January/February 2021 Legal Update

Pooja S. Nair, a partner at Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP compiles recent legal news affecting the restaurant, food and beverage and hospitality industries for Modern Restaurant Management (MRM) magazine.LegislationRestaurant Rescue Plan Included in COVID Relief Bill: On February 4,  the Senate voted 90-10 to approve a Restaurant Rescue Plan as an amendment to a larger budget resolution. Senate Amendment 261 was co-sponsored by Republican Senator Roger Wicker and Democratic Senator Kyrsten Sinema. The amendment is part of a budget resolution passed by the Senate on February 5 that paves the way for passage of President Joe Biden's pandemic relief package.  The Restaurant Rescue Plan establishes a $25 billion grant program for restaurants hurt by the pandemic and was based on the RESTAURANTS Act. The $25 billion in grants fall short of the $125 billion in the RESTAURANTS Act but would mark the first concentrated relief grants set aside for independent restaurants. Details of the…