New York State Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act Cracks Down on a "Leech Industry"

In this episode of the "Legal Bites Podcast" series, Food and Beverage Litigation attorneys Charles Weiss and Christopher Riano, along with Practice Development Manager Kristina Merritt, speak with New York State Assemblymember Alex Bores about his sponsorship of the New York State Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy Act. The act, which took effect in February 2025, blocks third-party restaurant reservation platforms from selling reservations without an agreement with the restaurant. Assemblymember Bores explains he had received complaints from many industry stakeholders about platforms taking reservations and reselling them for hundreds of dollars, prompting him to take action. In this episode, he provides an in-depth look at how the law came to be, as well as the issues he is currently addressing and plans to tackle in the future.