Operations

Operating a restaurant involves a lot of moving parts – most controlled by you, but many controlled by laws, regulations, licenses and permits. Alcoholic beverages, food safety, labor practices and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (the healthcare mandate) are significant – and then there is everything else.

Get to know the regulatory agencies that govern such things as sidewalk cafes, signage, noise, fire safety and more. And, get to know about the efforts being made by RAMW on your behalf to improve the regulatory environment.

D.C. food trucks lobbying to change outdated 'ice cream truck rules'

September 17, 2012

By J.D. Harrison , Washington Post, Capital Business September 17, 2012 Washington’s food truck owners will soon operate under an improved tax system, but they are still waiting for the city to approve additional changes to long-standing regulations they say were meant for old-fashioned ice cream trucks and make life unnecessarily complicated for today’s mobile vendors. Starting next month, food trucks will charge and file the same 10 percent sales tax as their brick-and-mortar counterparts, a popular alternative to the current system, by which licensed vendors on every truck pay...Read more

Comment period on vending regulations ends: Businesses, including restaurants, raise serious and sub

February 29, 2012

Comment period onvending regulations ends: Businesses, including restaurants, raise serious andsubstantive concerns about proposed regulations WASHINGTON, DC (March 1,2012) – Today marked the end of a nearly 6 week period during which theDepartment of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) accepted commentsconcerning proposed regulations to govern vending, including food trucks, inthe District of Columbia. Over 70 restaurant operators employing over 6,500area residents expressed concerns about the proposed regulations, principallyabout a provision that allows food trucks to operate,...Read more

Food Trucks In Other Cities

February 7, 2012

Food Trucks In Other Cities February 8, 2012 Below are interesting pieces from other cities. Thearticle from Austin is particularly interesting in that, even with restrictionsagainst trucks in CBDs and elsewhere, they were looking to have over 1,600trucks by the end of 2011. Austin is a little bigger than DC but not by much,so the continued and growing popularity of the trucks says a lot about sensiblepublic space management not hampering their business. CURRENT FOOD TRUCK VENDING REGULATIONS Baltimore 1.) No food truckvending is allowed within the "downtown area," meaning Martin...Read more

Report of the Acting General Counsel Concerning Social Media Cases

January 26, 2012

THE NATIONAL LABOR RELATIONS BOARD Report of the Acting General Counsel Concerning Social Media Cases This report presents recent case developments arising in the context of today’s social media. Social media include various online technology tools that enable people to communicate easily via the internet to share information and resources. These tools can encompass text, audio, video, images, podcasts, and other multimedia communications. Recent developments in the Office of the General Counsel have presented emerging issues concerning the protected and/or concerted nature of employees...Read more

Arlington County Board dives into work for 2012

January 4, 2012

The Washington Post Arlington County Board dives into work for 2012 By Patricia Sullivan, Published: January 2 While most of the Washington area did whatever it does on a day when nearly everything is closed, the Arlington County Board claimed bragging rights Monday as the first local government to get to work in 2012. It’s a tradition fulfilled by appointments, calendar-setting and speeches. In the hour-long meeting at the noticeably empty county building, all four board members took advantage, touting the virtues of the urban-suburban county, from affordable housing to free mulch...Read more

2011 DC Sales Tax law change notices

December 1, 2011

2011 DC Sales Tax law change notices effective October 1, 2011 Please click links below for important tax law changes: Security Services • Cigarettes • Parking • Alcoholic BeveragesRead more

Compliance with New Tip Credit Notice Rules

May 25, 2011

The DOL rules took effect May 5, 2011. They were released with only 30 days' notice and make major and significant changes to existing tip-credit-notice regulations. Failure to follow the new regulations could result in an employer losing the right to apply any tip income toward minimum wage obligations. The National Restaurant Association cannot give you legal advice but we urge you to take the following steps: 1) Understand the rules. Under the previous regulations, employers were able to provide a simple notice to inform tipped employees that the employer was applying a tip credit toward...Read more

New Disorderly Conduct Law Includes Noise Violation

February 8, 2011

New Disorderly Conduct Law Includes Noise Violation The new disorderly conduct law passed by the DC Council in December became effective citywide at midnight on February 1, 2011 . This includes the new "Noise at Night" violation that has been mentioned in the media. While MPD will continue to work with individuals and communities to appropriately balance the rights of each, the new law makes it clear that a person who makes an unreasonably loud noise between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. that is likely to annoy or disturb one or more other persons in their residences is violating the law...Read more