John M. Tarras

Consumer preferred hot beverage temperatures

Abstract The hospitality and food science literatures specify brewing and holding temperatures for hot beverages such as coffee, while the medical literature states that those very beverage temperatures will cause scalds and harm. These two specifications are at odds with one another, and recommend different approaches to serving and handling hot beverages. Considering the disparate standards it is interesting to note that no one has reported asking consumers of hot beverages at which temperature they prefer to consume their hot beverages. This pilot study is a first step in determining the consumer preferred hot beverage temperature. The research intent is to see if a temperature, or temperature range, can be established at which consumers drink a hot beverage, in this case coffee. The research is particularly relevant given recent litigation relative to spills and burns at foodservice operations, and subsequent changes in holding temperatures at some quick service restaurant chains. The findings suggest that the standard brewing and holding temperatures are too high for consumption, while the temperature identified as the medical literature threshold for burns is too low for consumption. ©

Tips allocation: A hotel compliance study*

Now that the IRS has turned its attention to the way hotels and restaurants allocate tips, incorrect procedures can be costly to both the firms and their employees

The high cost of violating tip-reporting laws

Abstract The potential impact on food-service employees who do not properly report their tips is significant in terms of penalties and interest imposed by the IRS. Likewise, employers may be subject to additional taxes and interest for their failure to pay the proper amount of taxes. Despite the potential for costly penalties, the following study found that a large percentage of food-service employees either do not understand or do not adhere to IRS tip-reporting requirements.

Fighting IRS tax penalties

You can avoid tax-filing penalities if you can prove reasonable cause for tax-code violations. Here are the causes the IRS finds “reasonable” and the proofs they require