L.A. Plans To Scrap Its Genuinely Good Outdoor Dining Program and Replace It With Rules, Fees, and Paperwork
The L.A. City Council saw a good thing happening and decided government wasn't involved enough.
Restaurants
The U.K.'s New 'Free Market' Prime Minister Is Fighting Inflation With Price Controls
This fiscal irresponsibility throws gasoline on the country's already raging inflation fire.
San Francisco Fines Businesses for Getting Vandalized
The city halted its practice of fining graffitied businesses during the pandemic. But now it's firing up its enforcement machine again.
New Jersey Breweries Push Back Against Crushing New Rules
New rules from the state alcohol control board could grind breweries into insolvency.
Terrible Restrictions on Food Trucks Are Still a Thing
Atlanta, Sioux Center, and too many other cities and towns are still treating food trucks like second-class businesses.
New Jersey Cracks Down on Breweries for Hosting Trivia Nights, Serving Food
Regulations ban food sales, limit the number of events, and include other inane requirements.
New York City Sued Over Illegal Foie Gras Ban
Hudson Valley foie gras producers are not taking New York City's guff sitting down.
The Restaurant Industry Doesn't Need Another Bailout
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act would give restaurants another $42 billion in grants to cover the lingering costs of the pandemic.
Does Boston's Mayor Hate the City's Restaurants?
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu seems hellbent on making things difficult or impossible for city restaurants.
Food Trucks Still Being Squeezed Out by Local Governments
Detroit leaders throw around words like "fairness" and "equity" while shielding big restaurants from smaller competition.
Communism Destroyed Russian Cooking
Soviet rule promised abundance. Instead it brought misery and starvation.
'Do I Look Like the COVID Police?'
Business owners in the Bronx respond to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s vaccine passport mandate.
When De Blasio's Vaccination Passport Plan Went Into Effect Yesterday, One-Quarter of Adult New Yorkers Were Barred From Going Out
Going out in Manhattan the first night patrons were required to prove their vaccination status
Canadian Steak Tartare Ban Leaves Chefs Feeling Raw
Warning people about the dangers of raw meat doesn't require prohibiting the practice.
New York Lawmakers Fight to Keep Chick-Fil-A From State Rest Stops
Plus: Judge rules against Roy Moore in Sacha Baron Cohen lawsuit, federal marijuana legalization bill allegedly arriving soon, and more...
In an Unprecedented Heat Wave, Portland's Lingering COVID Restrictions Hurt Bars and Restaurants Again
The state, one of the last to fully reopen, lifted some capacity limits early. But the service sector was hamstrung during a heat crisis in which it could have helped.
Lingering COVID Requirements for NYC Bars and Restaurants Amount to Pointless Hygiene Theater
Theatrical safety checks don't keep people safe—vaccines do.
Plexiglass Barriers Are Everywhere, but They're Probably Useless
There's a good chance they haven't been preventing the spread of COVID, and they might even be counterproductive.
In the Face of Arrests, City Barricades, and Revoked Permits, This California Saloon Fights for Its Right To Reopen
For months, the owners of Tin Horn Flats have refused to comply with restrictions on their business.
Democrats' COVID-19 Aid Package Would Quietly Eliminate the Tipped Minimum Wage as Restaurants Struggle To Stay Alive
Do small businesses need another punch in the gut?
Closing Bars and Restaurants Didn't Stop People From Gathering
Now officials in Chicago and New York are reconsidering their rules.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Vetoed One Outdoor Dining Bill Because It Took Too Much Power Away From Zoning Officials. Will He Do That a Second Time?
Garden State lawmakers have unanimously passed two bills now allowing restaurants to keep their outdoor operations running so long as their indoor dining rooms are restricted.
COVID Twisted This Pretzel-Maker in Knots. A Devastating Fire Could Put Him Out of Business.
The factory fire was salt in the wound of this struggling iconic New York business.
Americans Are Sick of Arbitrary COVID-19 Restrictions
A year into the pandemic, politicians still have not digested the dangers of careless public health measures.
