Big Food to New York City: Drop Dead

High-profile players in the city’s restaurant and hospitality industries have joined forces to form a new lobbying group, citing frustrations with the city’s health department efforts to strengthen food regulation, reports the Wall Street Journal. “People are really feeling under siege from the health department,” said Rob Bookman, counsel for the group, the New York City Hospitality Alliance. The new trade group marks the first time all segments of the city’s hospitality industry are banding together—from restaurants and nightclubs to hotels and large suppliers, such as Anheuser-Busch InBev. “You speak to a restaurant operator and they’re really at their wit’s end,” said Andrew Rigie, a leader of the new group. “New York City is a very competitive place to run a hospitality business and the last thing they need is the government making it more difficult.”