GRA Weekly | September 5, 2021

GRA Weekly

September 5, 2021

This week's newsletter is brought to you by Georgia Power.

STATE OF THE INDUSTRY

2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Mid-Year Update

The National Restaurant Association released the Mid-Year State of the Industry Update, which is a supplement to the annual SOI. Click here to download the free report.

The sales forecast has been revised up to $789 billion in 2021, an increase of $57.5 billion compared to the January 2021 SOI forecast. The increase reflects strong sales gains in the first seven months of the year.

Below are key findings from the report:

Food and beverage sales in the restaurant and foodservice industry are projected to total $789 billion in 2021, up 19.7% from 2020.
Despite a steady trend of job creation in the first half of the year, eating and drinking places are still nearly 1 million jobs, or 8%, below pre-pandemic employment levels and the restaurants and accommodations sector have one of the highest levels of unfilled job openings of any industry.
As of June 2021, 39 states and the District of Columbia had reopened to 100% indoor dining capacity; 11 states and Puerto Rico are open at varying capacities ranging from 50% to 80%.
Six in 10 adults have changed their restaurant use due to the rise in the delta variant.

PROTECTING THE SMALL BUSINESS TAX DEDUCTION

NATIONAL FOOD SAFETY MONTH

National Food Safety Month | Week 2

September is National Food Safety Month! Each week, the GRA, the National Restaurant Association, and ServSafe are offering free educational materials for owners and operators, restaurant employees, including access to posters, pre-shift activity sheets, webinars, and more. Follow along on social with #NFSM2021 or visit www.FoodSafetyFocus.com for access to free educational content all month long.

Enjoy a 20% discount on ServSafe products all month long using code ServSafe20.

GRA EXCLUSIVE WEBINAR

GRA Exclusive Webinar: Consumer Insights for a Post-COVID World

Please join us Thursday, September 23rd at 2:00PM, for a GRA Exclusive Webinar: Consumer Insights for a Post-COVID World, presented by Lisa Pinkston, Director of Customer Growth, The Coca-Cola Company. Dial-in or watch live via Zoom for a conversation about consumer behaviors and expectations in the restaurant industry and the evolution of value in our new reality.

Thursday, September 23rd | 2:00PM - 3:00PM

EIDL EXPANSION

Expansion of EIDL Program Would Bring More Relief to Restaurants

While we continue to push for Congress to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), we’ve been working to identify other avenues for relief to pandemic-related revenue loss. Our partners at the National Restaurant Association have engaged the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to expand its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program which was created to help small businesses struggling to cover business operations. If the program expands, more restaurants would qualify for loans; amounts for loans would be higher; and the funds could be used to offset previous commercial/private debt. For more information on how you can benefit from the EIDL program, check out this webinar led by the Association earlier this summer and a group letter urging SBA Administrator Guzman to adopt changes to the EIDL program.

ENERGY STAR®

Lower your energy use with electric griddles

According to energystar.gov, ENERGY STAR® certified electric griddles are 11% more energy efficient than standard models and can save you an average of $1,380 on utility bills over the product’s lifetime. But they also bring additional perks to the kitchen such as more even heat distribution over the griddle surface and fast recovery times. This provides greater productivity and a more consistent product during rush times. Connect with your foodservice equipment distributor or contact us at 1-877-310-5607 to learn more.

RIGHTING YOUR SHIP IN A POST-COVID WORLD

Restaurateurs and retailers, managing your debt can seem like a daunting task, but one of the great truths in business is that everything is negotiable. Even when the price or terms of something seem set in stone, negotiation is often as easy as knowing who to ask and how to ask for it.

Join Burr & Forman LLP, Aprio, and the Georgia Restaurant Association on Thursday, September 9 at 10:00AM, for a webinar on strategies to provide you with financial relief. You’ll get actionable advice on debt restructuring, lease and vendor negotiations, and bankruptcy.

Thursday, September 9, 2021 | 10:00AM

EMPLOYEE VACCINE STATUS

Requiring Employee Vaccine Status Self-Attestation? Here’s How to Do It Right

If your company is considering a vaccine self-attestation policy (i.e., asking employees to inform the company of their vaccine status), you need to comply with HIPAA and other laws. Here’s how to approach this policy fairly and lawfully. Read More.

EMPLOYEE RECRUITING

Creative employee recruiting techniques that work

Finding high-caliber employees requires high-caliber recruiting techniques. Get creative like these businesses — and work smarter, not harder — to find the candidates you’re looking for. Read More.