The Slice gives you all the news you can use. Each issue will include any COVID-19 updates, reopening information, legislative news, and other relevant items for our readers. Please let us know if you'd like to see anything in particular or have other feedback - just email marketing@vrlta.org.
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Announcing VRLTA's Newly-Elected Board of Directors |
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At VRLTA's Annual Meeting on October 7, the Association elected the full Board of Directors. Congratulations to the following members - we look forward to continuing working with you in the coming year! |
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Officers
Chairman of the Board: Gary Cohen, Glory Days Grill
Vice Chairman of the Board: Robert Reed, SMI Hotel Group
Secretary: Beth Erickson, Visit Loudoun
Treasurer: Frank Brunetto, The Dairy Market
Executive Committee
Immediate Past Chair: Barry Biggar, Visit Fairfax
2nd Immediate Past Chair: Brad Capps, Breakers Resort
Virginia Hotel & Lodging Association President: Russ Cronberg, Boar's Head Resort
Virginia Restaurant Association President: Tony Stafford, Ford's Fish Shack
Virginia Suppliers Association President: Randy Thompson, VistaGraphics, Inc.
Virginia Travel Association President: Mary Fugere, Hampton CVB
Elected Directors
Appalachia/Blue Ridge Highlands: Landon Howard, Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge
Shenandoah Valley: Paul Cooper, Retro Hospitality
Northern Virginia: Nav Patel, Marquee Hospitality
Central/Southern Virginia: Charles Friend, Residence Inn Charlottesville
Hampton Roads: Kurt Krause, Visit Norfolk
Directors At-Large
Virginia Hospitality Suppliers: Open - contact Eric Terry to learn more
Virginia Hotel/Lodging: Steve Helms, Primland Resort
Virginia Restaurants: Jim Wordsworth, J.R.'s Stockyard's Inn
Virginia Travel: Beth Erickson, Visit Loudoun
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Annual Meeting Recap
Over the last week and a half, VRLTA held meetings for the full membership, the Board of Directors, and each of the components (Restaurant, Lodging, and Travel). Each meeting was full of information for members, including an update on Government Affairs issues and plans, a recap of what's happening in the education and workforce areas, nominations of officers, and more.
Thank you to those who attended one or more of the meetings. We are encouraged by your participation and your involvement. This year has been certainly been challenging, but the support and action of VRLTA's members means that the Association is more relevant and even stronger.
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Still Time to Register for Webinar Wednesday! Next Week - October 14
Did you know that being a member of VRLTA can improve your health? The Association offers a number of programs through partners that can help you, give important benefits to your employees, and save your business money. What's not to love?
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VRLTA is continuing our webinar series on October 14 with a webinar entitled To Your Health. Members can join us to learn more about programs from UnitedHealth Group/ Optum and USI Insurance Services. Our experts will give you all the information you need to improve your health and that of your organization!
Kimberlee Vandervoorn of UnitedHealth Group/Optum and Holly Miller from USI Insurance Services will lead this event. They'll be sharing information about various programs offered to members which can improve your health, give important benefits to employees, and save your business money. Registration ends on October 13th at 5pm.
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VA1 Tourism Summit - November 16 in Richmond!
The 2020 VA1 Tourism Summit is still on, although in a modified format. We'll gather for a one-day event in Richmond, but it will be jam-packed with amazing speakers and content focused on travel in the time of COVID-19; "back to business" strategies; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and more relevant and timely topics.
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The event will follow all guidelines for safety and distancing, and adhere to current federal, state, and locally-mandated protocols. Visit this page to learn more about how we are keeping VA1 healthy and safe! We continue to monitor the situation and will adjust plans as necessary. Learn more at www.va1tourismsummit.org. We are working to finalize the schedule and speakers now.
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Streamlined Forgiveness for PPP Loans <$50,000
Restaurants who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under $50,000 can now access a new forgiveness application designed to simplify the forgiveness and loan review process, as announced by the Small Business Administration (SBA). This “streamlined” PPP forgiveness form does not require businesses to show the calculations used to determine their loan forgiveness amount. However, SBA may request information and documents to review those calculations as part of its loan review process.
Important to note – this is not “automatic PPP loan forgiveness,” as borrowers are still required to submit documentation to lenders on payroll costs, rent/lease payments, and utilities. Additionally, there is a restriction for any otherwise eligible applicants if they have affiliated businesses receiving PPP loans totaling $2 million or greater – we are following up with SBA to ensure the “Affiliation Rules” are waived for restaurants and hotels as outlined in earlier PPP guidance (p. 2).
