A restaurant expert witness can be called upon to provide opinion, testimony, and reports for a range of incidents, including slips and falls, safety and security, and restaurant operations – just to name a few. Attorneys get in touch with possible experts to check if they are willing to serve. A positive response means the…
Finding a restaurant expert witness isn’t usually at the top of restaurant owners’ to-do lists. However, if you’re planning to buy a dining establishment or start one from scratch, you have to realize how important it is to find a restaurant management consultant that offers this type of service. This is especially true when your…
If you face litigation against your hotel, bar, or nightclub, the way a hospitality industry expert can help you present your case may be obvious. Your inside witnesses will undoubtedly be able to lay out what you did and why, but an outside expert who can confirm you have followed industry standards, or otherwise explain…
A number of years ago we performed analysis as the foodservice expert on a dispute involving a failed restaurant. We looked at various studies, including one from the IRS and another from Michigan State University, in addition to evaluating and surveying existing food and beverage establishments within proximity to the subject restaurant. It was concluded…
Review from a restaurant expert perspective of two class action lawsuits suggests owner and operators should take a closer look at work procedures, staffing and tip credit policies. One case involves in part a recent judgment about the distribution of workloads based on what qualifies under tip credit procedures. The other lawsuits filed against other…
Employee tip pooling and other distribution policies from a restaurant wage and hour expert perspective can be a source of contention amongst hospitality and foodservice industry workers. Worse, it has given rise to a number of disputes and lawsuits. Most notably is the recent settlement by Outback of $1.25 Million involving their employees in Minnesota.…
Occasionally my work involves being a consultant and restaurant expert witness on different legal cases. It also allows me to better understand why foodservice businesses get sued and the types of situations that are most common. Armed with this knowledge, I have been better able to advise owners and operators on what to expect and…
As part of our foodservice consulting, we regularly follow certain new trends at restaurants. The recent add-on of alcohol service at chain quick service restaurants (QSR) is one worth watching. In particular is whether it will become a conflict with customers and a potential liability issue. In the New York Times this week, several industry…
It would be interesting to hear what restaurant expert witness opinions were rendered on the recent Applebee case, if any, that was rejected on appeal to the Supreme Court. The restaurant chain is concerned about the cost ramifications that the lower courts will impose among other issues. In particular and at issue is the separation of…
There is a practice in the litigation arena that is sometimes referred to as “benching” a hospitality expert or other types of consultants. This is where a law firm will name and retain an expert to prevent opposing counsel from using that particular person because of their credentials or as leverage to promote a settlement…