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Christy Reuter loves her customers. Not just as names in a contract-in a kind of real way, with rolled sleeves, responses-tem-innate.
“My customers are a little crazy,” admits Empty roma ll partner and its chairman hospitality Practice “But I love it for them. You have to be a little crazy to be in this business.”
This is why Reuter thrives on the law of hospitality. Restaurants are fast, unpredictable and full of high interest decisions. When operators need someone to protect their business, whether it is a last -minute lease negotiation, a licensing agreement or a trademark The dispute, Reuter is what they call.
It ensures that its customers stay protected in an industry where the right legal instruction can say everything.
The restaurant industry is built on passion, but only passion will not protect you from a bad deal. This is where an experienced hospitality lawyer makes all the changes.
“I can say right away when someone doesn't understand this industry,” Reuter says Shawn Walchefhost Restaurant influencers Podcast. “They argue about the wrong things, lose critical details and end up making terrible deals.”
She compares her to the go to the wrong type of doctor. “You don't go to a cardiologist if your foot hurts,” Reuter says. “The same thing with the lawyers. You want someone who lives and breathes out of hospitality law, who understands the nuances of restaurant deals.”
Reuter's ability to navigate high -pressure hospitality arrangements did not develop overnight. As general advisor for CyrianIt helped lead the restaurant company through major legal battles, including the economic crisis and high profile tax issues.
“When you have over 500 employees, ensuring that everyone knows everything will be okay is a challenge,” she says. “I learned how to extinguish fires quickly because, in this business, small legal mistakes can turn into mass problems.”
She has worked on large restaurant deals in New York, Miami, Las Vegas and beyond. From negotiating restaurant management contracts to help brands expand globally, its legal expertise ensures that operators are not protected alone – but positioned for success.
And one of The biggest mistakes She sees? Not protecting the brand.
Protecting your brand
For many restaurant operators, the legal side of brand It's a mirror. They build a great concept, start a killer menu, and grow a faithful continuation – just to realize too late that they never defended their name.
“Operators do not always think about their brand brand early,” Reuter says. “But if you don't protect your name. Someone else wants. And after you lose control of your brand, it's almost impossible to return it.”
A trademark It is not just a legal technician-is the foundation of a restaurant's long-term success. Whether they are licensing options, expansion plans or just keeping a competitor from the name theft, Reuter ensures that its customers stay in control.
At the end of the day, Reuter's work is more than contracts and negotiations. It is about protecting people and businesses she believes in.
“My job is not just to review the contracts,” she says. “Is it to make sure my customers are not signing something that can hurt those years on the road.”
That is why she fights for any agreement as if it were her. Because in hospitality, the right lawyer is not just a counselor – they are a business partner.
Connected: To make the perfect cocktail, you need cooperation. The same thing is when you own a restaurant.
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