Pennsylvania Winery and Hospitality Lawyer » hospitality

How To Ensure Your Wine and Hospitality Business Success In 2012

Judy Young — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 03:47:14 +0000

If you’re preparing to open your own winery or hospitality business you have no doubt heard the warnings “its a jungle out there” or that “most businesses fail within the first five years”.

Whether your winery, restaurant, or hospitality business success or fails, the one sure truth is that you’ll be guaranteed to have some challenging times. Building a successful wine or hospitality business can be a true roller coaster ride. New entrepreneurs often underestimate the difficulty and pain that comes with starting a new business. The responsibilities are great. The time pressures are demanding. The financial investment often comes with significant personal costs.

The good news is that if you have fire in your belly, building your own business into a success will give you a personal sense of satisfaction and joy. It feels good. Thus if you’re starting a new winery, restaurant, or hospitality business in 2012, it is essential that you do it right. Here are just a few good tips:

You should consider preparing an effective business plan.
Know your market.
Watch you cash flow.
Deliver a good product or service.
Implement the right legal protections.
Listen to your customers.
Participate in your industry’s trade organizations.
Hire a good attorney who understands your business.

Arming yourself early on at the inception of building your new winery or hospitality business will go a long way to helping your business grow and become a success. And, by all means, “get in where you fit in”

An End To Swipe And Blow For Pennsylvania Wine Consumers

Judy Young — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:23:27 +0000

The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board has ended its ill-fated wine vending program after a year’s experiment with statewide grocery stores. The wine kiosks located at 21 stores throughout the state required customers to swipe their ID, blow into a breathalyzer and look into a security camera to buy their wine. The program came under tough scrutiny with customer complaints, mechanical problems and lagging sales. This week, the PLCB concluded the wine kiosks program after the manufacturer Simple Brands LLC of Montgomery County defaulted on a payment of more than $1 million per Joe Conti, CEO of the PLCB. The end of the kiosks program comes during a time where House Majority Leader Republican Mike Turzai has introduced a bill to privatize the state’s liquor system proposing the sale of liquor licenses wherein supermarkets would be able to purchase licenses and sell wine to its customers. Alternatively, the PLCB initially envisioned the wine kiosks program as a way to implement modernization into the state’s liquor control system. Meanwhile as the turf battles continue in the industry, some of us are still looking for ways to “eat local” and “drink local”. Now what say you?

The Pinnacle Of Professional Achievement In The Wine World Takes In New Members

Judy Young — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 16:57:43 +0000

The Institute of Masters of Wine (IWM) has announced its newest members. As covered in my earlier post, Does The Pinnacle of Professional Achievement In The Wine World Excite You?, this accomplishment is considered the “hardest test of knowledge” in the wine world. Congratulations to all of this year’s newest members. For more read: 11 New Masters of Wine Announced.

Is Your Pennsylvania Wine Ready To Take Flight?

Judy Young — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 18:38:16 +0000

Does your Pennsylvania wine have a distinct taste and flavor that will come through if sipped at 30,000 feet? Is so, the airline industry may be the place for your wine to take flight. It appears that U.S. airlines have taken note that passengers keep coming back to their airline based on the wine and champagne served in the cabin. As such, Sommeliers are now working with the airlines to choose which wines will be served. Perhaps your Pennsylvania is ready to take flight. For more on this subject take a look at the video below:

Pennsylvania Wine Bloggers:Want To Know Who’s Got The Juice?

Judy Young — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 18:39:11 +0000

The public voting is complete for the 2011 Wine Blog Awards! Over 3011 people voted for their favorite finalists. The social media wine blog winners were announced at the 2011 North American Wine Bloggers Conference. The public has spoken. These folks have got the juice!

Best Overall Wine Blog–Fermentation
Best New Wine Blog–Terrorist
Best Writing on a Wine Blog–Vinography
Best Winery Blog–Tablas Creek
Best Single Subject Wine Blog–New York Cork Report
Best Wine Reviews on a Wine Blog–Enobytes
Best Industry/Business Wine Blog–Fermentation
Best Wine Blog Graphics, Photography & Presentation–Vino Freakism

Congratulations to all the winners!

Does The Pinnacle Of Professional Achievement In The Wine World Excite You?

Judy Young — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 16:55:40 +0000

Does The Pinnacle Of Professional Achievement In The Wine World Excite You? Do you have a serious interest in wine? If so, perhaps you are Pennsylvania’s future Master of Wine! A Master of Wine is someone who has demonstrated through rigorous examination, a knowledge or all aspects of wine and ability to communicate their wine knowledge clearly in order to bring wine communities together.

It is said the “hardest test of knowledge” in the wine world is the Master of Wine Exam. Administered by the Institute of Masters of Wine (IWM) the program has fewer than 300 graduates in total. With essays and blind tastings, very few test takers pass both requirements on the first try.

But don’t let difficulty keep you away from gaining the wine world’s most prestigious credential. Graduates are known to be in the wine world’s most exclusive club. After all, it is the pinnacle of professional achievement in the wine world. Okay I’ll admit, I’ve thought about it myself a time or two. What about you?

