Engadget.com - For years, businesses have accused Yelp of running an extortion racket. If companies refused to pay for ads, Yelp would allegedly pull down some of their positive reviews (and wreck sales) until they gave in. Well, those accusations don't appear to hold much legal water; an appeals court has upheld a California judge's dismissal of a 2010 class action lawsuit that claimed Yelp was committing civil extortion. Needless to say, the recommendation service is ecstatic. It cites the ruling as proof that the shops simply had an "axe to grind" and were either trying to "draw attention away" from bad reviews or else prop up review manipulation schemes. Continue

WESH.com -  A FLORIDA RESTAURANT IS TAKING A STAND AGAINST KETCHUP. OF ALL THINGS. IN FORT MYERS THEY HAVE BANNED ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR CONDIMENTS IN THE COUNTRY. FRENCH TRAINED CHEF OCHED THE RESTAURANT TWO YEARS AGO AND SAYS HE NEVER EVEN STOCKED KETCHUP, AND THE MENU INCLUDES BURGERS AND FRIES, HE SAYS PEOPLE SHOULD TRUST HIS COOKING ABILITIES. THAT IS THE WAY I MAKE IT, YOU LIKE IT, YOU EAT IT, AND IF YOU DON'T YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK. A WOMAN PULLED OUT CHEESE AND KETCHUP AND I ASKED HER TO TO DO THAT AND SHE NEVER CAME BACK. HE SAYS HE HAS BUILT UP A BASE OF CUSTOMERS. I CAN SEE THAT, YOU WORK SO HARD TO MAKE IT TASTE GOOD AND WE DUMP THE STUFF ON IT. I'M THE SAME WHY WITH A GRILLED STEAK, DON'T PUT SAUCE ON IT. TRY THAT STEAK FIRST. WITH THAT SAID, I WOULD LIKE KETCHUP ON ANY M I FRIES.Read more:http://www.wesh.com/news/chef-bans-ketchup-from-restuarant-in-fort-myers/27851148#ixzz3CI0SdI00

WPTV.com -For most of the day Tuesday, only the drive-thru lane was open at a McDonald’s on US 1, just south of State Road 60.

Most of the night Monday, it was a crime scene. Police say Kevin Adorno, 28, of Unionville, Connecticut was on his cell phone outside the restaurant when he was attacked by knife-wielding 59 year-old Rene Herrera Cruz.

Police say after the stabbing, Cruz threw the murder weapon into the bushes outside of the restaurant and then ran across the street to a Burger King where he discarded a second knife before police caught him.

Adorno went back inside the McDonald's where he collapsed.  Rescue crews transported Adorno to Indian River Medical Center where he died a short time later. Continue

Heraldtribune.com - Tommy Bahama, the restaurant and retail clothing line inspired by the islands, will continue to expand in Florida by opening five new stores in the state this year.

The retailer is opening a 4,400-square-foot retail store inside the Mall at University Town Center on Oct. 16. Tommy Bahama operates a restaurant and small retail store on St. Armands Circle already. Additionally, Tommy Bahama has new locations planned for Naples, Jupiter and St. Petersburg.

Tommy Bahama is known for its relaxed feel and beach-side theme in its clothes and restaurants. It opened its first island location in 1996 in Naples, where it began offering resortware to residents and tourists alike along the Gulf Coast. By the end of the year, the brand will have 20 stores in Florida.

Tommy Bahama will open one restaurant, bare and store concept at Harbourside Place in Jupiter, just north of West Palm Beach, on Nov. 6. The 8,890-square-foot space will connect the restaurant and bar with a retail storefront. Continue

/PRNewswire/ -- Muscle Maker Grill^®, a fast-casual restaurant franchise that serves freshly prepared meals with its guests' health in mind, announces it will be opening 22 new locations throughout the country, which will raise the number to over 75 units.

"This is a significant achievement for Muscle Maker Grill and we are thrilled to report our steady growth and continued expansion into the Midwest and Western markets," saidRod Silva, founder of Muscle Maker Grill. "Our truly unique concept of great food with your health in mind is gaining popularity throughout the U.S. and we look forward to helping each of our new franchisees grow their local presence with unparalleled corporate support."

Recent store openings includeLas Vegas, NV,Dallas, TX, a third location inConnecticutlocated inHamdenand a second location inStaten Island, NY, located on Clove Road. An additional 22 new franchises will result in the development of restaurants in the following locations: Continue

Sunherald.com -  A family that owned a restaurant in Bay St. Louis before Hurricane Katrina has won $644,000 in a lawsuit, with jurors ruling that land Mississippi took to build a new small-craft harbor was private property, not state tideland.

The verdict came Monday after a weeklong trial in Hancock County, Paul Scott, a lawyer for the Murphy family, said.

Testimony showed that the Murphy family, which operated Dan B's beachfront restaurant, had deeds showing their property extended beyond a decades-old retaining wall to the water's edge, Scott said. The Murphys had owned the land since the 1980s, he said.

Pamela Weaver, a spokeswoman for Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, declined to comment Wednesday. Hosemann's office administers state tidelands. The state could choose to pay the judgment or appeal. Continue

Tampabay.com -  The acts of kindness began at 7 a.m. Wednesday with a woman, her iced coffee and a stranger's caramel macchiato.

The woman paid for her own drink, then asked to pay for the drink of the person behind her in the drive-through. That person returned the favor and paid for the person behind, and so did that person, until the employees at the St. Petersburg Starbucks on Tyrone Boulevard began a tally on green laminated paper near the drive-through window.

By 1:30 p.m., the chain had reached 260 customers. People ordered a drink at the speaker. When they pulled through to the next window, the barista, Vu Nguyen, 29, leaned through and said with a smile that their drinks had already been paid for by the person in front of them. Would they like to return the favor?

"It makes your day better, I think," said Lexie Kane, 17, of St. Petersburg, who ordered an iced coffee.

Tim Burnside, 19, had visited in the morning and paid it forward. He returned later to see whether it was still going on. Seeing that it was, he ordered a second chai tea.

"It's nice just to do a random act of kindness for someone you don't know," said Burnside, also of St. Petersburg. Continue

SCPR.org - Many jobs in the hospitality industry have low pay but don't require specialized skills. So they often serve as a stopgap for people between jobs. In periods when the broader job market is bleak, jobs in this sector tend to get snapped up quickly.

The growing number of unfilled restaurant and hotel jobs implies that many potential workers are finding other jobs or looking at these postings and saying, "Meh, maybe I can do better." After adjusting for inflation, wages in the sector are lower today than they were four years ago. But that could change. If those job postings go unfilled for long enough, employers may offer higher salaries to lure more or better applicants. Continue

WJHF.com - A Nashville, Tennessee man is suing a popular Panama City Beach restaurant over the death of his wife.

Bobbie Sovia died 13 days after eating a raw oyster. Her husband's attorney claimed the restaurant didn't properly warn the couple about the potential dangers. The Sovia's were vacationing at the beach in 2012. During their trip they ate a Dusty's Oyster Bar at least three times, consuming raw oysters. Bobbie reportedly ate one to two oysters on Tuesday, August 14th. The couple returned to the restaurant on Wednesday and Thursday, but their attorney claimed Bobbie did not eat anymore oysters. Over the next several days, her health began to decline. "She's not feeling that well on Thursday, she feels worse on Friday," Sovia's lawyer Elliot Olsen said. The Sovia' returned to Nashville where Bobbie was hospitalized.

She died on August 27. The autopsy found a bacteria infection called vibrio vulnificus, which is found in raw oysters. Continue