Restaurant, Food and Beverage, and Licensing
- Services
- Restaurant, Food and Beverage, and Licensing

Overview
We offer a full-service, focused approach to our restaurant, hotel, and off-premise food and alcohol retail clients as well as Georgia manufacturers and distributors. Located in Atlanta, the firm provides creative, high-value and cost-effective advocacy to national, regional and local retailers in multiple areas that impact their businesses including premises liability, alcohol licensing and compliance, dram shop litigation and more. Our attorneys provide tailored assessments and experienced assistance in navigating the complex tapestry of food and beverage law, including federal, state and local statutes, regulations and ordinances.
We also work with various local municipalities and trade associations, including the Georgia Restaurant Association, Georgia Food Industry Association, and Georgia Association of Convenience Stores. Our attorneys are leaders in alcohol licensing continuing education, having developed the Responsible Alcohol Sales & Service (RASS) workshops that are now required in many Georgia jurisdictions before obtaining an alcohol license.
The breadth of our firm allows us to service virtually any of our clients’ legal needs effectively and efficiently. Our practice group leaders work with our other practices to provide seamless service on a wide range of complex legal matters, including real estate, tax, employment and labor, corporate, finance, litigation, e-commerce and intellectual property. Our services include:
- Securing state and local alcohol licenses, permits and certifications, including representation before government agencies,
- Planning, forming and organizing business entities for restaurants, hotels, bars, nightclubs and event facilities,
- Real estate, including retail and commercial leasing and resolving land use and zoning issues,
- Purchasing and selling restaurant, hotel, bar and nightclub businesses as well as off premise retail businesses,
- Assisting with legal aspects of financing, drafting, negotiating and reviewing labor and employment and general business agreements,
- Planning, forming and organizing franchises, including preparation and review of franchise agreements and offering circulars for compliance with federal and state franchise laws and regulations,
- Intellectual property, including protection of trademarks and labels, and licensing,
- E-commerce,
- Litigation, including bankruptcy, alcohol licenses, alcohol violations, premises and product liability cases, and
- Employment and immigration issues.
Experience
Experience
Obtained dismissals in favor of defendants in several cases involving alcohol retailers who had been sued for providing alcohol to minors or to individuals who were intoxicated.
Obtained dismissal of multiple environmental citations issued to a local restaurant and its owner.
Obtained defense verdict in lawsuit against alcohol retailer whose employee sold alcohol to a minor, in which the minor then was involved in a car accident, killing the other individual in the vehicle.
Extensive experience includes representation of franchisees of a national restaurant operator in over 200 leases, representation of tenants in ground leases throughout the United States for new build and renovated restaurant locations, representation of restaurant tenants in leases for new and renovated open market spaces and commercial developments in metro Atlanta, representation of numerous national and local restaurant, bar and entertainment venue ...
Served as outside counsel for one of the leading private restaurant groups in the Southeast formerly helmed by one of a select group of certified Master Chefs in the United States and regularly listed in the Atlanta Business Chronicle as a Top 100 in Atlanta Hospitality. A recent hospitality related engagement includes the following: Representation of the licensor in a license arrangement with a joint venture for the Fly Burger restaurant concept in the Atlanta ...
Represents multiple restaurateurs and restaurants, in connection with all legal matters, such as entity structuring and formation, contracts, trademark registration and licensing, alcohol beverage and related licensing, acquisitions and other general corporate matters.
Represents two of the largest franchisees (with more than 100 combined locations) of a major national quick serve restaurant company in connection with the financing of the transfer of franchise ownership to new owners.
Newsroom
Headlines
- November 20, 2019
- Cobb Business Journal , October 15, 2019
- September 20, 2019
- December 6, 2018
- July 24, 2018
- July 24, 2018
- June 8, 2018
- May 16, 2018
- April 27, 2018
- Modern Restaurant Management, December 2017
- September 13, 2017
- March 23, 2017
- January 31, 2017
- September 14, 2016
- August 24, 2016
- October 23, 2015
- November 4, 2013
- November 1, 2013
- May 21, 2012
- August 30, 2010
- July 16, 2010
News Releases
- August 19, 2021
- August 12, 2021
- September 10, 2020
- November 20, 2019
- October 14, 2019
- July 18, 2018
- August 22, 2014
- July 31, 2014
- August 19, 2013
Publications
- March 1, 2021
- HR Daily Advisor, June 5, 2018
- September 1, 2017
- August 2017
- July 31, 2017
- March 9, 2017
- February 2, 2017
- November 2, 2016
- October 20, 2016
- September 15, 2016
- July 1, 2016
- May 6, 2016
- March 12, 2015
- July 2, 2014
- December 9, 2010
Alerts
- Information Current as of March 15, 2021
- Wednesday, May 1, 2019 | 9:00 AM | Georgia Department of Revenue (1800 Century Blvd, NE, Atlanta, GA 30345)April 30, 2019
- August 8, 2018
- June 2018
- August 4, 2016
- July 1, 2016
Events
- An Interactive Hospitality and Retail Law SeriesDavio's | 3500 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, October 9, 2018
- An Interactive Hospitality and Retail Law SeriesDavio's | 3500 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, July 24, 2018
- An Interactive Hospitality and Retail Law SeriesDavio's | 3500 Peachtree Road NE, Atlanta, GA 30326, March 27, 2018
- An Interactive Hospitality and Retail Law SeriesDavio's | 3500 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326, January 30, 2018
- An Interactive Hospitality and Retail Law SeriesDavio's | 3500 Peachtree Rd NE Atlanta, GA 30326, October 23, 2017
- Davio's, April 11, 2017
- Davio's, April 28, 2016
- Davio's, February 9, 2016
- Davio's, September 22, 2015
- March 24, 2015
- January 20, 2015
- November 18, 2014
- June 24, 2014
- May 1, 2014
- January 28, 2014
- November 12, 2013
- August 20, 2013
- April 30, 2013
Speaking Engagements
- September 29, 2020
- February 27, 2020
- March 22, 2018
- Smyrna, Ga., March 21, 2017
- June 23, 2015
- March 12, 2013
- Don't Let Holiday Parties Turn SourAugust 28, 2012
Videos
The Giving Kitchen promise is to provide stability to the those food service workers who find themselves in a crisis situation.
Michele Stumpe and Kerry Stumpe share their experiences with supporting the hospitality industry, and how the Taylor English model is a perfect marriage between having your own firm and the resources of a larger law firm.
Hosting a holiday party with beer, wine or spirits comes with responsibilities for the host. Michele Stumpe, alcohol licensing and compliance attorney at Taylor English, provides holiday party best practices including acquiring social host liability insurance, offering foods high in fats, and refraining from serving alcohol to minors.