Space Design Expert Witnesses

Gary R. Coburn is an award-winning restaurant executive, operator, consultant, and expert witness with over 45 years of experience in the restaurant and hospitality industry. His background includes service as an owner, operator, franchisor, consultant, President, Chief Operating Officer, General Manager, Executive Director of Food Services, and VP of National Accounts & Design Build.

Mr. Coburn has helped create, open, operate, reposition, and advise hundreds of restaurant, bar, hospitality, and foodservice concepts throughout the United States. His experience includes restaurant operations, staffing and training systems, operational safety, franchising, commercial kitchen design/build, concept development, business viability, and restaurant-related disputes.

He remains actively involved in restaurant operations and concept development through Restaurant Concept Innovations and current projects including Lily’s Donuts & Pops and Lily’s Donuts & Coffee in Santa Barbara.

Mr. Coburn maintains an active expert witness practice involving restaurant and hospitality operations, premises safety, slip/trip/fall incidents, burns and hot beverage incidents, staffing and training, alcohol awareness, business interruption, restaurant concept viability, and hospitality industry standards. His engagements include over 70 cases across 14 states with matters historically remaining relatively balanced between plaintiff and defense.

Services available to counsel include site inspections, operational analysis, reporting, depositions, mediation support, and trial testimony.

Recent cases retained by Plaintiff:

Mr. Coburn has been retained as an expert in matters involving:

• Restaurant and hospitality operational standards and practices
• Premises safety and slip/trip/fall incidents
• Burns and hot beverage incidents
• Staffing, training, and operational supervision
• Guest incidents involving warnings, procedures, and reasonable safety practices
• Restaurant safety and security practices, including foreseeability, notice, and reasonable intervention
• Alcohol awareness and responsible beverage service
• Restaurant concept viability and operational feasibility
• Business interruption, loss of income, and operational impact analysis
• Lease disputes, lease assignment issues, and restaurant operational viability
• Restaurant development, franchising, concept conversion, and operational systems
• Furniture handling, maintenance practices, and operational safety procedures
• Foodservice operations, protocols, and industry standards

View RCI's Consulting Profile.