JUNE 2026
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Hospitality Insights & Trends
Adam Barnosky
Governor Maura Healey signed Chapter 96 of the Acts of 2026, a temporary measure that lets Massachusetts cities and towns opt in to extended liquor-license hours and outdoor public consumption districts, effective June 8, 2026 and expiring on July 31, 2026.
The Legislature moved quickly to give the restaurant and hospitality sector added flexibility ahead of a busy summer that includes FIFA World Cup matches at Gillette Stadium. Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, and Worcester have already approved local components of the temporary law.
RIW's Restaurant & Hospitality Practice Group Chair, Adam Barnosky, outlines the details of what you need to know.
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Eric Sigman
Thinking about expanding your franchise portfolio? Before signing a multi-unit or area development agreement, there's a lot more to consider than just finding the right locations.
RIW's Franchise Practice Group Chair, Eric Sigman, breaks down the key legal considerations for multi-unit franchisees, including how to negotiate a realistic development schedule, understanding the scope of personal guaranties across multiple agreements, and what happens if a development timeline isn't met.
Whether you're a first-time developer scaling up or an experienced operator expanding into new brands, this is a must-read before you sign on the dotted line.
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RECOMMENDED LISTENING
Restaurant Rockstars: Restaurant KPIs, Leadership, & Systems to Drive Growth w/ Enga Stanfield
What does it take to grow a restaurant from a single location to an 8-unit operation while maintaining profitability, culture, and consistency? In this episode of the Restaurant Rockstars Podcast, host Roger Beaudoin sits down with Enga Stanfield, owner of Mattenga's Pizzeria in San Antonio, Texas. Enga shares the restaurant KPIs her team tracks daily, including labor per hour, sales per hour, inventory, and prime cost, and explains how systems, leadership development, accountability, and cross-training have helped fuel sustainable growth.
They also discuss recruiting and retaining great employees, creating advancement paths for team members, controlling costs in an inflationary environment, leveraging technology, and using email, SMS, SEO, loyalty programs, and customer reviews to drive repeat business. If you're looking to improve restaurant profitability, build stronger teams, and scale your operation with confidence, this episode is packed with practical, real-world strategies you can put to work immediately.
Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.
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WHAT WE'RE READING
Notes from a Young, Black Chef
by Kwame Onwuachi
By the time he was twenty-seven years old, Kwame Onwuachi had opened—and closed—one of the most talked about restaurants in America. He had sold drugs in New York and been shipped off to rural Nigeria to “learn respect.” He had launched his own catering company with twenty thousand dollars made from selling candy on the subway and starred on Top Chef.
Through it all, Onwuachi’s love of food and cooking remained a constant, even when, as a young chef, he was forced to grapple with just how unwelcoming the food world can be for people of color. In this inspirational memoir about the intersection of race, fame, and food, he shares the remarkable story of his culinary coming-of-age; a powerful, heartfelt, and shockingly honest account of chasing your dreams—even when they don’t turn out as you expected.
CLIENT NEWS
Congratulations to RIW clients:
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Mojo Music Festival on their first Boston event at City Hall Plaza
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Row 34 on their full liquor license upgrade at their Fort Point location
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Tavern in the Square on the opening of their new Fitchburg, MA location
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Built Different Brands on the opening of their sixth Dave's Hot Chicken location (Anderson, SC) and their 4th and 5th PopUp Bagels locations (FL)
INSIDE RIW
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Adam Barnosky was recently nominated to the Massachusetts Restaurant Union's Board of Directors
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Eric Sigman was named a Franchise Times Legal Eagle
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RIW sponsored and attended Breaking Boundaries in Hospitality, the MRU's annual event
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Mark your calendars! RIW's annual Restaurant Trends event returns on Monday, September 28th. Whether you're an operator, owner, or industry professional, this is one you won't want to miss. More details coming soon.