UPI.com - Maurice Bessinger, the South Carolina restaurateur who lost a landmark civil rights suit seeking to deny blacks service, has died, his family said. He was 83.

Bessinger, who owned a chain of barbecue restaurants in South Carolina that led to a successful retail barbecue sauce business, was infamous for his pro-slavery position, arguing slavery was a good thing for southern blacks.

He also advocated for South Carolina to again secede from the union and proudly flew Confederate flags above his eateries.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2014/02/24/Slavery-supporter-restaurant-owner-dies/UPI-97251393275134/#ixzz2uLZIirls

WVgazette.com - A lawsuit blames Jimmy John's "freaky fast delivery" for the death of a Morgantown man last year.

The restaurant's policy, which encourages drivers to complete their deliveries with all due speed, endangers the public, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this month in Monongalia Circuit Court.

On August 19, J. Robert McClain was walking his dog on South High Street in Morgantown when he was hit and killed by a Jimmy John's delivery driver.

Levi Sooy, who was working for Jimmy John's as an assistant manager, was speeding when he hit McClain, the lawsuit claims.

McClain's daughter, Linda Lutman, filed the lawsuit. Sooy is being sued along with Jimmy John's and CDL Properties LLC, which operates the sandwich shop in Morgantown.

Jimmy John's knew "or should have known that the foregoing policies encouraged Jimmy John's drivers to drive at excessive speeds and/or to engage in other unsafe practices in order to comply with the Jimmy John's 'Freaky Fast Delivery' policy," the complaint states. Continue

NYDailynews.com - When the NYPD logo catches your eye like a big pizza pie — call the lawyers.

City attorneys went after an Orlando, Fla., pizza chain for using the NYPD shield on its website without posting highly visible disclaimers noting that the restaurant has nothing to do with the department.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-attorneys-nypd-pizza-chain-florida-article-1.1622057#ixzz2uKuE0SVM

NYDailynews.com - A Florida eatery is being picketed by a church after two of its congregation were arrested for a bizarre alleged dine-and-dash where they said staff would go to heaven if their food was free.

Parishioners from Church of God the Bible Way in Winter Haven are doggedly protesting outside the A&G Restaurant over what they believe is the unfair treatment of two of its members.

The standoff began on Jan. 14 when Willie Lewis, 85, and her daughter Ruthena Lewis ate lunch at the diner.

NewsChief reports that Ruthena walked Willie out to their car before returning inside to settle the $18.46 bill.

Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/church-members-arrested-skipping-diner-bill-article-1.1699784#ixzz2uKtUDm3E

Opposingviews.com - Gerald Anderson has filed a lawsuit against the Hardee’s restaurant chain that claims his female supervisor pressured him into sex and then fired him in October 2012 when he ended their relationship.

Anderson claims the Hardee's in Rapid City, S.D. violated anti-discrimination laws.

According to his lawsuit, Anderson says he was hired in August 2012 by restaurant manager Danielle Dahlenburg, who allegedly made "unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and sexual touching."

Anderson claims the unwanted sexual advances were a condition of employment, and so he did have sex with Dahlenburg, reports the Daily Mail. Continue

Timesdaily.com - The family of a Tuscumbia woman killed in an automobile crash in September has filed a $5 million lawsuit against a Court Street business claiming workers allowed the driver to leave the business intoxicated.

Tuscumbia attorney William Hovater filed the lawsuit Thursday in Lauderdale County Circuit Court against On The Rocks LLC, a restaurant/nightclub in Florence.

ABC-7.com - A small Lee County restaurant is being sued by a magazine giant.

The Lehigh Acres restaurant has come face-to-face with a drafted 100-point lawsuit.

It includes a claim that by using the Rolling Stone name it's causing irreparable damages to the corporation.

"If there has been any harm, it's been the repercussions of them trying to stomp out the little guy's dream," says Bruce Keisling, who owns The Rolling Stone Libation Company restaurant in Lehigh.

The corporate giant Rolling Stone magazine sent the Libation Company a request in October to change its name or shut down.

Keisling has until 5 p.m. February 21, to respond to the corporation's lawyers.

"As it usually happens, might wins the fight and I don't have the might to stand up to them for a long court battle," explains Keisling. Continue

13WMAZ.com - One Florida restaurant chain with four locations on the First Coast is asking customers to help them defray the cost of new health care expenses.

Gator's Dockside is ushering in what it calls a 1 percent health care surcharge to each bill to help cover in part expenses that are associated with the Affordable Care Act.

"We love our employees ... made our decision to be able to keep them full time and add on 1 percent," said Sara Cipparone with the chain's corporate office in Orlando. Continue.

WTSP.com - Located in Pinellas Park on busy U.S. 19, Fresh Point County Buffet has a following of loyal customers.

"It was good, the food was great," said regular customer Darlene Moss. "I really liked it."

But Moss said she had no idea the restaurant had not met state inspection standards on their first three inspections of 2014.

A former employee filed an official complaint after being fired, alleging everything from mashed potatoes being made on the floor to customers finding human hair in their food, temperature violations, and employees not using gloves to handle raw food.

The complaint prompted an inspection by the State Division of Hotels and Restaurants. State regulators documented 112 violations on four separate inspections the week of January 29th. Continue