Category Archives: Management And Ownership

by | May 17, 2013 · 5:46 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Texas Restaurant Sued For “Negligence” After Patron Drinks Beer Containing “Lye-Like Cleaning Agent”; Seeks $100,000 For Medical Costs And Damages

“…the restaurant had used the lye-like cleaning agent to disinfect the Budweiser keg that morning but had failed to properly rinse the container Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsbefore refilling it with the beer (the plaintiff) would later drink…he is seeking between $50,000 and $100,000 from Red Lobster and the company that cleaned the Dallas location’s beer tap system to cover medical expenses and compensate for his physical pain…”

Though it’s an isolated incident, a man from Panama City, Fla., claims he was on the receiving end of Red Lobster’s worst nightmare when he was scorched with potassium hydroxide — lye — from a Budweiser he drank during a business lunch in Dallas earlier this month. According to The Dallas Observer, Justin Grogg took a sip of his beer and immediately felt his throat, esophagus and stomach starting to burn.

According to Grogg’s lawsuit, he got the attention of the restaurant’s manager, who told him to “drink water and go to the hospital.” The complaint alleges the manager knew that the beer tap system had been cleaned that morning with potassium hydroxide, which is caustic and can cause severe bodily harm if swallowed.

Doctors treated Grogg quickly, but he still experienced “severe pain” and was told he could develop “esophageal strictures, esophageal reflux changes, and/or pharyngeal infection in the future as a result of the ingestion of the potassium hydroxide.”

For more:  http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=1eb6230e-9215-4124-bd5f-5c9eb5ff49ce

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by | May 15, 2013 · 5:44 am

Hospitality Industry Technology Solutions: Hotel And Restaurant “Integrated Ordering Systems” Feature Online Tablets Located On Tables; Increase In Productivity, Inventory Control And Customer Satisfaction

“…By eliminating the traditional step of taking down orders with pen and paper, the hotel has been able to cut down manpower needs Hotel Restaurant Online Tablet Ordering Systemby one staff member per shift (reducing walking time)…”

  • The new system also removes the extra time taken to check the availability of certain items with the kitchen
  • Customer satisfaction has climbed by five percentage points since the system was implemented
  • The new format of ordering allowed us to provide personalized service to patrons who needed it more
  • Sales of food at the atrium lounge have gone up since the automated ordering system was implemented
  • The system also allows guests to give instant feedback about the service, with comments popping up on the employees’ phones.

An initiative that was implemented last November involved linking the hotel’s atrium lounge to a full integrated ordering system. Unlike other restaurants and cafes, where tablet computers are used as electronic menus or ordering devices, the hotel goes one step further. Information is keyed in by patrons and sent via the tablets to mobile phones which are carried by all service staff.

“Guests can self-order and customise their meals by looking through the menu and browsing through the pictures,” said Mr Wehinger. “With the tablet, they can press a ‘call for service’ button, type out dietary restrictions, give feedback and view the inventory level of items which are selling fast or out of stock.

“Instead of waving their hands in the air to get the attention of a waiter, a pop-up with the corresponding table number will appear on the mobile phones issued to our staff. They will then attend to the guests’ needs.”

The atrium lounge, which is manned by about seven employees during the evening peak period, takes up much of the hotel’s fourth floor and spans an area about as large as two basketball courts, so cutting down walking time is a key improvement.

For more:  http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest%2BNews/Relax/Story/A1Story20130515-422603.html

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by | May 13, 2013 · 6:31 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Pennsylvania Restaurant Settles “Excessive Alcohol Lawsuit” For $8.9 Million; Staff To Complete “Responsible Alcohol Management Training” And Establish “Designated Driver Program”

“…(the drunk driver) consumed at least six liters of beer and several  shots of liquor over a period of about 41/2 hours…(he) vomited on a table and was  escorted out of the bar by security. He was allowed to leave, walked to his car  and crashed a short time later…his Hospitality Industry Excessive Alcohol Lawsuitsblood-alcohol level an hour after the crash was 0.219, more than twice  the legal limit…”

  • The restaurant’s staff, including managers, servers, bartenders and security, to be certified  in Responsible Alcohol Management training through an approved Pennsylvania  Liquor Control Board trainer.
  • Responsibility for identifying intoxicated guests will be included in job  descriptions for security personnel. In addition, the restaurant will establish  guidelines for responsible alcohol service and disseminate those to  employees.
  • It will use a new point-of-sales system to provide individual checks so they  know how much alcohol each customer is getting.
  • It also will provide water to  guests to slow alcohol consumption; will establish a designated driver program  providing complimentary non-alcohol beverages and will provide free light food  for guests who appear to be intoxicated.