Here are related documents:
For background, the SBA reports that there are approximately 3.57 million outstanding PPP loans of $50,000 or less, totaling approximately $62 billion of the $525 billion in PPP loans.
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ABC License Renewal Payment Deferrals
On 9/29, the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority updated its guidance on deferring collection of license renewal fees and the waiver of penalties. To learn more, review this document from the ABC webpage (specifically Topic 12 on page 17).
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Mark Your Calendar!
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October 14, 10-11 a.m. - VIRTUAL - VRLTA Webinar Wednesday - To Your Health - Explore all of the member healthcare benefits offered through VRLTA! Register here.
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October 14-16 - VIRTUAL - 2020 Restaurant Legal Summit. Free! Learn more here. Register here.
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October 27, 9:30 a.m. - Virginia Sporting Clay Shoot PAC and Restaurant Advocacy Fundraiser - Old Forge Sporting Clay, Providence Forge. See below for details.
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November 16, all day - VA1 Tourism Summit, Omni Richmond Hotel. Register here.
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Join Us for the Virginia Sporting Clay Shoot, October 27
This annual event benefits the restaurant industry through the Restaurant PAC and Restaurant Advocacy Fund. Join the fun on October 27 at the Old Forge Sporting Clay in Providence Forge. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m., and you can join as an individual shooter or at various sponsor levels. Don't miss it! To get more information or to RSVP, contact Annie McEniry at amceniry@restaurant.org or 202-331-5920.
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AHLA Offering New Enhanced Version of COVID-19 Precautions for Hotels
AHLA is proud to announce a new enhanced version of COVID-19 Precautions for Hotels, a hotel-specific online training course designed specifically for cleaning and safety during the pandemic. This valuable training tool was developed in partnership with the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI) and now includes a brand new module focused on de-escalation training for employees. The new de-escalation module offers all hotel employees guidance on how to reduce tensions and promote a safe environment while maintaining the spirit of hospitality throughout all interactions. The course is available for $5 for individual purchase, and can also be purchased at an enterprise level.
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ServSafe: Classes Are Up and Running
VRLTA's preferred ServSafe training partners are offering ServSafe training around the state - we currently are listing more than 30 classes in 10+ different localities (including some classes in Spanish), so there is bound to be a class to meet your needs. ORS and RVA Food Safety are also offering test proctoring. Click here to learn more and see the entire upcoming schedule. Partners' classes are filling quickly, so register today!
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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with Statewide Restaurante Week!
October 5th through October 11th
Restaurante Week is an initiative by the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and it's partners to support Latino / Hispanic Restaurant owned and themed businesses that have been impacted by COVID-19. Participating restaurants participants can be found at www.vahcc.com.
VRLTA is proud to support the Virginia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and this event.
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Got Some Creative Ideas?
VRLTA members have gotten creative in dealing with COVID-19. Whether it's expanded outdoor dining areas, signage for distancing, or innovative solutions to keep your business working, we want to hear about it! We're posting images on Facebook of these great ideas and would love to share yours, too.
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Diageo Will Donate $1 per Tweet or Instagram Post to the VRLTA Relief Fund!
You Post. Diageo Donates. Feel The Love. ❤ Post on Twitter or Instagram using #BackToMyBarVA & Diageo will donate $1 to Virginia service industry professionals.
Between 12:01 a.m. ET on 9/1/2020 and 11:59:59 p.m. (ET) on 12/31/2020, for each social media post that uses the hashtag #BackToMyBarVA, Diageo will donate $1 to the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association. Maximum donation of $5,000. Must be 21 or older.
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Highland Brewing is Supporting the Virginia Restaurant and Hospitality Relief Fund
We are pleased to announce that Highland Brewing is contributing a portion of sales of their Gaelic Ale to the VRLTA Restaurant and Hospitality Relief Fund!
Highland distributes in areas of the state such as Roanoke, Bristol, Martinsville, Salem, and Radford. Look for their products on the shelves and in restaurants starting in September and through the end of the year!
The Relief Fund has already distributed thousands of dollars to organizations around the state. To learn more about the recipient organizations, visit this page.
Thank you, Highland Brewing, for your support of restaurant and hospitality employees in Virginia!
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