Dear HL Clients and Friends, Isn't it just so sweet to be back in the shit?  Isn't dealing with a skeleton crew staff and clueless DOT inspectors and the resurrection of Landy and all the usual hospitality hurdles less bothersome these days?  There is something comforting about handling the hassles that we...

In our next Canna Chat, we continue to bring you insider info direct from the biggest and best operators in the cannabis industry.  This time, we’re focusing on assembling the team that one needs to be successful in the space: what roles require filling, in what...

The cannabis pre-game is heating up quickly in NYC and the best way for you to have a shot at getting a license and then making it work is to join us each month for our Canna Chats.  In this episode, David Helbraun will interview two...

Dear HL Clients and Friends, Curfews are ending, indoor dining capacity is just about at full blast and your bartenders can finally listen to those awkward tinder dates up close and personal again. In other words: New York is back, baby and so is your staff so...

If you have any interest in getting involved in the cannabis industry in New York, you should not miss this Canna Chat, exclusive for HL clients and friends.  We're gonna skip the fluff and discuss how to win a license because nobody in New York...

Back in March 2020, on the day the city shut its doors and we called it coronavirus and we had no way to comprehend what the hell was in store for us, I started our newsletter with: Everyone we work with is very scared. Now, thirteen bizarro months later, we have made...

Cannabis is now legal in NY and we are ecstatic that the hospitality industry has a new member. Let's welcome all cannabis professionals to the club and encourage them to join us in providing warmth, comfort, good vibes and mood and mind altering substances to our beloved...

The question I am most often asked is "What's the word on the street, Helbraun?"  While I have a pretty good sense of what's shakin' on shakedown street, nobody knows the deal better than the restaurant people who are living and working in their own little patches...

The legislators in Albany and Governor Cuomo have hashed out their differences and the New York State Legislature is set to vote on Cannabis in the coming days.  They have the votes and they will pass legislation that will legalize recreational cannabis in New York. You heard...

Maybe it's the low abv covid streaming through my system post-jab 1 but I'm feeling quite woozy.  Or, maybe I'm intoxicated by the encouraging signs of life sprouting up around bars and restaurants.  As part of the topsoil in which the industry grows, I'm telling y'all, things are getting...

The good news caboose just keeps on rolling as we have some major uplifting developments for the hospitality industry.  The Covid relief bill was signed today, exactly one year after the WHO declared a pandemic, and it's the law of the land and we are all chomping at...

Here's March with its winds blowing in the first inklings of Spring.  Warmer, longer days, crisp and soft springtime light, and the restaurant industries annual thaw after an always too long NYC winter.  And this Spring is going to be a monumental rebirth of all things hospitality as...

The industry is heating up folks.  Lots of people are raising money for new ventures, leases for new spaces are flying in and the hospitality world is buzzing with action fueled by rampant optimism.  And why not?  Rents have come down considerably, there are good spaces on...

This is always the time of year where restaurant and bar owners and all New Yorkers for that matter, confront the reality that the heart of winter in NYC is  a godforsaken slog. Pile on the pandemic and the inability to escape with travel or leisure and our...

Hi Everyone, As you all know, the food service industry has been deeply affected by Covid and we need to make sure that we reopen safely and effectively.  As operators in the most densely-packed city in the country, all eyes are on us, the stakes...

Manhattan To-Go Café Hit with Wage & Hour Class Action Lawsuit ‘Essen, a to-go café with locations in Hell’s Kitchen, the Financial District and Midtown, has been sued in federal court for allegedly failing to comply with state and federal laws regarding employee compensation.  This...

The word “healthy” on a food product can have a magnetizing effect on consumers, especially in a metropolis as health-conscious as New York City. Yet, the alluring label of “healthy” should not be used lightly by food distributors. The KIND company, a successful New York...

When you are trying to learn how to open a small startup business, you’ll need to learn what not to do right along with what you should do. Minor mistakes can cause you emotional turmoil, while bigger ones can end your business before it ever gets...

Starting your own business can be very rewarding, but there are a few things you need to understand before you jump into becoming a business owner. To start, you will need to know what type of business you are going to start, who your customers...

Last month, a federal court in California decided that Yelp can change user reviews on its site to affect a business’s rating.  Several small business owners complained that Yelp tried to extort advertising dollars from them by lowering their business’s rating on the popular website...

No matter what your capacity is, if you use candles, or any “open flame”, you must obtain an Open Flame Permit from the Fire Department’s Bureau of Fire Prevention. Many owners have the misconception that if their establishment has a lawful occupancy of less than...

In a commercial lease the tenant is always required to perform certain duties; to abide by certain restrictions; and usually, to obtain the Landlord’s consent for work that is done, etc.  Ideally we would always like these requirements to have defined standards, so we know...

 If you are interested in starting a small business, likely you will have investors involved.  Your investors may be friends and family, but many times your investors will be third parties who believe they can make money with you.  With all investors, you need to...

When looking to open a new restaurant or bar, the two choices are to find a new space to rent to use for your restaurant, or to buy an existing restaurant or bar.  Often times, spending the money up front to buy an existing restaurant...