The family of a 7-year-old girl who was killed by a drunken driver in 2010  after he left the Hofbrauhaus restaurant on the South Side on Tuesday reached a  $15.6 million settlement with the company. In addition to the financial payout, the German-style facility has agreed to  a number of changes in its protocol to try to reduce customer intoxication and  drunken driving.

Lexa Cleland, who was asleep in the back seat as her mother drove to pick up  her husband, Mark, from work the night of Dec. 4, 2010, was killed instantly  when her mother’s Toyota Camry was struck by a Ford Mustang driven by Travis  Isiminger on East Carson Street on the South Side.

The settlement breakdown pays $8.9 million to Nicole Cleland; $500,000 to  Mark Cleland; $2.1 million to the estate of Lexa Cleland; and just over $4  million to their attorneys, Goodrich & Associates, for costs and fees.

The lawsuit was filed against Hofbrauhaus and Isiminger, whose insurance will  be responsible for paying $100,000 of the settlement.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/owners-of-south-sides-hofbrauhaus-settle-in-girls-death-for-156-million-686644/#ixzz2TBFxrkyx

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by | May 12, 2013 · 6:52 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Florida Restaurant Settles Justice Department “Disabilities Lawsuit” For $60,000; “Family Was Told To Leave Over Their Children’s Skin Condition”

Hospitality Industry ADA Lawsuits“…according to the lawsuit, Danielle Duford and her children were asked to leave the restaurant after other customers noticed the skin condition of her infant daughter. Three of Duford’s four children have epidermolysis bullosa…”

A restaurant will pay $60,000 after telling a family to leave over their children’s skin condition. As reported by the Associated Press (AP), the U.S. Justice Department announced the settlement Wednesday.

The department filed a lawsuit against the Golden Corral in Westland in February claiming that ejecting the family had been a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Justice Department civil rights lawyer Eve Hill is quoted by the AP as stating of the settlement, “No one should be excluded from participating in the basic activities of daily living on account of fears of their disability, nor should children be shamed from going out in public… We are confident today’s settlement sends that message.”

For more:  http://www.newyorkinjurynews.com/2013/05/11/Restaurant-to-pay-family-after-ejecting-them-for-kids-skin-condition_201305119426.html

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by | May 11, 2013 · 6:27 am

Hospitality Industry Property Risks: California Hotel Exterior Facade Collapses Damaging Electrical System And Sprinklers, Flooding Three Floors

Hotel Property Damage“…the façade tore down sprinkler lines, sending water rushing into some of the rooms. Three floors flooded, damaging the electrical system. Officials say city engineers will be evaluating the building’s structural integrity…”

Work crews will be busy Friday cleaning up the damage left behind after part of a local hotel building collapses. Some guests at the Hampton Inn on Greenwood Street were evacuated overnight, after the hotel’s facade suddenly collapsed.

Pieces littered the ground with debris, making a mess on the north side of the building. People staying at the hotel said they heard a loud noise, grabbed their stuff and got out.

Guests were either moved to other rooms, or sent to other Hampton Inn locations.

No word what caused the collapse.

For more:  http://www.cbs8.com/story/22216647/guests-evacuated-after-hotel-facade-suddenly-collapses

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by | May 6, 2013 · 5:32 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: New Mexico Restaurant Sued By Family Of Man Killed After “Leaving While Intoxicated”; Lawsuit Claims Corporate Policy Of “Driving Up Liquor Sales”

“…The lawsuit says the restaurant’s employees shouldn’t have served Varela the 20-ounce “Brewtus” beers and should have Alcohol Drink Responsiblystopped him from leaving while intoxicated…It also accused Applebee’s corporate leadership of encouraging its restaurants to drive up liquor sales, especially late at night, a policy it says “created a dangerous situation…”

The estate of a man who was struck and killed by a truck filed a lawsuit against the Taos restaurant that served him several 20-ounce beers, saying he was over served before he walked out of the restaurant and into the street where he was killed. The Albuquerque Journal reports Julian Varela, 49, had a blood alcohol level four times the legal limit for driving when he left the Applebee’s Neighborhood Grill and Bar on Dec. 29, 2011.

He was killed by a teen driver who wasn’t cited in the incident. The lawsuit names the 17-year-old as a defendant, saying he was negligent.

An attorney for Varela’s estate wouldn’t say where they got the internal emails and records those accusations are based on. The lawsuit references police reports from 2008 to 2011 that list 90 incidents, and the chain’s own log entries of gunshots, fights, assaults and other incidents at the restaurant.

It seeks punitive and other damages.

