On the last day of January, six months after the Chicago City Council legalized cooking onboard food trucks, the city issued its first license for on-site food prep and cooking. The city has been under fire from food truck operators and prospective customers for its lengthy and contentious approach to curbside, mobile foodservice. It took…

Accommodation without major alteration to a foodservice operation appears to be the stance taken by the U.S. Department of Justice with regard to how the Americans with Disabilities Act applies to food-allergic customers. The department has just published a Q&A reaffirming that the ADA does not require all restaurants to provide gluten-free or allergen-free foods.…

The National Restaurant Association’s 2013 Public Affairs Conference is set for April 17-18 in Washington, D.C. This year’s theme, “Carry the Message—America Works Here,” is part of the NRA’s ongoing campaign to communicate to opinion leaders and government agencies the foodservice industry’s story as a leading job creator. The restaurant industry employs more than 13…

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who has already battled trans fats, smoking and supersized sodas during his 11 years in office, has now proposed a citywide ban on “foam-based foodservice products,” including coffee cups, trays and clamshell containers. “We have unfinished business and only 320 days to complete it,” said the mayor in his final…

On Jan. 24, the California Building Standards Commission unanimously approved the Division of the State Architect’s proposed accessibility regulations for the 2013 California Building Code. This update integrates into a single comprehensive code both the most accessible standards of the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act and the 2010 California Building Code. Foodservice operators should pay…

Revisions and updates continue for Energy Star commercial foodservice equipment specifications. By the end of 2013, all nine categories of equipment currently carrying Energy Star certification will have undergone revisions, including commercial warewashers, fryers, griddles, hot-food holding cabinets, ice machines, ovens, refrigerators, freezers, and steam cookers (the latter of which are awaiting test method revisions).…

Only a month into 2013, and state legislatures and state restaurant associations are wrestling with some major issues. Minimum-wage increases, paid sick leave and environmental issues are just a few of the legislative issues being addressed in California and Pennsylvania. In California, legislation has been introduced that would raise the state’s minimum wage to $9.25…

The New York State Supreme Court is hearing arguments Jan. 23 on the legality of the supersized soft-drink ban passed last year by New York City’s board of health The National Restaurant Association, American Beverage Association and other plaintiffs in the suit have challenged the city’s authority to issue the ban. The mandate, as passed…

As restaurant chains and other operators gear up to comply with the new state and federal healthcare guidelines, the California Restaurant Association has followed the NRA’s lead and created its own webpage dedicated to healthcare and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The new website section, calrest.org/healthcare, includes frequently asked questions, an implementation timeline,…

Multiunit operators, E&S dealers, consultants and service agents are among the nearly four million businesses which have received forms for the 2012 Economic Census, the federal government’s official five-year measure of American business and the economy. Those forms are due next month; by law, businesses must respond by Feb. 12. The responses help guide industry…