GRA Weekly

June 16, 2022

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

CONGRATULATIONS!

Congratulations to our Georgia 2022 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Winners:

Outstanding Chef: Mashama Bailey, the Grey, Savannah, Georgia
America’s Classics: The Busy Bee Cafe, Atlanta

Here are the winners of the 2022 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards. Congrats to all!

ARE YOU PREPARED?

Atlantic Hurricane Season

June 1 marks the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season, which has already been predicted to be above average.The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced that 2022 will be the seventh consecutive year of an above-normal season. Hurricane season lasts until November 30.

More information and best practices for the restaurant industry during severe weather can be found on our website.

FEDERAL UPDATES

DOL Announces Public Forums on Independent Contractor Regulations

On June 3, the Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division announced that it is reviewing regulations addressing the distinction between an employee and an independent contractor under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). DOL plans to engage in new rulemaking on this issue and seeks public feedback. Advocacy seeks feedback on the impact of potential changes to these regulations on small businesses. Employer Forum: June 24, 2022, from 2:30 – 4:30PM. RSVP here.

OSHA Comment Period on Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses is Open

OSHA is proposing to amend its occupational injury and illness recordkeeping regulation to require certain employers to electronically submit injury and illness information to OSHA that employers are already required to keep under the recordkeeping regulation.

The comment period is open until June 30, 2022. Get more information and comment here.

STATE + LOCAL NEWS

Reminder: Early Voting for June 21 Run-off Starts Monday

Early voting for the June 21 Run-off starts on Monday, June 13 thru Friday, June 17. There a few Congressional Districts and Statewide party nominations yet to be decided. You can visit MyVoterPage to find your closest voting precinct and hours.

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

The Georgia Department of Revenue has posted the upcoming quarterly sales and use tax rate changes.

Counties with S&U tax changes include: Calhoun, Haralson and Pike.Please visit the Department's website to view current, historical, and upcoming sales and use tax rate charts.

FOOD WASTE INNOVATIONS EVENT

Fire Prevention Best Practices for Solid Fuel Cooking Operations

Join Society Insurance on Tuesday, June 21 at 11 am for a webinar on Fire Prevention Best Practices for Solid Fuel Cooking Operations. Solid fuel cooking has been an up-and-coming trend for many new restaurants because it’s a tasty way to prepare food. While this cooking method yields different and interesting flavors, it also carries with it increased safety risks. This webinar will discuss the hazards of solid fuel cooking, controls to minimize those hazards, and requirements of NFPA 96 related to solid fuel cooking.

Tuesday, June 21 | 11AM EST

AL FRESCO DINING SIMPLIFIED

What You Need to Know About StreetDeck Parklets

There’s no sugar coating it, the pandemic has been a train wreck for the restaurant industry. We’ve had to come together and adapt in ways that we could never foresee. Today we can look back and see that our resilience has led to some beautiful metamorphoses that have forever changed the way our customers experience our food – one such butterfly is al fresco dining on raised, self-contained platforms called parklets.

If you’ve driven through College Park in the past 8 months you probably have noticed the 86’ streatery occupying 7 parking spaces just outside of Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen, The Real Milk and Honey, and Johnny’s Chicken and Waffles. This is an example of a StreetDeck modular deck system designed by Archatrak Inc. and it may be the most expansive parklet in the country to date. Continue reading.