For more:  http://www.azcentral.com/news/free/20130501new-mexico-applebees-sued-over-drunk-pedestrians-death.html

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by | May 4, 2013 · 6:25 am

Hospitality Industry Insurance Risks: Hotels Must Purchase “Additional Terrorism Clause” To Have Losses Covered When Government Classifies Bombing Incidents “Acts Of Terror”

“…(after September 11 attacks) “acts of terror”  were excluded from (regular insurance) policies. They made it an optional add-on that businesses Acts of Terror Insurance Coveragehad to purchase separately to have damage covered that resulted from officially declared acts of terrorism, meaning the government’s categorization of the incident will determine who pays for what…”

The hotels located on or near Boylston Street are still trying to get their feet back under them after the tragedy in Boston, reeling from the lack of business associated with the incident’s aftermath. Hotels are looking to their insurance companies to cover their losses, but, interestingly enough, the payout depends upon whether or not the government officially declares the marathon bombings an “act of terror.”

 According to ABC News, President Obama called the bombings an “act of terror,” but the treasury secretary, attorney general, and secretary of state have yet to speak on the designation, and have set no time frame in which to do so.

“If there is no terror finding, damages would be covered in general under regular property-and-casualty policies,” Robert Hartwig, president of the trade group Insurance Information Institute, told ABC News. If it’s declared an “act of terror,” however, only those who purchased the additional terrorism clause would have their losses covered by insurance.

For more:  http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2013/5/2/114339/2751/hotels/%22Terrorism_Insurance%22_a_Hot_Debate_as_Boston_Hotels_Still_Struggle_

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by | May 2, 2013 · 4:26 pm

P3 Hospitality Industry Risk Report: “Improving Hotel Security After Boston” Presented By Petra Risk Solutions’ Director Of Risk Management Todd Seiders (Video)

[vimeo http://www.vimeo.com/65324022 w=500&h=281]

In the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings, it’s time to re-examine our security efforts and update our attitudes and training. Petra Risk Solutions’ Director of Risk Management, Todd Seiders , offers a P3 Hospitality Risk Update – ‘Improving Hotel Security after Boston’. 

P3P3 (Petra Plus Process) is the Risk Management Division of Petra Risk Solutions – America’s largest independent insurance brokerage devoted exclusively to the hospitality marketplace.

For more information on Petra and P3 visit petrarisksolutions.com or call 800.466.8951.

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by | May 1, 2013 · 6:33 am

Hospitality Industry Privacy Risks: Texas Hotel Employee Arrested For “Attempted Improper Photography And Visual Recording”; Cell Phone Placed In Ceiling Above Guest Room Shower

“…Police say a guest reported hearing an alarm-type sound coming from the bathroom area of her hotel room while she was in the shower…she hotel room privacyfound a small pinhole with a camera lens behind it in the ceiling. After moving the tiles, she discovered the cell phone…Hotel security removed the camera from the ceiling and noted that it was powered on…The room’s electric lock showed that (the defendant) had entered the room the day prior with the key assigned to him….”

A housekeeper at the Hyatt Regency hotel located at 208 Barton Springs is charged with misdemeanor attempted improper photography and visual recording. Blue Moo Too, 30, is charged after his cell phone was found hidden in a ceiling tile above the shower of one of the hotel rooms.

Video on the phone showed a man placing it in the bathroom ceiling and wiping away his footprints from the bathtub. The hotel’s executive housekeeper identified the man as her employee, Too, a housekeeper at the hotel.

Too was booked into Travis County Jail on April 12 with a $25,000 bail. He has since bonded out. Police say they didn’t find evidence of any other victims on his cell phone. His computer is still being looked at. At this time, the former housekeeper is facing up to one year in jail and a fine of no more than $4,000.

For more: http://www.kvue.com/news/Hyatt-hotel-worker-charged-with-improper-photography-203045331.html

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by | April 30, 2013 · 5:54 am

Hospitality Industry Legal Risks: Louisiana Hotel Sued By Guest Who Broke His Nose Walking Into A Glass Door; Claims “Unmarked Electric Glass Door Failed To Open Properly”

“…The (hotel) is accused of failing to keep doors properly functioning for its guest, failing to have doors properly marked for its guest, failing to Hospitality Industry Injury Lawsuitsensure the safety of its guest, failing to comply with the legal and contractual obligations for its guest, failing to act in good faith in paying for the losses of its guest and breaching its fiduciary duties and obligations for its guests…”

An Atlanta, Ga. man is suing a local hotel after he broke his nose when he walked face first into a glass door. Timothy Daniel filed a lawsuit against Clarion Inn & Suites, Choice Hotel International Inc. and their insurer in the Orleans Parish Central District Court on Feb. 15.

Daniel claims that while exiting the hotel building, without any warning signs, he walked into an unmarked electric glass door and broke his nose because the door failed to open properly.

The plaintiff is seeking full and just compensation for his losses caused by the injuries.

For more:  http://louisianarecord.com/news/251299-hotel-guest-sues-over-broken-nose-after-walking-into-glass-door

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