Joel Feigenheimer, PhD is an industry expert with over 35 years of experience related to the Restaurant and Hospitality field. A graduate of the Cornell Hotel School, he holds an MBA in Hospitality and a PhD in Business from Northcentral University (attained 2018). Dr. Feigenheimer has been named the National Association of Concessionaires Eminent Scholar at The Chaplin School of Hospitality at Florida International University.
For the past three decades, Dr. Feigenheimer has served as both an entrepreneur and director for an International restaurant firm. He has corporate, independent, and franchise restaurant experience. Over his career he has consulted on three continents, excelled in the corporate environment, been a successful entrepreneur, and met thousands of industry leaders.
Currently on the faculty at Florida International University, he teaches Restaurant and Hospitality Management to tomorrow's hospitality leaders. His courses include Purchasing and Menu Planning, Concepts of Food and Beverage, Sustainability, Cost Control, Introductory Management Concepts, and Project Management, among others.
Litigation Support - Dr. Feigenheimer provides nationwide expert testimony relating to Food Service and Hospitality Operations. He has direct experience not only as a "legal expert" but also as an operational expert. This enables him to explain cases in a manner that juries understand, easy going yet direct and effective. Dr. Feigenheimer's services are available to attorneys representing both plaintiff and defendant.
Jeff Nelken, MA, retired RD is a Food Safety / HACCP Expert with 40 years experience in the hospitality industry. He specializes in Food Safety, Accident Prevention, Inspections, Audits, and Training. Mr. Nelken is a certified trainer and provider with the Los Angeles Health Department who has worked with CNN, FOX, CBS, NBC, INSIDE EDITION, and Dateline MSNBC's investigation team, as well as Restaurants, Casinos, Schools, Supermarkets, and Food Manufacturers to provide food safety. Mr. Nelken consults for attorneys that need expert opinions on topics, such as food-borne illness complaints, food allergies, burns, accidents, and standards of performance and care. His Litigation Services include client consultations, conferences, reading, reviewing, and organizing documents, site visits, research, writing and preparing reports, depositions, and trials. Mr. Nelken's expertise is available to attorneys for both Plaintiff and Defense.
It's easy to slip into a false sense of security because you've covered the basics of food safety with your kitchen staff. However, there are many other hazards that impact your bottom line. For example, slip and fall accidents are at the top of the list of safety concerns. There are many other dangers that must be considered.
(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Malibu - March 3, 2014 - There's an old saying in the food business - it's better to find a whole roach in your food than a half a roach. The experts at Tellem Grody PR's (TGPR) Food Issues Group (FIG) agree, but point out that there are a number of other items that restaurateurs may hear diners complaining about. While accidents happen, it's better to do due diligence before the bad thing occurs by monitoring the work area so that foreign objects don't enter the food preparation or food service areas. Here are some items to watch for and their fixes:
No one, including crack restaurant inspector Jeff Nelken, likes looking under refrigerators for yesterday's forgotten dirt, filth and food particles shoved underneath by busy feet. He does it religiously, though, two or three times a day, 300 days a year.
Looking back over the years, I find it somewhat of a paradox that restaurant owners are forever telling me that they don't have to worry about the temperature of their refrigerators and freezers during the night.
Food Service & Restaurant Design Consultant. I have been involved in the design of restaurants and commercial kitchens for over 10 years. I have personally designed over 125 restaurants including front of house and back kitchen design, including project management. I have a B.A. in interior design. I have worked on projects throughout the United States and Phillipines, and Honduras.
Over the last 2 years I have owned my own company which has provided complete construction drawings for over 30 restaurants ranging from 1,500 sq. ft. to over 3,000 sq. ft. I have also been retained by architects and business owners to provide coordination drawings for commercial kitchen design for over 35 projects ranging in size from 1,000 sq. ft to 5,000 sq. ft. I have also worked on franchise restaurant projects for McDonalds, Chevy's Mexican Restaurant, Jamba Juice, Tahoe Joe's, Taxi's Hamburgers.
Recently, we were engaged by the National Park Service (NPS) to appraise the structures and other improvements that have been constructed by commercial vendors or "concessionaires" operating hotels, restaurants and other hospitality services in National Parks.
