Sec. 19-30. Failure to deliver food or refund money where
money accepted in advance.
(a) The following words and phrases, when used in this
section, shall have the meanings respectively ascribed to them, as
follows, except in those instances where the context clearly
indicates a different meaning:
"Meal tickets" shall mean any card or coupon book which
may be sold for cash and used in lieu of cash in exchange for food
until the cash value as stated thereon has been dissipated, either
by perforating the card or by extracting coupons from the book.
"Restaurants, lunchrooms, cafes, hotels, boardinghouses
and public eating houses" shall mean any place of business where
food prepared for immediate consumption is served at tables or
counters for profit.
(b) It shall be unlawful for any person engaged in the
restaurant, cafe, hotel, lunchroom, boardinghouse or public
eating house business within the city, where money is accepted in
advance for food, either upon express written or verbal agreement
or in exchange for a meal ticket, to accept money in advance with
intent to cheat or defraud the payer thereof or to refuse or become
unable through any cause whatsoever to furnish food upon
demand during business hours as a charge against the money so
advanced and to refuse or become unable through any cause
whatsoever to return at that time whatever money remains in his
hands as an unused balance of the money so advanced. (Code 1959,
§ 19-30.)
