In a Year of Loss, the Ohio Restaurant Association Supported Local Restaurants
with Wins Large and Small
The ORA continues to fight for the resources needed to rebuild the industry in 2021 and beyond
COLUMBUS, Ohio (March 22, 2021) – One year into the pandemic, the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) is commemorating the significant accomplishments both local and national that, in the face of enormous loss, supported Ohio’s restaurant industry and built a foundation for rebuilding in 2021. The accomplishments of the last year have been both large and small, providing access to a myriad of resources that restaurants of all types have used to survive and on which they can continue to rely for recovery.

“Restaurants are the cornerstone of every community, which is why the pandemic’s damage has been so personally felt across Ohio,” said John Barker, President & CEO of the ORA. “We were committed to standing next to local restaurants through this crisis. We worked closely with our partners at the National Restaurant Association, our Board of Directors and industry leaders to advocate with elected officials for relief programs, and our relentless efforts helped secure a variety of support for every Ohio restaurant.”

The ORA and the National Restaurant Association united the industry to be the voice of every restaurant in addressing its many needs at all levels of government. Together, we distributed training information, created operating guidance, communicated safety efforts to customers, and supported industry workers during the hardest days of the pandemic.
Top accomplishments include:

Conceiving the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund
The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) is based on the Senate version of the RESTAURANTS Act and the original plan posed by the National Restaurant Association in March 2020. This fund will help the hardest hit small and medium-sized restaurants kickstart their recovery. The ORA is committed to preparing all eligible restaurant owners to successfully apply for RRF grants and continues to argue for eligibility for small and mid-sized restaurants groups, not just those under 20 units.  
 
Securing access to $72+ billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans
At a time when restaurants were most in need of capital, the ORA partnered with the National Restaurant Association to secure expanded access to forgivable loans on two occasions and to refine the program with the Flexibility Act to meet the specific needs of restaurants.
 
Designing free COVID-19 ServSafe training modules
The safety experts from the Association’s ServSafe training program stepped in to create much needed COVID-19 training. The free courses have been accessed more than 1.3 million times.
 
Establishing a $21.5 million Restaurant Employee Relief Fund and the Ohio Restaurant Employee Relief Fund
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation partnered with celebrity chef Guy Fieri to establish the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund (RERF), which provided grants to more than 43,000 restaurant workers. In Ohio, we also created the Employee Relief Fund and raised nearly $500,000 to provide grants to furloughed workers in need. The fund continues to raise funds and make grants. 
 
Creating the first COVID-19 operating guidance for all restaurants
The Association’s ServSafe training teams stepped up to provide restaurants of all sizes with pandemic operating best practices. The Guidance continues to be updated as new science-based information becomes available. In our state, we created the Ohio Restaurant Promise, which formed a bond for safety between employees and guests.
 
Ordering up cocktails to-go
The ORA and the National Restaurant Association worked to secure this lifeline in 32 states and D.C. – including Ohio. It was the most significant change to alcohol laws since Prohibition.
 
Increased consumer confidence in on-premises dining with a national TV campaign
The ORA partnered with the National Restaurant Association on its first consumer ad campaign welcoming diners back to their favorite local restaurants, highlighting the health and safety practices operators and employees are implementing. And, we introduced our “Take Your Bubble Out to Eat” campaign early in 2021.  

Educating with the ServSafe Dining Commitment
Consumers in Ohio can look for the ServSafe Dining Commitment logo to know that the restaurant is committed to the program’s health and safety best practices and adhering to operating guidance. This was an excellent complement to the Dine Safe Ohio requirements and guidelines, which the ORA helped author.
 
Saving restaurants $15.7 billion with PPP deductibility
Restaurant operators who used their PPP loans to pay qualified expenses didn’t have to worry about surprise federal tax bills because the ORA and the National Restaurant Association got this loophole fixed.
 
Expanding ERTC to support employment 
The ORA advocated with elected leaders – and with the NRA at the national level – for unemployment benefits. Additionally, Employee Retention Tax Credits (ERTC) are key tax benefits used by many restaurants. Because of a change pursued by the ORA and the National Restaurant Association, restaurants can now receive up to $19,000 per eligible employee in ERTC across 2020 and 2021.

Securing state and local grants
The ORA has worked with Mayors and City Council leaders to help secure grants and low-interest loans to help business survive the pandemic and reopen. 

Capping 3rd-party delivery fees
The ORA worked with Mayors and City Council leaders in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus and Akron to cap fees for third-party delivery, and we continue to work on this in other Ohio cities.

Opening downtowns for on-street and sidewalk dining and DORAs
The ORA worked with local officials to encourage opening more outdoor dining and designated outdoor refreshment areas.

“We’ve lost 110,000 restaurants nationwide to the pandemic so far, but the combined efforts of the innovative and hard-working restaurant owners and employees in every community, along with these many accomplishments, may have kept our losses from being far greater,” said Tom Bené, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “While we don’t expect the industry to fully recover this year, the Association and our state restaurant association partners will continue to aggressively pursue the necessary resources to rebuild the industry. Restaurants are an essential part of all our lives, and in the coming year we look forward to welcoming friends and families back to our tables.”

The latest information about how Ohio restaurants are rebuilding is updated regularly on our website.
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About the Ohio Restaurant Association
 
For 100 years, the Ohio Restaurant Association (ORA) has proudly served Ohio's restaurant and foodservice industry, with their members always being their number one priority. Founded on thought leadership and focused on finding sound business solutions for their members, the ORA offers advocacy and education, events and programs. For more information, visit ohiorestaurant.org.
 
About the National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.6 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.
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Homa Moheimani
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