For more about the Masters of Wine, read Mike Steinberger’s take on the matter at Slate.com: The Master of Wine Exam

Shout Out To Pennsylvania Winery and Hospitality Bloggers: Whose Got The Juice?

Judy Young — Thu, 26 May 2011 22:28:30 +0000

It’s that time again folks! The nomination period is open for the 2011 Wine Blog Awards. We can look forward again to seeing which social media wine bloggers are giving American media a run for its juice. Will your winery’s blog be chosen to be amongst this year’s nominees?

Go now and make your nomination! 2011 Wine Blog Awards

Is Your Winery, Wine Or Hospitality Business On Trickster, Fraudster, Scammer, Gangster Alert?

Judy Young — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 15:16:19 +0000

Just how alert are you from the tricksters, fraudsters, scammers, and gangsters that are out to drain your winery, wine or hospitality business profits? These predators prey on the fact that while you’re out planting grapes, stocking the tasting room, meeting with new vendors, or maybe seeking counsel with me, you’ll be to busy to notice that your winery or hospitality business has been targeted by yet another treacherous scam.

Perhaps its an invoice for a product you didn’t order. Or maybe you’re being hounded by a debt collector seeking a past due collection on an internet service you didn’t buy. Could it be you’re being gouged for some ink you didn’t receive?

Either way, now is as good of time as any to learn how to protect your business from these predators. Take a moment now to watch this video and learn what you can do to protect your business from fraud.

Now, tricksters, fraudsters, scammers,and gangsters beware!

Pennsylvania’s Restaurant and Hospitality Industry “Happy Hours” Are Looking To Get Happier

Judy Young — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 23:05:01 +0000

A legislative bill by state Rep. John Payne, R-Dauphin was unanimously approved by the state’s House Liquor Control Committee and now moves to the full House for consideration. The bill would allow the restaurant and hospitality industry in Pennsylvania to have longer “happy hours”. The bill is aimed at giving restaurants and bars greater flexibility and would also allow them to sell more wine to patrons for off premise consumption at offsite catering events.

Currently, “happy hours” are limited to two consecutive hours per day, with a 14 hour per week limit. The proposed changes would allow establishments to hold happy hours up to 14 hours a day but still be limited to not more than 14 hours a week. The 14 hours could be divided up however the proprietor wants thus allowing for greater flexibility. Happy hours would remain prohibited after midnight.

Under current law a restaurant with a liquor license cannot serve alcohol at off site catered events. The proposed legislative change would allow a restaurant’s liquor license to be valid for off premise catering. The proposed changes would not effect dry communities. Serving alcohol in dry communities would remain prohibited.

Finally, the proposed legislation would allow a patron to buy up to three bottles of unopened wine and take it home. Albeit this can be routinely a more expensive way to buy wine, proponents of the bill believe this change allows the customer a way to buy those “hard to find” wines.

In that the proposed legislation House Bill 148 is aimed at modernizing the state’s liquor code, Payne’s proposal has the support of the Pennsylvania Tavern and Restaurant Associations.

Will Your Pennsylvania Restaurant Or Hospitality Business Be Voted Most Likely To Succeed?

Judy Young — Thu, 28 Oct 2010 16:00:04 +0000

Running a successful restaurant or hospitality business can be extremely grueling. It takes more than just your passion to succeed. You have to be well prepared to avoid making painful mistakes along the way. Because at the end of the day, diners vote with their forks. And…you want them to vote for you.

To do so, your food business enterprise will need to emerge as a success. If you currently own or plan to own your own restaurant, small chef eatery, catering business or food selling dynasty here are a few good tips that will help you avoid some unnecessary pitfalls as you grow your successful food enterprise.

Make sure you have a sound business plan. A good solid business plan will help you to focus on your location, your anticipated customer base, and what measurable goals you’ll need to make to turn a profit. While you may be an awesome chef or caterer, your ability to stay in business is also a function of your ability to control your costs. A business plan will help you to identify and track your goals and how well you are doing.

If you feel you lack an appropriate business skill set because your real love is your focus on your food, then be sure to retain the right lawyer to look over your business contracts and to conduct your contract negotiations.

You may want to create a Partnership with another individual or entity not just for and injection of money, but for sound business advice. Alternatively you may want to enlist the services of a business or restaurant consultant who specializes in the restaurant industry. This can be a good resource to develop your ideas or help you to implement a successful business strategy.

Develop good employee relations standards. Pursue a good understanding of your federal, state and local labor laws. You want to avoid unfavorable legal action taken against you by knowing how these laws affect the way you need to conduct your business on a daily basis.

Visit your local planning department in your municipality to educate yourself on applicable zoning, parking, signage, noise, sewage and other requirements that you’ll need to know to cut through the red tape necessary to operate your business.

If you plan to serve liquor in your restaurant you’ll need to protect your business investment by ensuring that you’re properly protected from suits filed by 3rd parties for damages or injuries caused by patrons imbibing in your establishment. Invest in liquor liability training procedures for you and your restaurant staff.

If you incorporate these tips into the daily operation of your business, you will be well on your way to running a successful hospitality enterprise.

Keep you eyes on the prize and remember the big picture. Success won’t just be measured in metrics alone but will be expressed with the people connections you make with your food. Now go out there and get your votes. After-all, you’re most likely to succeed.