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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Welcome New VRLTA Members & Thank You Renewing Members
The following organizations became VRLTA members in February. Welcome!
Restaurants:
- Rangoli Restaurant, Manassas
- Smokin Willy, Pucellville
- Maison Cheryl (opening in mid-2021), Arlington
- Happy Highs LLC T/A High's Restaurant, Monterey
- JJ’s Grill, Glen Allen
- Lee’s Restaurant, Kilmarnock
- The Shebeen Pub & Braai, Charlottesville
- Second Street Bistro, Williamsburg
Lodging:
- Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg
- Westin Washington Dulles Airport Hotel, Herndon
- TownePlace Suites Suffolk Chesapeake
- Courtyard-Suffolk Chesapeake
- Berkeley Hotel, Richmond
- Courtyard Virginia Beach Oceanfront/ South 25th Street
- Courtyard by Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront/North 37th Street
Partners:
- DoorDash- Platinum Partner
- Smithfield Culinary – Gold Partner
Suppliers:
- Imagine
- PineapplePayHR, a Payroll Network Company
- Mayflower Textile Services
The following organizations renewed their VRLTA membership in February.
Restaurants:
- International House of Pancakes
- Maya Charlottesville
- Old Original Bookbinders
- Tuskies Restaurant Group
- Fire Works Pizza – Cascades
- Fire Works Pizza – Courthouse
- Fire Works Pizza – Leesburg
- Magnolia’s at the Mill
- South Street Under
- Tuscarora Mill
- Sticky Rice
- Sedona Taphouse Restaurants
- Sedona Taphouse Charlottesville
- Sedona Taphouse Fredericksburg
- Sedona Taphouse Midlothian
- Sedona Taphouse Chantilly
- Sedona Taphouse Colonial Heights
- Sedona Taphouse Glen Allen
- Parterre
- SkateNation Plus
- Frank’s Trucking Center
Lodging:
- Courtyard Charlottesville-University Medical Center
- Residence Inn Manassas Battlefield Park
- Kingsmill Resort
- Quirk Charlottesville
- Richmond Marriott Short Pump
- VSA Resort – The Atrium Resort
- Hyatt House Virginia Beach
Supplier:
DMO/CVB:
- Hampton CVB
- Harrisonburg-Rockingham Chamber of Commerce
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Federal Update: Relief Bill in Senate
The Senate is still working on the $1.9 trillion stimulus bill, hoping to pass it by March 14, when increased federal unemployment benefits run out. For the latest, see the following:
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Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) Info
Eligible businesses can now access ERTC for both 2020 and 2021 for eligible employee wages as long as these specific payroll wages and/or group benefits were not directly paid with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan funds. Employers can access up to $5,000 per employee for a calendar quarter in 2020, and up to $7,000 per employee and per quarter for January 1 – March 31 and April 1 – June 30, 2021.
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Grant Opportunities
- 2021 FedEx Small Business Grant Contest - applications now open. Entries close March 9, 2021. Grand prize is $50,000. Learn more here.
- Bowstern Project Mayday - an agency running a contest for CVBs/DMOs/localities for a free year in marketing services (up to $250,000). Deadline is March 31, and it's a super short application! Learn more here.
- The Stavros Niarchos Foundation Small Business Growth & Recovery Fund Initiative's mission is to help U.S. small businesses, especially those owned by people of color, women, and veterans as well as those in lower-income communities, find their footing in a challenging economic landscape. Grants up to $20,000 each. Deadline is March 19. Learn more here.
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U.S. Travel Association Updates Health and Safety Guidance
U.S. Travel recently updated its “Travel in the New Normal” health and safety guidance— developed in concert with medical experts and implemented widely across all sectors of the travel industry—to reflect the current situation in the U.S. Notably, U.S. Travel is recommending that all Americans get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as it is available to them. Learn more here.
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Share Your Story with the NRA
As we approach the one-year anniversary of the date the first local government shut down indoor dining, we've seen over 110,000 restaurants shut their doors; over 2 million restaurant workers are still without an industry job.
We need to ensure that the needs of restaurants stay front-and-center with policymakers. The NRA is asking restaurants to SHARE YOUR STORY through a short video testimonial. They've set up a web page where you can get ideas on what to talk about and record yourself - it's so easy! Share your story here.
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Mark Your Calendar!
- March 8, 1 p.m. & 4 p.m. - AHLA Forward Thinking Webinar Series: Celebrate International Women's Day with Inspiring Stories from Leading Female Hotel Executives. Learn more and register here.
- March 10, 10 a.m. - VRLTA Webinar Wednesday: Post Legislative Session Recap. Register here.
- March 15 and March 17 - U.S. Travel Association Destination Capital Hill Virtual Legislative Day. More information and registration here.
