaii.  EEOC will monitor compliance with the agreement, and Panda Express agreed to reinforce its protocols relating to complaints of sexual harassment in its Hawaii region.

“We commend Panda Express for working with the EEOC to correct serious lapses in dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace,” said Anna Y. Park, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Los Angeles District Office, which includes Hawaii in its jurisdiction.  “We trust that Panda Express’s company values are consistent with the goals of the EEOC’s mission, and we commend them for agreeing to broader injunctive remedies to ensure that the workers in Hawaii are protected.”

For more:  http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/5-29-13a.cfm

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by | May 29, 2013 · 6:25 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: Michigan Restaurant “Electrical Fire” Spreads Throughout Ceiling Area, Causing $400,000 In Damage

“…the fire started above the ceiling, in the attic space, (where) there is some wiring in that immediate area…one of the employees could hear some crackling above the ceiling…the fire began in an area right above Restaurant Firethe entrance to the restaurant. Firefighters had to break into the ceiling of the 5,500-square-foot restaurant to put out the blaze…”

Investigators say an electrical fire caused about $400,000 in damage to a popular Clinton Township restaurant Tuesday night. The fire broke out at J. Baldwin’s Restaurant & To-Go location at 16981 Eighteen Mile Road at about 9:54 p.m., Clinton Township Fire Chief Jack Shea said today.

The main fire was under control in 20 minutes, but it took another couple of hours to put out small fires that had extended elsewhere in the building, Shea said. Firefighters cleared the scene at around 12:30 p.m.

The restaurant is open until 10 p.m. on Tuesdays, according to the company’s website. Shea said there were people at the establishment, but it was about to close. No one was injured in the blaze.

For more:  http://www.freep.com/article/20130529/NEWS04/305290076/j-baldwins-fire-restaurant-clinton

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by | May 28, 2013 · 5:59 am

Hospitality Industry Crime Solutions: Alaska Restaurant Uses “Facebook Posting” To Track Down Thieves Who Broke Into Company Freezer

“…In Facebook postings that began Saturday morning, the owner of Kriner’s Diner said they had surveillance camera footage of a car and at Restaurant Social Media Helps Find Thievesleast two suspects who, the diner’s owner alleges, broke into the company freezer just before 5 a.m. Saturday…Once the pictures hit the web, they spread rapidly online. The operator of the diner’s page said just one picture was shared nearly 48,000 times within 24 hours of being posted…”

The owners of a Midtown restaurant are crediting social media with helping nab the suspects who stole meat from the company freezer. The payoff came Sunday, just after noon, when Kriner’s Diner updated its Facebook page, writing that “Facebook friends” had spotted the car in question and called the police, resulting in an arrest.

It’s a call the restaurant’s owner said wouldn’t have happened without the postings on social media.

“I had mentioned what had happened on my page, and you know, tips just started pouring in and people wanted to help,” Andy Kriner said Monday. “I posted it on our Kriner’s Facebook page and within 30 hours, they were in custody.”

Kriner said he uses the social network often, posting specials and other information about his restaurant, but never before had he used it like this.

“An average post of mine has 1,500 views, and I have a lot of people go on there day to day just to look at our lunch specials,” he said. “I think that this probably had a lot to do with it.”

Kriner said he couldn’t comment on the details of the still-active investigation—he declined to disclose just how much meat or what other products were stolen, nor how many suspects had been arrested—but he said the postings on Facebook played a vital role making the arrest.

For more:  http://www.ktva.com/home/outbound-xml-feeds/Facebook-Helps-Nab-Suspect-in-Freezer-Theft-209112041.html

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by | May 27, 2013 · 6:37 am

Hospitality Industry Employment Risks: Mississippi Restaurant Sued For “Race Discrimination” By EEOC; Hired Only Whites As Servers, Bartenders And Other Front-Of-The-House Positions

“…The EEOC  claims Stone Pony Pizza refused to hire African-American  applicants as a class for certain positions because  of their race.  Stone Pony is alleged to  have hired only whites for front-of-the-house positions such as server,  hostess, waitress, and bartender, and hired African-EEOCAmericans for  back-of-the-house positions such as cook and dishwasher. Additionally, the EEOC  charged that Stone Pony maintained a  racially segregated workforce and failed to keep job applications as required  by law…”

Stone  Pony Pizza, Inc., a Clarksdale pizza restaurant and bar, violated federal law  by refusing to hire a class of African-American applicants because of their  race, according to a lawsuit filed on Friday, May 17, 2013 by the U.S. Equal  Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

The EEOC filed suit, Civil Action No., 4:13-cv-00092, filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of  Mississippi, Greenville Division, after first attempting to reach  a pre-litigation settlement through its conciliation process. The  suit was brought under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which  prohibits discrimination based on race and color.  The suit seeks monetary relief in the form of  back pay, compensatory and punitive damages, hiring relief and an injunction  against future discrimination.

“Employers simply cannot  refuse to hire applicants based on their race, nor can they segregate employees  into certain positions based upon their race,” said Katharine Kores, district  director of the

EEOC’s Memphis  District Office.  “Applicants should be  evaluated based upon their qualifications, not the color of their skin.”

Eliminating barriers in recruitment and hiring, especially  class-based recruitment and hiring practices that discriminate against racial,  ethnic and religious groups, older workers, women, and people with  disabilities, is one of six national priorities identified by the Commission’s  Strategic Enforcement Plan.

For more:  http://www.eeoc.gov/eeoc/newsroom/release/5-20-13.cfm

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