Dennis Gemberling, CHA, CFBE, FMP, FCSI, President and Founder of Perry Group International, has over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality Management industry. His experience includes managing, operating, and consulting on full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, all-suite, condo and timeshare hotels and resorts, casual, fine-dining, and quick-service restaurants, bars and nightclubs, catering and special event facilities, casinos, and mixed-use real estate. Mr. Gemberling has held prior positions for different owners, operators, and chains as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, and Restaurant Unit Manager. He has been retained on over 400 projects with typical values in the $1 million to $75 million range and revenues in the $1 million to $100 million range both nationally and internationally. His many clients have include among others Biscuits & Blues, Cantina’s, Chevy’s, Choice Hotels, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inns, Hooter’s Casino, Hyatt, Marriott, McDonald’s, Microtel Inn & Suites, Outback Restaurants, Radisson, Residence Inns, Signature Resort, Sizzler, Sonic Drive-Ins, Starbucks, Starwood, Sheraton, Togo’s, Wendy’s, and Willie Mays Skybox Lounge. Litigation Support: Dennis Gemberling is a Certified Hotel Administrator, Certified Food and Beverage Executive, Certified Foodservice Management Professional, and Certified Food Safety Manager. He offers expert witness services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant cases on a variety of Hospitality-related claims. He is a Professional Member of Foodservice Consultants Society International and the Forensic Expert Witness Association. Mr. Gemberling also provides expertise as a Court Appointed Receiver and Interim Property Manager and is currently the Past President and a Board of Director for the California Receivers Forum – Bay Area Chapter. Areas of Expertise:
Howard is one of America's most sought after Restaurant, Bar, Food, & Beverage Industry Experts in the country. With over 32 years of experience, Judges & Juries respect Howard's industry expertise in regard to his restaurant expert witness& restaurant litigation support services - having provided expert witness testimony, opinions, and reports in both State & Federal Cases for Plaintiffs & Defendants.
• Federal Certification with 29 CFR 1910 from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration
• Certified Forensic Consultant (CFC)-the American College of Forensic Examiners
• Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points Manager Certification (HACCP)
• National Environmental Health Association Certification • ServSafe Food Safety
• On-Premise Alcohol - TIPs 2.0
Nationwide Services - NO CHARGE for Domestic Travel
250+ Litigation
300+ Pre-Litigation
State & Federal Cases - Plaintiffs & Defendants
Restaurant, Bar & Hospitality Industry Matters - Since 1987
Highly-recognizable books, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting A Restaurant" (1st & 2nd Ed) and "Restaurant OSHA Safety and Security: The Book of Restaurant Industry Standards & Best Practices", found in 76 countries around the globe.
Howard Cannon - Restaurant Expert Witness
With 250+ Litigation and 300+ Pre-Litigation cases as a Restaurant Expert Witness, Food Safety & Contamination Expert, and Restaurant & Bar Safety & Security Expert, Howard provides Credibility, Integrity, and Unbiased Analysis & Reports. Howard is well-spoken - having given hundreds of restaurant, food service & hospitality industry speeches and seminars, and is quite comfortable in any court of law. He is a published author/experienced writer with books & articles published in dozens of markets around the globe - delivering clear & concise expert reports with an effective and efficient opinion & basis. Howard NEVER misses a deadline – his expert witness reports & opinions are always on time.
Did you know that restaurants are more likely to experience workplace violence than any other industry in America? In this article we will help you find out why restaurants are so prone to violence, what leads to violence, the practical steps to help make restaurants safe, and the insider information that you need when dealing with one of these legal matters.
OSHA guidelines, standards and safety rules apply to nearly every restaurant industry legal matter and it is a whole lot more than the little bit of text on the OSHA wall poster. Your case will more likely than not depend on the standards applied and whether or not you know the standards and how best to apply them to your legal matter as it pertains specifically to restaurants.
If you have a pending lawsuit that pertains to a restaurant or bar industry legal matter, you need to know what "shared space" is, and how it applies to your underlying legal matter, and the role that OSHA guidelines, codes and safety rules will have. Shared space is an industry specific formula and will impact the standards that you apply and could be the difference between winning or losing your case.
Compiled from more than 1,000 hours of research and statistical analysis, Restaurant OSHA Safety and Security was written to help provide restaurant owners, managers, executives, employers, employees, and vendors what they need to know about OSHA and industry standards and best practices in simple language, so they can concentrate on being successful and making money.
In this revised edition, aspiring restaurateurs will find everything they need to know to open a successful restaurant, including choosing a concept and location, creating a business plan, finding the cash, and much more. New content includes information on tips, tip-outs, and reporting for the entire staff, choosing the best POS system, setting up a bar and managing the wine list, and making the bottom line look good long-term.
