GRA Weekly

March 3, 2022

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, Seated.

2022 GRA BOARD CHAIR ANNOUNCED

GRA Names Stephanie Fischer As 2022 Board Chair

The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) named Stephanie Fischer its 2022 chair of the GRA Board of Directors. Fischer, who has 28 years in the hospitality industry, currently is vice president of operations for Paradies Lagardère Travel Retail, Dining Division with more than 170 restaurants in 43 airports in North America.

Fischer will work with GRA CEO Karen Bremer, on challenges and opportunities facing the state’s second largest employer with 18,500 restaurants and 500,000 employees and whose sales are in excess of $24.9 billion.

Named as a Woman of Influence in the Food Industry 15th Edition by The Griffin Report, March 2020, Fischer has held several executive positions in the hospitality and restaurant segment. Prior to joining Paradies Lagardère, she was a senior executive with Hojeij Branded Foods where she was instrumental in opening more than 75 restaurants across the county. In addition, she spent one year with Dunkin Brands leading new franchisee training and 13 years with Walt Disney World Company where she led learning & development for two lines of businesses at Epcot, Food & Beverage and Retail, including the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, the largest food & wine festival in the United States. Read More.

WE NEED YOUR HELP!

Tell Congress to Replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund

Two-thirds of the eligible restaurants missed out on the federal aid the first time and now struggling to stay in business. GRA and the National Restaurant Association have been working non-stop to get more funding for the hospitality industry. Send an email to your elected officials with one click!

Take Action Now!

STATE OF THE PLATE

What has the legislator worked on lately that impacts your restaurant? Hear the GRA's warning and be on the lookout for phishing scams. Get information on this and more from GRA's President + CEO Karen Bremer. Watch Now.

SALES & USE TAX RATES

Georgia Department of Revenue | Sales & Use Tax Rates Effective April 1, 2022

The Georgia Department of Revenue has posted the upcoming quarterly sales and use tax rate changes. Please visit the Department's website to view current, historical, and upcoming sales and use tax rate charts.

GRA IN THE NEWS

GEORGIA OYSTER SURVEY

We want to know your thoughts about oyster farming and oyster sales in Georgia! The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government is surveying individuals involved in Georgia’s food service industry to understand how Georgia’s new oyster farming industry may benefit the local food service industry.

Visit survey.uga.edu/Oyster to take the survey.

This survey will take up to 15 minutes to complete. Your survey responses are anonymous and will not be available to anyone outside the Carl Vinson Institute of Government. Survey results will be presented as summaries so that individual responses will not be identified. We encourage you to share this survey with other food service industry professionals you know. Your input can help inform the future of oyster farming and sales in Georgia.

UNDERCOVER BOSS

Who is Paul Damico? Former CEO of Round Table Pizza goes incognito on 'Undercover Boss'

CBS reality show ‘Undercover Boss’ has been one of the finest reality TV shows in recent years and has always helped organizations to make some drastic changes. The show is in its 11th season and has already aired four episodes. However, the show went on a hiatus for three weeks and didn’t air a new episode. Finally, the show has returned to CBS after the break and one of the most prominent names in the food and beverage world will be making an appearance on the show. In episode 5, we’ll see Paul Damico, former President and CEO of Round Table Pizza, appearing on the show. Read More.

Watch the Episode.

FEDERAL UPDATES

Nonprofit Coalition Urges Passage of ERTC Bill

The Association joined 42 other small businesses and nonprofit organizations yesterday in submitting a coalition letter to congressional leaders, urging Congress to pass the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Reinstatement Act (H.R.6161/S.3625) as stand-alone legislation or in the upcoming spending package.

CDC Issues New Guidelines for COVID-19 Risk Levels

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated last week its framework to monitor the level of COVID-19 in communities. CDC will regularly update its county-by-county risk map to aid in making sound safety decisions. Access to the data can be found here. Restaurants should use this information in combination with any local requirements to determine their own safety protocols for both employees and guests.

FREE SERVSAFE COURSE

Tune In Facebook Live March 8: ERTC Issues Just a Click Away

Join us on Tuesday, March 8th at 11AM for an ERTC FAQ Session with the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Healthcare and Tax Policy Aaron Frazier. As restaurant operators begin considering their tax filings for the 2021 fiscal year, Frazier will answer some FAQs about ERTC tax implications and provide the latest on the ERTC reinstatement bill. Join the Discussion.

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD!

High Schools Can Win $5,000 from The Rachael Ray Foundation to Grow Culinary Arts and Restaurant Management Programs

The 2022 Rachael Ray Foundation ProStart Grow Grant program will provide $5,000 grants for up to 25 ProStart schools or schools with culinary arts programs that are looking to become a ProStart school. To-date, the program has provided $590,000 to schools that have demonstrated a strong need to engage and educate high school students interested in exploring restaurant and foodservice careers. Schools have from March 1-31, 2022, to submit applications for the current round of funds. Read More.