Resort and amenity fees have long been common practice throughout the hospitality industry, first emerging in the late 1990s. The FTC reports that by 2015, hospitality fees accounted for one-sixth of total revenue in the...more
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) includes a $28.6 billion subsidy for eligible restaurants. Termed the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), these funds are intended to help eligible restaurants offset revenue...more
Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. agreed to pay a $25 million criminal fine, the largest ever in a food safety case, to resolve criminal charges related to the company's involvement in foodborne illness outbreaks that sickened more...more
Franchisors renewing their Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) for 2020 with the intent of actively resuming franchise sales activity may be wrestling with how best to disclose the impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on their...more
Many franchisors and franchisees operate for tax purposes in pass-through entities (LLCs, S corporations, partnerships, and entities that are disregarded for tax purposes). The owners of pass-through entities pay tax at...more
Readers may remember the book and movie The Perfect Storm in which a confluence of dynamic weather events produces a monstrous Atlantic storm that sinks a fishing boat and causes other havoc on the high seas....more
Private equity-owned franchise systems are flourishing. Private equity firms are attracted to a franchisor's continuous royalty stream; an organizational structure where the franchisees' drive to succeed aligns substantially...more
In a prior article published in Franchising Today, we addressed the intersection of franchises and crowdfunding, a method of business financing which was made legal through rulemaking on the part of the Securities and...more
On November 22, 2016, the Small Business Administration released SOP 50 10 5(I) (the "SOP"), which is administrative speak for new standard operating procedures affecting loans to businesses involved in franchising. The...more
The California State Assembly saw the seventh amended version of proposed changes to the California Franchise Relationship Act (CFRA) introduced August 17, 2015. This amendment is the product of industry negotiations that...more
After President Obama's announcement that his Administration will pursue a policy aimed at improving U.S.-Cuba diplomatic relations and ultimately eliminating the economic embargo on Cuba, the U.S. Treasury and Commerce...more
1/30/2015
/ Amended Legislation ,
Banking Sector ,
Barack Obama ,
Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) ,
Cuba ,
Cuban Assets Control Regulations (CACR) ,
Embargo ,
Executive Orders ,
Export Administration Regulations (EAR) ,
Export Controls ,
Exports ,
Foreign Relations ,
Imports ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Sanctions ,
Telecommunications ,
Trade Relations ,
Travel Permits ,
U.S. Commerce Department ,
U.S. Treasury
The National Labor Relations Board Office of Public Affairs announced on July 29, 2014 that the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board has authorized complaints against McDonalds, USA, LLC (McDonald's) and...more
In This Issue:
- Your Grandmother Doesn’t Work for Free: Volunteer and Intern Positions Under Closer Scrutiny
- Excessive Celebration – Penalty Declined
- Four Crisis Management Lessons from the...more
5/2/2014
/ Class Action ,
Crisis Management ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Fourth Amendment ,
Hospitality Industry ,
Internships ,
Minimum Wage ,
Mobile Privacy ,
Premises Liability ,
Privacy Laws ,
Social Networks ,
TCPA ,
Telemarketing ,
Unpaid Interns ,
Volunteers
For our readers who did not attend the early May International Franchise Association Legal Symposium held in Washington, we pass along these observations...more