Latest Restaurant Headlines
All the headlines from our Restaurant Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Insurance Journal’s Top 10 Most Read Stories of 2020: South Central Region
Dec 28 2020 // The weather, as usual, made for many headlines in Insurance Journal’s South Central region in 2020. COVID-19 related lawsuits and transactions involving nonstandard auto business also made news. Here’s a look...
Judge Gives Oklahoma Bars, Restaurants Temporary Curfew Reprieve
Dec 21 2020 // Oklahoma bars and restaurants have effectively won a temporary reprieve from a curfew that has been forcing them to close early since November to minimize the spread of the coronavirus. A state judge sided with a group of...
From Insurers to Landlords, Retailers to Restaurants, COVID Reshapes Economies
Dec 18 2020 // It would be just a temporary precaution. When the viral pandemic erupted in March, employees of the small digital insurance firm Thimble fled their Manhattan offices. CEO Jay Bregman planned to call them back soon — as...
Minnesota Bar Owner Faces Federal Arson, Insurance Fraud Charges
Dec 14 2020 // The owner of a historic St. Cloud, Minn., bar has been indicted on federal arson and wire fraud charges for allegedly setting fire to the business and submitting a fraudulent insurance claim, prosecutors announced. Andrew...
Impact of Coronavirus on U.S. Economy Could Be $3-$5 Trillion Over 2 Years: USC Study
Dec 14 2020 // The COVID-19 pandemic could result in net losses from $3.2 trillion and up to $4.8 trillion in U.S. real gross domestic product (GDP) over the course of two years, a new University of Southern California (USC) study...
L.A. Restaurants Win Court Battle Over Virus Closures
Dec 10 2020 // Los Angeles County’s health director acted “arbitrarily” and didn’t prove the danger to the public when she banned outdoor dining at restaurants as coronavirus cases surged last month, a judge ruled...
Wichita, Kansas, Bar Owners Sue for Return to Pre-Pandemic Rules
Dec 9 2020 // Bar owners in Kansas’ largest city are challenging rules designed to slow the spread of COVID-19, hoping to use the courts to overturn a mask mandate, limits on public gatherings and an 11 p.m. closing time for bars...
Three Hospitalized After Gas Explosion at Virginia Restaurant
Dec 9 2020 // Three people were hospitalized Thursday following a gas explosion in the kitchen of a Virginia restaurant, leaving one of the victims with life-threatening injuries, according to authorities. Crossroads Restaurant in...
Kentucky City, County to Waive License Fees for Restaurants, Bars Due to Pandemic
Dec 8 2020 // Kentucky’s Daviess County Fiscal Court and Owensboro City Commission are preparing to waive license fees for restaurants and bars to help ease the burden of the coronavirus pandemic, the Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer...
Judge Won’t Block Ban on Michigan Indoor Dining
Dec 3 2020 // Bars and restaurants on Dec. 2 lost a challenge to Michigan’s ban on indoor dining and immediately warned about business failures and deep job losses if the restriction linked to the coronavirus is extended past next...
Texas County Shuts Down Bars as COVID Hospitalizations Surge
Dec 2 2020 // A Central Texas county has closed its bars after area hospitalizations for COVID-19 exceeded a state mandated limit. Meanwhile in Houston, officials say they are having problems with some bars that have been allowed to...
Next Virus Shutdown May Cost Washington Restaurants $800M
Nov 25 2020 // A four-week shutdown on indoor service at restaurants and bars prompted by an alarming statewide spike in COVID-19 cases is expected to cost the industry some $800 million, a representative said Monday. Anthony Anton,...
Judge Declines to Halt Michigan’s Recent Ban on Indoor Dining
Nov 22 2020 // A judge on Nov. 20 declined to halt a three-week ban on indoor dining in Michigan that is one of the most recent coronavirus restrictions imposed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration. The state health...
Kentucky Aims to Slow Virus Spread with New Restrictions on Restaurants, Events
Nov 20 2020 // Bidding to slow surging coronavirus cases and deaths in Kentucky, Gov. Andy Beshear announced new restrictions Tuesday on in-person gatherings at restaurants, schools and event venues. “I don’t take this...
Restaurants Sue to Stop New Michigan Governor’s Ban on Dining
Nov 18 2020 // Just hours before another shutdown, a restaurant trade group sued on Nov. 17 to try to stop a ban on indoor dining, attacking the latest restrictions from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s administration in response to a wave...
Oklahoma Places New Restrictions on Bars, Restaurants Amid Virus Surge
Nov 17 2020 // Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has announced new restrictions on bars and restaurants and plans to require mask wearing inside state buildings, the first state restrictions imposed since the economy reopened in May, as...
McDonald’s Plans Safety Checks of All Restaurants as COVID Cases Surge
Nov 16 2020 // McDonald’s Corp. will inspect all its U.S. restaurants to ensure compliance with safety standards as coronavirus cases surge again and “COVID fatigue” sets in, according to an internal note seen by...
Louisiana Court Schedules Trial on First Coronavirus Business Interruption Lawsuit
Nov 12 2020 // A trial will begin Monday in what is thought to be the first lawsuit to be filed against an insurer for denying coverage for business-interruption losses caused by COVID-19 shutdown orders. Judge Paulette R. Irons ruled...
Declarations
Nov 2 2020 // Harassment and Retaliation “Retaliation takes all different forms. … Losing your job, losing shifts, losing pay — or if you’ve already lost your job, you can’t find another job in that...
N.C. Judge First to Favor Policyholders in COVID-19 Closure Lawsuit
Nov 2 2020 // A judge in Durham County, N.C., has handed down what may be the nation’s first dispositive ruling in favor of policyholders in a COVID-19 business-interruption lawsuit. Superior Court Judge Orlando F. Hudson Jr....
