Overview
Ghost kitchens are one of the hottest trends in the food industry. Carlton Fields lawyers handle many of the legal issues faced by ghost kitchens, virtual restaurants, pop-up, to-go, and delivery-only and online eateries.
Although virtual restaurants may not face the same real estate and front-of-the-house issues of their brick-and-mortar counterparts, many challenges still require knowledgeable legal advice.
Whether you need assistance renting space in a collective kitchen or managing tenants, understanding delivery-service margins and agreements (Seamless/Grubhub, Uber Eats, Eat24, Postmates, DoorDash, Bite Squad, etc.), licensing recipes, clearing and protecting your trademark, investing in equipment, obtaining permits, negotiating with vendors, or testing an online-only menu under a different brand name, Carlton Fields’ ghost restaurant lawyers can help.
Our team of lawyers routinely handle employment agreements and disputes, real estate leases, software and technology agreements, data marketing and privacy issues, partnership and delivery contracts, tax issues, and trademark and intellectual property matters. And when problems arise, Carlton Fields can also assist commissary kitchens, technology providers, and ghost restaurants with disputes involving customers, delivery services, vendors, and the health department.
We understand that virtual restauranteurs require flexibility and an entrepreneurial spirit. Carlton Fields lawyers represent chefs, restaurateurs, and new businesses just starting and looking to grow from the ground up. The restaurant business is notoriously difficult — but with the right guidance, managing your legal issues need not be.