Has Restaurants' Role in Spreading COVID-19 Been Exaggerated?
The evidence is limited and mixed, but data from New York, Minnesota, and California suggest that restaurants there account for a small share of infections.
California Judge Blocks Enforcement of State and Local Bans on Restaurant Dining in San Diego County
The decision says the government failed to present any evidence of virus transmission in restaurants that follow COVID-19 precautions.
Taking the Piss: New York Briefly Bans Diners From Using Restaurant Bathrooms
New York quickly reversed its ludicrous bathroom ban following backlash from the hospitality industry and anyone with a little common sense.
New D.C. Law Says Restaurants Must Rehire Staff They Were Forced To Lay Off
The new law layers more bureaucratic requirements on a hospitality industry trying to bounce back from its worst year on record.
Just 1.3% of NYC COVID Cases Are Coming From Restaurants. Why Has Cuomo Banned Indoor Dining?
The order is killing businesses and isn't rooted in science.
California's Health Secretary Concedes There Is No Empirical Basis for the State's Ban on Outdoor Dining
The ban is "not a comment on the relative safety of outdoor dining," Mark Ghaly says, but part of the effort to keep people from leaving home.
Cops Raid New York Bar and Arrest Owner for Defying COVID-19 Restrictions
Using police to forcefully shut down Mac's Public House is a violation of liberty and a waste of resources.
Another Wave of Business Closures Devastates the Suffering Restaurant Industry
Job losses and business closures loom as more cities and states once again shut down their hospitality industries.
A New Round of COVID-19 Restrictions Drives Illinois Eateries to Rebellion
Who could have predicted that intolerable rules won’t be tolerated?
California Restaurants Want Fee Money Back From a Government That Isn't Letting Them Operate to Capacity
Restaurants in five counties are threatening legal action.
Brooklyn Eatery Sues New York State and Gov. Cuomo Over Looming 'Food Curfew'
Limiting the hours during which food can be served is arbitrary, unscientific, and could cause overcrowding, the plaintiffs argue.
Andrew Cuomo Says 4,000-Person NYPD Social-Distancing Taskforce Needed Before He'll Allow Indoor Dining in NYC
New York City restaurants have been excluded from the reopening of dining rooms in the rest of the state.
Philadelphia Ordered Restaurants Closed. Then the City's Mayor Went Out To Eat in Maryland.
Public officials are routinely undermining the legitimacy of coronavirus countermeasures by ignoring their own (often arbitrary) rules.
Remy: NoMargaritasville (Jimmy Buffett Parody)
Drinking outside would be OK if the government considered you an adult.
Coronavirus Cuisine
In the face of the greatest challenge in generations, America's chefs, bartenders, and restaurant owners are reinventing their food, their businesses, and themselves.
Andrew Cuomo to Chicken Wings: You're Not Real Food
The New York governor requires bars to sell "substantive" offerings if they'd like to stay open.
Economic Crisis Deepens as Business Closures and Unemployment Claims Rise
Data from Yelp shows that the long-term economic toll of the coronavirus pandemic is only starting to be realized. And federal unemployment data shows layoffs are climbing again.
New York City's Modest Reopening Marred by Arbitrary Guidelines
Phase 4 of city's reopening means loose rules for zoos but strict requirements for bars.
What It's Like To Be a Business Owner During COVID-19
Cheese shop owner Jill Erber on why she's keeping her store open to take care of her customers and her community
Lockdown Orders Have Devastated Restaurants. Politicians Think Price Controls Might Save Them.
The Portland City Council has approved an emergency ordinance capping the fees delivery apps like DoorDash and Uber Eats can charge restaurants.
Let Us Drink Outside! Relaxing Liquor Laws Could Save Bars and Restaurants
Allowing cocktails-to-go and outdoor drinking can help bartenders and restaurant staff survive the COVID-19 shutdowns.
Phased Reopenings May Be Too Little, Too Late for the Restaurant Industry
Falling demand and strict social distancing requirements are leaving many restaurants with no path to profitability.
