Savannahnow.com -The owner of a Rincon restaurant and bar has been arrested following an investigation by the alcohol and tobacco unit of the Georgia Department of Revenue.

Mark L. Malke, 49, owner of Alibi’s Sports Bar and Grill, was arrested Tuesday for possession and transportation of non-tax paid alcohol. He was also charged with possession, transportation and sale of non-tax paid alcohol. These charges are misdemeanors.

Ronald Huckaby, special agent in charge for the Georgia Department of Revenue, said Malke was under investigation for about two months after the alcohol and tobacco unit received several complaints. Continue

CBS12.com - Shooters Waterfront restaurant in Fort Lauderdale lived up to its name recently when a corrections officer's handgun accidentally discharged, causing minor injuries to a dozen people.

Fort Lauderdale police say the shooting appears to be an accident and no charges were immediately filed. The man with the gun was identified as Marcus Leon Thompson, a corrections officer with Miami-Dade County.

According to a police affidavit, Thompson told them he was at dinner with his wife Saturday night when he reached into his pocket for money and a car valet ticket. His Glock 9mm handgun was also in his pocket, and it went off accidentally.

The affidavit says the bullet hit the base of a table and burst into fragments, injuring several people nearby but none seriously.

Tampabay.com _ A fire early Tuesday destroyed one of the popular restaurants that helped propel a recent rejuvenation of Old Seminole Heights.

A caller to 911 reported seeing flames and smoke just before 2 a.m. coming from inside Domani Bistro Lounge at 6421 N Florida Ave., fire officials said. When firefighters arrived, flames engulfed the rear of the building.

The fire, which also badly damaged a furniture store next door, stunned neighborhood residents and business leaders. Continue

Allgov.com - The bust of a Bay Area restaurant last month for serving shark fin soup led investigators for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) to San Francisco fish vendor Kwong Yip Inc., where they found 2,138 pounds of recently-banned shark fins.

It was the first significant haul of contraband since the 2011 California law banning the traditional Chinese delicacy was fully phased in last July. DFW Lieutenant Patrick Foy told the San Francisco Chronicle the fins came from “probably thousands of sharks.”

California joined a worldwide movement against the mutilation of sharks for their fins—and decimation of shark populations in general—when it passed the law banning possession and sale of shark fins. Fishermen catch sharks, cut off their fins and then throw the fish back in the ocean because demand for shark meat isn’t high. Continue

Miamiherald.com - What’s the difference between a waitress slinging chicken wings and an escort with an “exclusive” clientele, flexible hours and “the best pay scale in the business”?

A lot, says Hooters of America, the Georgia-based restaurant chain that has sued a local escort service over a help-wanted posting on Craigslist.

In November, a photograph showing five preening women wearing tight orange shorts and Hooters Ecuador t-shirts appeared under the heading “NOW HIRING HOOTERS GIRLS $100 AN HOUR,” according to a lawsuit filed in federal court in Miami in December Continue

Sun-sentinel.com - A 65-year-old man was arrested Tuesday night for having dinner at a Boca Raton restaurant and not having any money to pay for it.

It's nothing new for Howard Robison, according to arrest reports.

Since the late 1980s, reports show, Robison has been charged at least 33 times in Palm Beach County with defrauding an innkeeper. Continue

News-Press.com - A new wave of marketing in Southwest Florida has select restaurants doubling their sales thanks to text message coupons.

This modern marketing technique is a growing fad for local restaurants.

“It’s a unique way, the best way, to get the customer’s attention,” said Justin O’Brien, owner of two Fort Myers Pita Pits.

Customers are agreeing to receive SMS message coupons from select restaurants. SMS stands for a short message service, which is the most common text messaging service.

Through a mobile marketing service, restaurants purchase an allotted amount of text messages each month to send to registered customers. Continue

Theintelligencer.com - You can almost see it looking south from the “Bobby’s Frozen Custard” sign on Route 159 in Maryville: a “Bobbys Buffalo Park” sign by the side of the highway, three-tenths of a mile down the road.

While the signs are somewhat similar, they are also different. A quick glance shows that the former beckons drivers to a popular custard stand (”HOME OF THE TURTLE SUNDAE,”), while the latter promises live country bands and line dancing. In addition, the latter touts itself as a “BAR • NIGHTCLUB • RESTAURANT” with, as its web site suggests, a dance floor big enough to “accommodate 2-steppin,’ 10-steppin,’ cha-cha, or any of your favorite line dances.” Continue

Timesfreepress.com - The Hamilton County Circuit Court trial of a $25 million lawsuit against the local Hennen Restaurant Group continues today.

Lisa Barnes, the mother of deceased Hannah Barnes, is suing the group alleging that her 19-year-old daughter drank alcohol at the restaurant hours before she and her manager, Michael Hennen, 27, were killed by a train near McDonald Farm at about 6 a.m. On Aug 22, 2011. Continue

Foodpoisonjournal.com - Nine plaintiffs who claim they fell ill with Salmonella infections after eating contaminated food purchased from a Houston-area Iguana Joe’s were added to a lawsuit against the restaurant late last week.

The original lawsuit was filed last July by Seattle-based Marler Clark and Houston attorney John Ramsey on behalf of a couple who allege their child fell ill with a Salmonella infection during an outbreak that originated at the restaurant.  According to the complaint, Harris County Public Health & Environmental Services linked at least a dozen Salmonella cases to Iguana Joe’s in June of 2013.  The public health agency allegedly found multiple violations at the restaurant during its Salmonella outbreak investigation. Continue