National Restaurant Association Calls on the FTC to Exclude Restaurants from “Junk Fees” Rule

In comments they call the proposal unwarranted and unlawful, and highlight significant unintended consequences for consumers

In comments submitted to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) regarding its Unfair or Deceptive Fees Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, the National Restaurant Association and the Restaurant Law Center (Law Center) called for the Commission to exclude the restaurant industry from the final rule. In the comments, the groups highlight that the proposed rule’s blanket prohibition on “hidden” and “misleading” fees as applied to the restaurant industry is “unwarranted, unlawful...

Agreement Made with Massachusetts AG in Pork Rule Litigation

Today, the Restaurant Law Center, four state restaurant associations, the National Pork Producers Council, and the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office asked a federal judge to approve their settlement agreement in a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Massachusetts Pork Rules. The agreement would end a lawsuit filed(Opens in a new window) by the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, HospitalityMaine, New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association, Rhode Island Hospitality Association, the Restaurant Law Center, and the National Pork Producers Council that challenged enforcement guidelines and the underlying 2016 law defining the conditions under...

U.S. Interstate Pork Commerce Faces Uncertain Future As States Implement New Restrictive Laws

On May 11, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) upheld a lower court’s ruling to preserve California Proposition 12 (Prop 12), which prohibits the sale of pork not produced according to the state’s production standards. This means restaurants in California will now have to source pork that meets these standards.

California requires that all pork sold in the state must come from farms that house sows with at least 24 square feet each and ensure their ability to stand up and turn around in their...