Serving drinks at a wedding, corporate reception, fundraiser, or private party can look straightforward from the guest side of the bar. For the caterer, restaurant, planner, venue, or mobile bartender, however, off-site alcohol service can involve several separate legal questions: who owns the alcohol, who may sell it, which license...
Tipped Staff, Service Charges, and Gratuity Distribution: Structuring Event Labor Charges Legally
Catering and hospitality businesses routinely use words such as “tip,” “gratuity,” “service charge,” “staffing fee,” and “event labor fee” as though they describe the same thing. Legally and for payroll purposes, they may describe very different payments. That distinction matters whenever a caterer, banquet operator, venue, restaurant, or event company...