- March 16, 10 a.m. - VRLTA Richmond Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting. Register here.
- March 16, 4 p.m. - VRLTA Shenandoah Valley Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting. Register here.
- March 18, 3 p.m. - VRLTA Fairfax - Loudoun Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting: Being an Industry of Inclusion: Understanding Unconscious Bias in the Workplace. Register here.
- March 19, 10 a.m. - VRLTA Bull Run Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting: Being an Industry of Inclusion: Understanding Unconscious Bias in the Workplace. Register here.
- March 22, 1 p.m. - VRLTA Arlington-Alexandria Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting: Being an Industry of Inclusion: Understanding Unconscious Bias in the Workplace. Register here.
- March 24, 1 p.m. - VRLTA Webinar Wednesday: The Post Pandemic Workplace: An HR and Employment Law Prospective. Register here.
- March 24, 4 p.m. - VRLTA Charlottesville Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting. Register here.
- March 25, 10 a.m. - VRLTA Norfolk Chapter Virtual Chapter Meeting. Register here.
- April 14, 1-4 p.m. - AHLA Virtual Safety Summit. Free for AHLA members. Learn more and register here.
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April 28-29 - 8th Annual Virginia Green Travel Conference & Travel Star Awards. Learn more and register here.
Other Webinar Resources...
- Past VRLTA webinars can be seen here.
- National Restaurant Association on-demand webinars on a variety of topics can be found here.
- AHLA also has many on-demand webinars for members. Find them here.
- The Restaurant Law Center has free webinars on demand here.
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Monthly Government Affairs Zoom TODAY at 2 p.m.
Join us today at 2 p.m. on Zoom for our monthly call. The next call will be Friday, April 2.
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VRLTA Job Board: FREE Listings for VRLTA Members
Have you posted a job on VRLTA's job board, focused specifically on our industry? Employers can list hospitality and tourism jobs, and VRLTA members get unlimited listings for free (choose 30, 60 or 90 days - up to $100 value for each listing!). A 30-day listing for nonmembers is just $50. Job seekers can search jobs statewide and post their resume in the resume bank.
Let VRLTA help your business during this challenging time with a job board focused just on hospitality and tourism jobs. Take advantage of your membership and get free listings through the end of the year. There's no cost or risk to members - why not give it a try? Want to list a position? It's SO easy...click here to learn more.
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Looking for ServSafe Training?
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Congratulations!
Congratulations are in order for VRLTA's own Kristen Karrfalt, who has been with the Association for six years! Kristen focuses her efforts on Northern Virginia, supporting our members, finding new members, and managing the Arlington-Alexandria, Fairfax-Loudoun, and Bull Run Chapters. Reach out to congratulate her at kristen@vrlta.org. |
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NRA 2021 Show Has Been Cancelled
The National Restaurant Association Show scheduled for May 22-25, 2021 has been cancelled due to the ongoing impact of COVID-19 and current gathering restrictions. If you were registered, you should have received a letter from Winsight Exhibitions earlier this week. If you paid the registration fee to attend (for example, for extra badges over your free member ticket), you can apply their registration to the 2022 Show or request a refund HERE - you must make this selection by March 19, 2021. If you booked your hotel through the show's housing partner, onPeak, it will be cancelled automatically. If you reserved your room through another service, we suggest that you contact your hotel personnel right away in order to avoid penalties.
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Restaurant Employee Mary Garriques Pens Opinion Piece on the Tipped Wage for Richmond Times-Dispatch
Long-time restaurant employee Mary Garriques was recently featured in the Richmond Times-Dispatch with an opinion piece on how employees view the minimum wage - tipped wage debate. Read the article here. |
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Want to be featured on Member Monday?
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Vaccine Update: VDH Vaccination Pre-Registration Site
The Virginia Department of Health launched a centralized pre-registration site for vaccines, at vaccinate.virginia.gov. VRLTA is encouraging ALL INDIVIDUALS to sign up now to get updates and help VDH plan for vaccination efforts. If you have already registered with your local health department or previously with VDH, your registration should have transferred over. Once you are pre-registered, you'll receive updates on vaccine availability and timing. Find the VDH's general information page here.
The phases for the vaccine are:
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1a includes healthcare personnel and residents of long-term care facilities
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1b includes frontline essential workers, persons aged 75 years+, and people living in correctional facilities, homeless shelters and migrant labor camps. Some food and agriculture workers are included in this group.
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1c includes other essential workers, people aged 65 - 74 years, and people aged 16 - 64 years with a high-risk medical condition or disability that increases their risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Food service workers are included in this group.
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More details on essential workers can be found here.
VRLTA is continuing to communicate with the VDH to plan for a coordinated rollout to food service workers and advocate for other workers in the hospitality and tourism sectors.
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Additional Virginia Department of Health COVID Resources
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