Latest Restaurant Headlines

All the headlines from our Restaurant Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Business, Insurers Face Survival Showdowns Over Pandemic Coverage

Aug 18 2020 // PILANESBERG NATIONAL PARK, South Africa— Wynand du Toit’s safari camp in South Africa’s Pilanesberg National Park lies abandoned, its tents ripped open by baboons and its survival in the balance after his...

Judge Tosses Texas Barbershops’ Suit Against Insurer Over Coronavirus Losses

Aug 16 2020 // A federal judge has agreed with an insurer that a group of barbershops in the San Antonio, Texas-area have no basis for claims seeking coverage under their commercial insurance policies for business interruption losses...

California Labor Commissioner Reaches $2.6M Settlement with Restaurant

Aug 13 2020 // The California Labor Commissioner has reached a $2.6 million settlement with the owners of Kome Japanese Seafood & Buffet in Daly City, securing compensation for 133 workers for unpaid minimum wage, overtime and split...

D.C. Judge Rules For Insurer, Dismisses Restaurants’ Business Interruption Claims

Aug 7 2020 // The insurance industry has notched another victory in its defense of its commercial insurance policies against claims for business interruption due to the coronavirus. In a case brought by the owner of several restaurants...

‘Defensive Dining’: Keeping Makeshift Outdoor Eateries Safe From Storms, Drivers

Aug 5 2020 // Outdoor spaces hastily fancified for low-risk dining are keeping thousands of U.S. restaurants from closing permanently. But crashing the dinner party are tropical storms, rats — and the occasional out-of-control...

Kentucky Bars Ordered to Close, Restaurants to Reduce Capacity as Virus Spikes

Jul 29 2020 // Kentucky’s governor on Monday ordered that bars close and restaurants scale back indoor service and urged school districts to wait until later in August to resume in-person classes in a new round of actions to combat...

Nashville Orders Restaurants to Close Earlier to Curb Virus

Jul 23 2020 // Nashville is barring restaurants from staying open late starting Friday in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus, Mayor John Cooper said Tuesday. In a virtual news conference, Cooper said an order will require...

Michigan Restaurants’ COVID-19 Business Interruption Claim Rejected by State Judge

Jul 20 2020 // A trial court judge in Lansing, Michigan, handed a victory to insurers in what may be the nation’s first final ruling on the question of whether a property insurer is liable for financial damages caused by a...

Federal Judge Denies Restraining Order Request by Nashville Bar Owners

Jul 14 2020 // A judge has ruled against some Nashville bar owners who sought a temporary restraining order against city officials in an effort to push back against coronavirus restrictions. Federal Judge Eli Richardson denied the...

South Carolina Halts Late-Night Alcohol Sales at Bars, Restaurants

Jul 13 2020 // In an effort to stem South Carolina’s raging coronavirus outbreak, particularly among young adults he says are gathering in unsafe groupings, Gov. Henry McMaster is shutting off the late-night sale of alcohol at bars...

Insurers Are Creating Products for World Where Pandemics Could Become New Norm

Jul 10 2020 // Insurers are creating products for a world where virus outbreaks could become the new normal after many businesses were left out in the cold during the COVID-19 crisis. While new pandemic-proof policies might not be cheap,...

Miami Halts Indoor Dining as Florida Hospitals Approach Capacity

Jul 8 2020 // Hospitals rapidly approached capacity across the Sunbelt, and the Miami area closed indoor dining at restaurants and gyms again because of the surging coronavirus Monday, as the U.S. emerged from a Fourth of July weekend...

State Judge Rejects Michigan Restaurants’ COVID-19 Business Interruption Claim

Jul 7 2020 // A trial court judge in Lansing, Michigan handed a victory to insurers in what may be the nation’s first final ruling on the question of whether a property insurer is liable for financial damages caused by a...

N.H. Woman Sentenced for Fraud Scheme Targeting Restaurants, Insurance Companies

Jul 1 2020 // A New Hampshire woman has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for participating in a mail fraud scheme targeting restaurants and insurance companies. According to court documents and statements made in court, for...

Texas Bar Owners Sue Governor Over Recent Shutdown Order

Jun 30 2020 // Hoping to block Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision ordering Texas bars to close due to a rise in coronavirus cases, more than 30 bar owners filed a lawsuit on June 29 challenging Abbott’s emergency order. The lawsuit,...

Florida Restaurant Fined More Than $314K for Stealing Tips, Wages

Jun 30 2020 // Federal officials say a Florida restaurant chain with six locations has been fined more than $314,500 for taking employee tips and wages. The U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday that the Vietnamese chain Pho 79...

Texas Bars Ordered to Close Again, Restaurants Reduced to 50% Occupancy as Virus Spreads

Jun 26 2020 // Gov. Greg Abbott has taken his most drastic action yet to respond to the post-reopening coronavirus surge in Texas, shutting bars back down and scaling back restaurant capacity to 50%. He also shut down river-rafting...

Wisconsin to Insurers: Give Restaurants 10-Day Notice on Expiring Delivery Coverage

Jun 22 2020 // Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner Mark Afable has asked insurers that provided coverage under personal auto policies for food delivery services during the COVID-19 pandemic to help restaurants by giving the businesses at...

Insurer Counters Income Loss Claims by Arguing Restaurants Operated Takeout Service

Jun 18 2020 // An insurer fighting business income claims from restaurants is arguing in part that there is no coverage because businesses were allowed to provide takeout and delivery service during lockdowns. Society Insurance, based in...

Some Florida Bars, Restaurants Temporarily Close as Virus Cases Rise

Jun 16 2020 // Some Florida bars and restaurants are temporarily closing their doors after being back open for just a few weeks because workers or patrons have tested positive for the new coronavirus. The closures come as the number of...