GRA Weekly

May 4, 2023

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner NCR | Aloha

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

In our continued efforts to raise awareness on the importance of mental health in our workforce, it is well known that restaurant industry employees have been especially impacted in the past few years by COVID-19, workforce shortages and economic uncertainty. Unfortunately, not all employees may have ready access to resources. A recent proclamation from the White House states that “[i]t takes an average of 11 years to get treatment after the onset of symptoms, and less than half of Americans struggling with mental illness ever receive the care they need.” Employers are keenly aware that employees are their greatest asset and continue to take steps to better address how to support them whether through expanding health benefits or offering employee assistance programs.

Throughout the month, we will feature resources and selected articles to further educate our readers on the importance of mental health. The Georgia Restaurant Association also has a webpage dedicated to free mental health resources to assist employers and employees.

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS

GRA Member Exclusive: Volunteering Opportunities

Help the Georgia Restaurant Association Foundation educate and train the youth of today to become the service industry professionals of tomorrow! We have a plethora of new options for current GRA members to volunteer with ProStart and our high school outreach programs. We have created a survey for members to indicate which area(s) they would like to participate. We are currently working on developing programming for the 2023-2024 school year. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katie Ashley, Foundation Programs Manager. Sign up here.

NATIONAL PROSTART INVITATIONAL

Jennifer Pacheco, '22 ProStart Student of the year and now, 2x NPSI participant:

On Tuesday, May 2, 2023, begins the National Prostart Invitational in Washington D.C. Jennifer Pacheco, Beila Rivas, Emani Zackpah, Jhnair Brown, and Evan Ramos will be representing the state of Georgia in the Prostart management competition this year. We have been preparing for this competition for five months now, double and triple checking as we go. For the competition, teams have to pitch an imaginary restaurant idea in a written proposal. We dedicated many hours to making our proposal including floorplans, interior design, marketing tactics, recipes, the menu, and more. We had fun playing around with colors and sharing ideas. We’ll be competing against a lot more teams at nationals that we competed against at state. Emani and I represented Georgia with our team last year at the National Prostart Invitational last year and we are excited to be competing again this year. Because we have kind of an idea of what to expect for the competition, we have been able to prepare our team better. I have even improved on my portion of the proposal for this year’s competition. We have bonded with our new team members this year through this competition and have sparked the competitor in them. With the support of our instructors Chef Belinda Delvasto and Amanda Williams as well as the Georgia restaurant association, Georgia Prostart association, and Maxwell High School of Technology, we have been able to make this trip possible.

The NPSI competition won’t be all work though as we’ll have a lot of fun activities there. They have an expo with many different companies and colleges including big names like the Culinary Institute of America. They even have a booth where students can get headshots taken which I will definitely be doing this year. A few of my team members have never been to Washington D.C before so we’ll be touring the major landmarks during our stay. With most of both teams being seniors, this is definitely what we needed with all the stress about college and ending high school. We get to network with new people from all over the country and make new friends. That was my favorite part of the competition last year at least. I still keep in touch with some of my friends that I met in Washington. NPSI really is a memorable experience. I got to see my instructors and friends in a new light and my family got to see me in action. When my team and I aren’t competing, we’ll be able to watch the Prostart culinary competition and watch the teams compete. Of course we’ll be rooting for the Georgia Prostart culinary team this year representing Berkmar High School. We are so excited to see what delicious dishes they create.

Overall my team and I are anxious but thrilled to be going on this new adventure. Can’t wait to show what we got.

Wish us luck!

~ Jennifer Pacheco

STATE + LOCAL NEWS

Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Tax Credit

Beginning January 1, 2023, fueling equipment for natural gas, propane, hydrogen, electricity, E85, or diesel fuel blends containing a minimum of 20% biodiesel, is eligible for a tax credit of 30% of the cost or 6% in the case of property subject to depreciation, not to exceed $100,000. Eligible projects that meet prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements may be eligible to receive the full 30% tax credit, regardless of depreciation status. Permitting and inspection fees are not included in covered expenses. Please contact Scott Bierman for more information.

Proposed Single-Use Plastics Ban in South Fulton.