David Rutecki's career spans 39 years of Restaurant and Hospitality related experience. Working in more than 20 restaurants and involved in the opening of more than a dozen, he has worked every position possible within this industry. Mr. Rutecki currently owns and operates Mountain Deli in Hendersonville, garnering the 2016, 2017 & 2018 Blue Ridge Growth Award. He is a Member of the North Carolina and National Restaurant Associations. Mr. Rutecki has been invloved in the following selected restaurants:
Fancy’s Food and Wine, Gourmet Shop, Coral Gables, South Miami & Grove Isle, Fl.
Susie’s Bagels, Breakfast Restaurant, South Miami, Fl.
Pizzaria Uno, Full Service Restaurant, Miami, Fl.
Baystreet, Full Service Seafood Restaurant, Miami, Fl.
Litigation Support - David Rutecki offers expert witness and litigation support for restaurant related issues in the United States. His services are available to counsel representing both Plaintiff and Defendant. Areas of Expertise:
Overview:Kenneth Free is a hotel and resort professional with over 40+ years of experience in the business. He is a highly credible resource for operations, real estate development, feasibility, business valuation, and business interruption issues.
Degrees and Licenses held by the Principal: MBA- Finance, Bloch School of Business & Public Administration (University of Missouri, Kansas City); BS- Hotel Administration, Harrah College of Hospitality (University of Nevada, Las Vegas); Registered Resort Professional, American Resort Development Association; Certified Master Hotel Supplier, American Hotel & Lodging Association; Real Estate Broker licensed by the California Department of Real Estate.
Detail: Mr. Free’s company, Straightline Hospitality, Inc., provides Advisory and Expert Services for Hotels, Resorts, and Timesharing. These services may be in relation to new properties going through the development or pre-development stages, those that are open and experiencing difficulties, or in situations where disputes have arisen among the stakeholders. Additional current emphasis is in personal injury and wrongful death cases.
Key areas of consulting and expert effectiveness are –
Hotel Operations:
Wrongful Death
Premises Liability/Personal Injury
Mismanagement
Operational Issues
Financial Issues
Security Issues
Industry Standards of Care
Hotel Development:
Economic Damages, Lost Profits, and Business Interruption Impacts
Brand/System Affiliation or Conversion Issues; Management Contracts & Franchising
Development Planning
Project Management
Strategic Planning, Market Repositioning, and Workouts for Distressed Properties
Dennis Gemberling, CHA, CFBE, FMP, FCSI, President and Founder of Perry Group International, has over 35 years of experience in the Hospitality Management industry. His experience includes managing, operating, and consulting on full-service, limited-service, extended-stay, all-suite, condo and timeshare hotels and resorts, casual, fine-dining, and quick-service restaurants, bars and nightclubs, catering and special event facilities, casinos, and mixed-use real estate. Mr. Gemberling has held prior positions for different owners, operators, and chains as Senior Vice President, General Manager, Director of Food & Beverage, and Restaurant Unit Manager. He has been retained on over 400 projects with typical values in the $1 million to $75 million range and revenues in the $1 million to $100 million range both nationally and internationally. His many clients have include among others Biscuits & Blues, Cantina’s, Chevy’s, Choice Hotels, Embassy Suites, Hampton Inns, Hilton, Holiday Inns, Hooter’s Casino, Hyatt, Marriott, McDonald’s, Microtel Inn & Suites, Outback Restaurants, Radisson, Residence Inns, Signature Resort, Sizzler, Sonic Drive-Ins, Starbucks, Starwood, Sheraton, Togo’s, Wendy’s, and Willie Mays Skybox Lounge. Litigation Support: Dennis Gemberling is a Certified Hotel Administrator, Certified Food and Beverage Executive, Certified Foodservice Management Professional, and Certified Food Safety Manager. He offers expert witness services to attorneys for plaintiff and defendant cases on a variety of Hospitality-related claims. He is a Professional Member of Foodservice Consultants Society International and the Forensic Expert Witness Association. Mr. Gemberling also provides expertise as a Court Appointed Receiver and Interim Property Manager and is currently the Past President and a Board of Director for the California Receivers Forum – Bay Area Chapter. Areas of Expertise:
Howard is one of America's most sought after Restaurant, Bar, Food, & Beverage Industry Experts in the country. With over 32 years of experience, Judges & Juries respect Howard's industry expertise in regard to his restaurant expert witness& restaurant litigation support services - having provided expert witness testimony, opinions, and reports in both State & Federal Cases for Plaintiffs & Defendants. 
