As the country’s hospitality industry continues to open up, we at MMB have been inundated with questions about mask policies and vaccination statuses. Specifically, in the face of a rising delta variant — but no state or federal mask mandates — restaurant owners want to know: can I have a mask policy, and if so, […]
In this time of total uncertainty and still no answer as to when Covid will end and when restaurants will go back to full strength, restaurant owners need to know what their legal options are. Many of the ideas I’m presenting here are theories at this point because the courts haven’t decided the cases as […]
The list of what we’ve learned over the last six months in terms of best practices for restaurant operators could be 20 to 30 items, but here are a few key ones: 1. Landlord Relationships: The landlord relationship may be the most difficult part of moving a restaurant concept ahead. Hopefully, you’ve received some sort […]
Recently there has been a noticeable increase in complaints filed by employees with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”) concerning COVID-19 infection control procedures. Employees have complained about a lack of enforcement or implementation of COVID-19 safety measures such as mask wearing, temperature checks, and proper social distancing. Although OSHA has not implemented a […]
A bankruptcy court in Illinois has held that a governor’s shut-down order, combined with a force majeure provision in a restaurant’s lease, partially excused the restaurant’s obligation to pay rent.* The case is significant because it provides commercial tenants a basis to seek relief from rental payments due to COVID-19. Governor’s Executive Orders as Force […]
Up to this point, many restaurants have been able to survive due to PPP funds, concessions from landlords, interest-only payments from banks and generous terms from suppliers. However, for many time has run out. It is always hard to know when you’ve reached this point. Is it because you are out of funding or you […]
In the current challenging business environment, some restaurants are struggling to survive while others are flourishing. How do we account for this dichotomy? MMB’s Dennis Monroe joins Jonathan Maze of Restaurant Business in “A Deeper Dive” podcast to discuss the uneven recovery in the restaurant industry and other related issues. Dennis explains how some restaurant […]
It’s August, and that means it’s time to get ready to go back to school for many students. If your child recently graduated from high school and is heading to college in the next few weeks, besides assembling the essentials — such as clothing, toiletries, bedding and a laptop — consider having your child “pack” […]
The jury is still out as to what we’ve collectively learned from both the pandemic and the urban disruption as a response to George Floyd’s death while in police custody, but there are some things we can deduce from a financial standpoint. The restaurant industry is resilient even when it’s given the kind of issues […]