Early last week, an ordinance to enforce a ban on certain single-use plastics was introduced to the South Fulton City Council. The bill’s author, Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs (District 2), successfully passed a ban on single-use plastic products back in 2020, but the ban was not enforced by city officials. Councilmember Gumbs hopes to enforce the ban through the City Department of Code Enforcement by establishing progressive fines for non compliant businesses, starting at $50 for the first violation and up to $1000 for the fourth violation. Beginning May 1, 2024, all affected businesses will be required to offer alternative, biodegradable, or recycled products in lieu of single-use plastic - or be subjected to the fines above.

Atlanta City Council Votes to Extend Hours for Sale of Alcoholic Beverages on Memorial Day

The Atlanta City Council periodically amends the Code of Ordinances to allow an extension of allowable hours for alcoholic beverage sales in anticipation of city-wide events, festivals, or holidays. On Monday, May 1st, the Council unanimously adopted ordinance 22-O-1197, which will permit establishments with a valid alcoholic beverage license to extend hours of operation on Memorial Day 2023. Participating businesses will be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages on Sunday, May 28th until 2:30AM on the morning of Monday, May 29, 2023 (previously 12:00AM); all patrons must be cleared of the premises 30 minutes after the closing time.

RESTAURANT SHOW

GRA Member Benefit: Claim Your FREE Badge for the National Restaurant Association Show

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with your peers in foodservice at the culinary destination of the year! As the world’s most influential showcase of foodservice innovation, the National Restaurant Association Show is a must-attend event for every member of the industry. Plus, as a dual member of the Georgia Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association your company is eligible for one complimentary badge to attend.

To claim your complimentary badge: email restaurant@maritz.com or call (864) 699-6435.

TRENDS + INNOVATION IN QSR

Evolution of the drive-thru experience: Trends and innovation in the quick service space

Drive-thrus have been a staple for quick service restaurants for decades. In fact, the first true drive-thru restaurant was built in 1947 on Route 66, although several other restaurant brands claim the title as well. Although the drive-thru experience has certainly evolved since then, the foundational goals remain the same: increase speed of service and deliver a convenient experience for your guests.

In the past few years, we’ve seen drive-thru traffic increase by 10-20% for many high-volume QSRs. As consumers become more and more tech savvy, restaurant brands are looking for ways to enhance the drive-thru experience. But the challenges for the industry remain: how do you improve the experience without disrupting it for the consumer while also adding valuable pieces of technology? How do you leave an impression with a customer when the goal remains to get them thru the line and on their way quickly? How do you maintain a level of personalization without slowing down the line? Continue reading.

FEDERAL UPDATES

FLSA + FMLA Poster Updates

Source: US DOL Wage and Hour DivisionEffective

May 2, 2023, the U.S. Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division has published updated Fair Labor Standards Act and Family and Medical Leave Act posters. FREE copies may be downloaded directly from US DOL WHD + EEOC for posting in your establishment.

Updates include:

Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) poster – To reflect the amendment of the PUMP Act to the FLSA, the required FLSA poster has been updated to include Pump At Work information for employee awareness.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) poster – 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the FMLA as law! This updated FMLA poster revises language to provide FMLA information in a way that puts workers’ questions and experiences first.

Keep in Mind: The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is in the process of updating its “Know Your Rights” poster to address the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act, which goes into effect on June 27, 2023. For covered employers that purchase an all-in-one poster from third party vendors, you may wish to defer purchasing a new vendor-created poster until after the EEOC releases its updated poster in June 2023 and, in the interim, print and post the free versions of the FLSA and FMLA posters from the WHD website.Relevant links:

WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONFERENCE

National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference

GRA members, join us on our annual trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference (June 19-21).

Our Government Affairs team will be there to guide you during this fantastic conference as well as on Capitol Hill to speak to Georgia members of Congress about the many issues facing restaurants.

For more information and to register.

MEDICAID REDETERMINATION

Medicaid Redetermination

Some of your team members may lose Medicaid coverage over the next 12 months. Make sure they stay covered by sharing our free service with them. Your team can enroll in health insurance plans easily over the phone, and will get access to their maximum federal subsidies and most reasonably priced plans.

Email hospitalityhealth@uhg.com for more information and free promotional materials. No employer contribution; simply post our free flyers.