Apparently, for New York state bagel eaters, the first cut is the deepest—and it’s taxable. Last month, looking for ways to fill its coffers, the state began enforcing an old law that taxes prepared foods, including sliced bagels. Whole, unsliced bagels are tax-free, but the sales tax does apply to “sliced or prepared bagels (with…

In our last issue of Fortnightly, we reported on the general uneasiness of New York City operators with the city’s new restaurant-grading system, which posts the past history of code violations and inspection reports on the Health Department website. Well, now it seems, there is something to smile about. The department has announced that 80%…

Who is to blame and who is to pay for a restaurant ventilation system that is not doing its job? That’s the decision facing a judge in Washington, D.C. this week in the case of the burger joint vs. the law firm. Steptoe & Johnson says that Rogue States, A Burger Grilling Co., is causing…

Grilled chicken with a side of carcinogen? Wording similar to that is being debated in California. An Appellate Court ruling last week reversed a ruling and reignited a case that alleges that the chicken-grilling process used by chains including McDonald’s, T.G.I. Friday’s, Applebee’s, Chick-fil-A, Chili’s and Outback Steakhouse creates a cancer-causing chemical, and that state…

Reviews are in on New York City’s new restaurant letter-grading system. And if operators could do the grading, the system would be unlikely to make the honor roll. The A-B-C system, which will see every one of the city’s 24,000 restaurants publicly post a letter grade for cleanliness, is daunting enough for many operators. But…

A federal appeals court has ruled that the actions taken by two San Diego-area Chipotle Mexican Grill restaurants to accommodate disabled customers violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, hearing the case of Maurizio Antoninetti vs. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc., ruled that a written “Customers With…

At least two state legislatures are mulling over bills threatening dealers’ and consultants’ ability to practice interior design. The Foodservice Equipment Distributors Association opposes the bills, stating that they would prevent FEDA members from bidding or working on state contracts by creating a restrictive occupational licensing law. FEDA and the Foodservice Consultants Society Int’l. have…

The National Restaurant Association is hosting a new members-only webinar on its ServSafe Food Safety program. The Aug.18 webinar will cover topics including how the association’s program complies with new FDA Food Code recommendations, and illustrating how ServSafe Food Safety helps meet industry needs today and tomorrow. More details on the afternoon webinar are at…

The team won one for the tipper, or so it seems from the foodservice industry’s reaction to President Obama’s signing of the financial reform bill last week. The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act includes the interchange fee provision long championed by foodservice operators and other retail merchants. The bill authorizes the Federal Reserve…

Health inspections can be unplanned and ill-timed, but some restaurants in Washington, northern California and Canada are finding them fraudulent as well. Operators there have been targets of a phone-call scam allegedly meant to set up fraudulent accounts with Craigslist. According to a press release from the Washington State Attorney General’s office, an initial phone…