Restaurant Hospitality's top 25 stories of 2019

25. Mario Batali sexual misconduct cases reportedly dropped

Craig Barritt/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

The New York police decline to comment on the investigation status.

24. 9 restaurant tech innovations to watch for

Companies swarm the NRA show with cutting-edge practical solutions.

23. 6 notable restaurant closures, summer edition

Circo Dallas didn’t last a full year.

22. 7 Noteworthy restaurant closures: Fall edition

Here are some of the most high-profile restaurant closures that happened so far this fall.

21. 8 restaurants coming in 2020 from Big Name Chefs

From an Emeril Lagasse on a cruise ship, to Thomas Keller in Las Vegas.

20. Japanese soufflé pancake chain opens the first of 20 units planned for U.S.

Gram Cafe & Pancakes opens to crowds seeking the thick, jiggly flapjacks.

19. Can restaurants ditch disposables?

Ted's Montana Grill

A broad movement is afoot to push single-use plastics.

18. DoorDash launches shared ghost kitchen in Silicon Valley

The Bay Area brands expand delivery reach without opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

17. Five more food halls open, coming or multiplying

From New York to Indianapolis, the trend shows no sign of letting up.

16. OpenTable tightens control on consumer information

The move raises questions from restaurant operators about data ownership.

15. Four new concepts offering CBD as add-ons

Despite the murky regulations, restaurants continue to embrace the trend.

14. First restaurant with cannabis on the menu to open in September

At the Lowell Café in West Hollywood, Calif., guests will be able to have a toke and a sandwich.

13. 6 hotels that are becoming dining destinations

Amid the growing competition, hoteliers are upping their dining game.

12. Bay Area restaurant closes after facing $5.2M in wage theft fines

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Kome Japanese Seafood Buffet is latest in a series of worker-abuse cases in the San Francisco Bay area.

11. It’s no longer about vegans: 8 up-and-coming plant-based restaurant concepts

The meat-free niche keeps growing as the trend evolves.

10. 7 notable restaurant closures, moves and sales

Spring brings big changes for these high-profile chef-owners.

9. Bento boxes are trending in fast casual

Pei Wei

The compartmentalized Japanese lunch boxes are customizable and convenient.

8. Grubhub charges draw new scrutiny from restaurants

The lawsuit claims that Grubhub takes cut even when customers don’t order.

7. 6 culinary incubators launching next-gen food concepts

Food halls, restaurants and ice cream shops that are helping to launch new food and drink brands.

6. Gramercy Tavern lawsuit raises complex dress code issues

Neville Elder / Contributor / Corbis Entertainment

The former host claims discrimination when required to wear a tie.

5. Labor Department makes ‘80/20’ switch official

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The Wage and Hour Division will no longer prohibit tipped wage for side work.

4. Chicago’s Blackbird finds creative way to boost employee retention

After-hours classes sharpen skills while building camaraderie.

3. 7 fast-casual concepts worth watching

Will any be the next Sweetgreen?

2. What will restaurants look like in 2030?

The association expects disruption, but industry sales to reach $1.2 trillion by the end of the decade.

1. Best Sandwiches in America 2019: Meet the winners

We selected 10 sandwiches that best represented some of those trends and, frankly, won our hearts. Take a look at the Best Sandwiches in America.