On August 26, 2020, the Los Angeles City Council unanimously voted to extend the 15% cap on delivery fees charged to restaurants. The fee cap was originally adopted on June 10, 2020, and was set to expire on August 31, 2020....more
The City of Los Angeles announced that it has extended its “L.A. Al Fresco” program until the end of 2020. The program was designed to help restaurants reopen during the COVID-19 pandemic by offering a streamlined permitting...more
A bi-partisan bill to aid restaurants is gaining momentum, with over 180 co-sponsors and additional endorsements announced in the past few weeks. The bill is officially titled the Real Economic Support That Acknowledges...more
The FDA recently published a final rule to establish requirements for “gluten-free” labeling for fermented, hydrolyzed and distilled food. The rule will go into effect on October 13, 2020, with a compliance date of August 13,...more
On August 11, 2020, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak signed Senate Bill 4, which sets new safety standards for the hospitality industry, provides some protections for hospitality workers, and provides for immunity for businesses...more
On August 5, 2020, the Agricultural Marketing Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture published a proposed rule designed to strengthen the agency’s oversight and enforcement of the production, handling, and sale of...more
The U.S. Department of Agriculture released an online-only first print of the Scientific Report of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.
The 2020 Scientific Report has two unique features that are new from...more
On July 21, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to enforce the monitoring of compliance with County health orders by encouraging workers to directly report health code violations through...more
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works recently released information about its COVID-19 Temporary Outdoor Dining Program. The program is designed for restaurants in unincorporated Los Angeles County that are...more
On July 21, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors announced that it would be considering a county-wide requirement for food delivery workers to obtain a food handler certification. The Board noted that food...more
On July 1, 2020, a 2019 California law requiring restaurants, malls and other businesses to make composting and recycling bins accessible to customers officially went into effect. Full-service restaurants are exempt from the...more
Governor Gavin Newsom’s temporary suspension of California’s ban on single-use plastic bags at grocery stores was allowed to expire, effectively fully reinstating the ban and requiring grocery stores to charge customers at...more
On July 13, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced a significant rollback of California’s reopening and ordered 30 of the most populous counties in the state to cease indoor operations. The order includes closing indoor...more
Adding to an already impressive list of industry specific guidelines, the California Department of Health and the Department of Industrial Relations/Cal-OSHA have issued an Industry Guidance for Restaurants Providing Outdoor...more
On July 13, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that restaurants across the state must cease indoor operations. All bars, both indoor and outdoor, are ordered to close statewide....more
On July 7, 2020, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to fine LA County businesses, including restaurants, for violations of COVID-19 public health orders, and to shut businesses down for non-compliance...more
On June 22, 2020, the Federal Trade Commission issued a proposed Made in USA Rule regarding when businesses can advertise that their products are made in the U.S., and giving the agency discretion to impose civil penalties....more
On July 1, 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom ordered restaurants in nineteen California counties, including Los Angeles County, to cease indoor operations for at least three weeks, until July 22, 2020.
The nineteen counties...more
On June 28, 2020, California Governor Gavin Newsom ordered that bars in seven California counties close. These counties are: Los Angeles, Fresno, Kern, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kings and Imperial....more
Restaurants whose operations have been shut down due to the coronavirus crisis are looking to their business interruption or business income insurance policies for relief, and have found resistance from insurance companies...more
California’s legislative season is in full swing, and the California State Assembly and State Senate are advancing bills that will affect the food, beverage, and hospitality industry, with a focus on the restaurant...more
The City of Los Angeles has launched an “L.A. Al Fresco” Program aimed at helping restaurants reopen while following COVID-19 physical distancing guidelines.
The program will allow restaurants to use their sidewalk and...more
On June 3, 2020, the Los Angeles City Council adopted an ordinance capping third-party food delivery services fees at 15% for the duration of the COVID-19 public health emergency. The ordinance will become part of the City’s...more