The Law (in Plain English) for Restaurants

This title is a down-to-earth guide to the critical legal information that owners and managers of food and beverage businesses—and those who dream of owning or managing such a business—need to know. This book is as useful for those whose new business is still in the planning stages as it is for established food and beverage businesses. Topics include how to protect your trade secrets—including your recipes, tax rules for tips, the pros and cons of different types of business entities, borrowing money, going public, franchises, multilevel marketing opportunities, trademarks, leases, copyrights, patents, hiring and firing, writing a business plan, advertising, use of social media, insurance, collections, product liability and liability for the actions of customers who have had too much to drink, retirement plans, warranties and estate planning, ways to reduce income tax legally, as well as how to find the right lawyer and accountant for your business. While this book is not intended to replace the reader’s lawyer, it offers a clear, concise, and “plain English” overview of many of the legal issues relevant to those in the food and beverage industry.