Employees of restaurants, etc., soliciting food or beverages.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 28-13
in effectSec. 28-13. - Employees of restaurants, etc., soliciting food or beverages.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any owner or employee of any establishment in which food or beverages are sold or offered for sale for consumption on the premises to solicit, induce, entice, or encourage any patron or customer thereof to buy food or beverages from that establishment for consumption by the soliciting owner or employee or by any other person whom the soliciting employee or owner knows to be an owner or employee of the establishment.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any owner, manager, operator or person having control of any establishment in which food or beverages are sold or offered for sale for consumption on the premises to permit, allow or suffer any other owner or employee of the establishment to solicit, induce, entice, or encourage any patron or customer thereof to buy food or beverages from that establishment for consumption by the soliciting owner or employee or by any other person whom the soliciting owner or employee knows to be an owner or employee of the establishment.
(c) It shall be a defense to prosecution under this section that:
(1) The customer or patron solicited was known by the soliciting employee or owner to be a relative of either the soliciting employee or owner or the employee or owner for whom the food or beverages were solicited; or
(2) The customer or patron solicited was a friend of the soliciting employee or owner for whom the food or beverage was solicited and that friendship existed prior to the customer or patron's most recent visit to the establishment.
(d) In the interpretation and enforcement of this section the term "employee" shall be construed to include managers, operators, agents, and servants.
(e) The provisions of this section shall not apply to establishments operating under a license or permit granted under authority of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code.
(f) Any person violating any provision of this section, upon conviction, shall be punished as provided by section 1-6 of this Code. Each unlawful act shall constitute a separate violation.
(Code 1968, § 28-38.2; Ord. No. 76-611, § 1, 4-13-76; Ord. No. 77-865, § 1, 5-4-77; Ord. No. 79-579, § 1, 4-10-79; Ord. No. 92-1449, § 43, 11-4-92)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH28MIOFPR_ARTIINGE_S28-13EMREETSOFOBEFetched: 10/26/2026