In light of the various restrictions on retail businesses being issued nationwide to fight the spread of COVID-19—such as the “safer at home” orders issued in Los Angeles County and throughout the entire State of California last week—one Southern California city is taking action to support local businesses, while continuing to push compliance with the new legal restrictions.
Continue Reading Supporting Local Retail in a Time of Local Restrictions

As marijuana sales become increasingly legal in many states across the US, a growing number of commercial property owners will be faced with the decision of whether to lease their space to a marijuana-related business. There are many factors that potential landlords and tenants must keep in mind, not the least of which is federal law.
Continue Reading High-Level Leasing Considerations for Marijuana-Related Businesses

Ghost kitchens are one of the hottest trends in food. Ghost kitchens (also known as dark kitchens, cloud kitchens, and virtual restaurants, among a slew of other flashy names) are delivery-only restaurants found almost exclusively on food delivery apps like UberEats and Grubhub. Rather than storefronts with dining areas, they usually operate out of existing restaurants, commissary kitchens or food trucks. 
Continue Reading Ghost Kitchens: Considerations in Negotiating Agreements with Third Party Delivery Services

Retail stores and businesses are generally free to develop their own policies regarding acceptance or non-acceptance of certain forms of payment. For years, many small businesses have refused credit card payments entirely or credit card payments for transactions under a certain amount due to high transaction costs. Smaller retailers may also refuse certain brands of credit cards. However, a different trend has emerged in recent years as an increasing number of retailers are refusing to accept cash and instead accepting only credit/debit and smartphone payments.
Continue Reading Your Cash is Not Welcome Here

Most retail tenants desire to locate their respective businesses amongst other retail businesses in malls, retail shopping centers or other mixed-use centers. Therefore, when negotiating retail leases, some of the most heavily discussed provisions involve the tenant’s share of Common Area Maintenance expenses.
Continue Reading Considerations When Negotiating Common Area Maintenance Costs in Retail Leases

E-commerce and online shopping are here to stay, but the explosion of new technology and the number of resources available to facilitate online shopping is an opportunity for retailers to embrace new ideas and concepts that will increase foot traffic to their physical locations.
Continue Reading Retailers Should Ensure Flexibility in Lease Agreements for In-Store Partners