GRA Weekly | August 1, 2021

GRA Weekly

August 1, 2021

This week's newsletter is brought to you by Imperial Dade

COVID UPDATE

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) added a recommendation for fully vaccinated people to wear a mask in public indoor settings in areas of substantial or high transmission. Governor Brian Kemp has publicly stated that “Georgia will not lock down or impose statewide mask mandates” and continues to urge everyone to get a vaccine. However, the City of Savannah and City of Atlanta have issued executive orders regarding masks and face coverings. We will continue to monitor and send alerts for any new local government executive orders that may be issued.

The Association is closely monitoring the impact of the CDC’s announcement this week that everyone—regardless of vaccination status—should return to wearing face coverings in certain regions with high levels of COVID-19 community spread. Several jurisdictions have already announced that they will mandate masks again, and we anticipate that others will in the coming days. If there is not a mandate in place, we believe the decision on masks should be left up to restaurant owners to determine what is best for their business as well as the health and safety of employees and guests and to clearly communicate that with them.

Larry Lynch, SVP of Science and Industry, said this about the changes:

“The National Restaurant Association COVID-19 Operating Guidance has continuously suggested that restaurant operators consider face coverings for both employees and guests when in close contact with one another. It has also been clear that operators should follow any mandates or requirements, including those on masks, from federal, state, and local health officials. The restaurant industry has always placed a focus on the health and safety of our workforce and our customers, and we strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated. We will continue to work with health officials, academics, and industry colleagues to provide best practices for all restaurants operating during the pandemic to support safe dining.”

Additional COVID-19 resources

The National Restaurant Association provides a best practices guide for all restaurants operating during the pandemic. We collaborate with safety experts from government organizations, academia, the public health sector, and corporations to bring operators the most up-to-date guidelines to support safe dining. The Operating Guidance was recently updated with the most recent OSHA guidance. You’ll find it on our website here.
The National Restaurant Association and ServSafe have a free COVID-19 Conflict De-escalation Training module that provides restaurant employees guidance on how to reduce tensions and promote a safe environment while maintaining the spirit of hospitality. The training provides specific actions employees can take to de-escalate difficult situations and provides solutions for handling conflict throughout all interactions.

CITY OF ATLANTA MASK MANDATE RENEWED

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms renews Executive Order for the City of Atlanta regarding masks and face coverings. This order applies to restaurants and other entities. In addition, a temporary moratorium on residential evictions and filings from the Atlanta Housing Authority, Atlanta Beltline Inc., Fulton County/City of Atlanta Land Bank Authority, Invest Atlanta, Partners for Home, and the City of Atlanta’s Department of Grants and Community Development starting August 1 and lasts for the duration of this Executive Order.

Masks are NOT required in the following circumstances:

In personal vehicles or upon residential property;
When a person is alone in enclosed spaces or only with other members of the same household;
When the individual has a bona fide religious objection to wearing a facial covering or mask;
While drinking or eating;
When a licensed healthcare provider has determined that wearing a facial covering or mask causes or aggravates a health condition for the individual or when such person has some other bona fide medical reason for not wearing a facial covering or mask;
When wearing a facial covering or mask would prevent the receipt of personal services or performing work in the course of employment;
When complying with the directions of a law enforcement officer or for the purposes of verifying a person’s identity, such as when purchasing alcohol, tobacco, or prescription drugs or when engaging in a financial transaction;
Children under the age of ten (10) years;
When the individual cannot don or remove a face mask or face covering without undue assistance;
At any polling place and no individual shall be denied ingress or egress to or from a polling place for failure to wear a facial covering or mask; and

According to the order, the enforcement will be:

A person will be first given a warning and chance to comply
If person does not comply, the first offense is $25 civil penalty and the second and subsequent offenses will be $50
Violations will not be issued to entity and shall not be taken against any owner, director, officer, or agent of an entity solely because of the failure of their customers to comply with this Order
Every reasonable effort should be made to bring person to voluntary compliance before notice of violation issued

You can read the full executive order and view all the exemptions listed here.

VACCINES | WE CAN DO THIS

Interested in hosting a vaccine clinic at no cost at your restaurant or business for your employees, their families and your guests? Send an email to GA DPH partner CORE (Community for Organized Relief Effort) to make arrangements.

Did you know? Eligible businesses that allow employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine can receive a tax credit.

Learn More.

PPP FORGIVENESS PORTAL

The SBA is launching a streamlined application portal to allow borrowers with Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under $150,000 through participating lenders to apply for forgiveness directly through the SBA. “With the new simplified application portal, thousands of Southeastern businesses, and even sole proprietorships that borrowed PPP funds will have these funds forgiven said Janita R. Stewart, Acting Regional Administrator for the Southeastern Region. Most entrepreneurs waiting for forgiveness have loans under $150,000. It was time we made the process more efficient so businesses can get back to sustaining our communities."

This new change will help rush relief to the Southeast’s smallest of small businesses, which has been the Administrator’s priority since day one. The new forgiveness platform will begin accepting applications from borrowers on August 4, 2021. Lenders are required to opt-in to this program through directforgiveness.sba.gov. In addition to the technology platform, the SBA is standing up a PPP customer service team to answer questions and directly assist borrowers with their forgiveness applications. Borrowers that need assistance or have questions should call (877) 552-2692, Monday – Friday, 8AM - 8PM EDT.

Learn More.

IMPERIAL DADE INNOVATIONS EXPO | ATLANTA

GRA Corporate Partner, Imperial Dade invites all GRA restaurants and foodservice operators to the Innovations Expo on Thursday, August 19 at the GICC. Walk through their catalog in person and see the latest innovations in takeout packaging, kitchen sanitation supplies, dish machines, restroom products, floor care systems, and more!

With over 100 exhibits you’ll be sure to find solutions that will help you save time and money, increase customer satisfaction, and create a healthy and safe dining experience. Admission and parking are free!

Thursday, August 19, 2021

RRF UPDATE

Republican Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO) recently introduced H.R. 4568 in the House Committee on Small Business. H.R. 4568, also known as "Entrepreneurs Need Timely Replenishment for Eating Establishments" (ENTRÉE Act), generally reflects the GOP’s preference for how to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). The RRF has helped many restaurants continue to work to keep lights on and provide jobs to their employees.

On July 9, the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) hosted a call between Congressman Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) and a group of restaurateurs. During this call, restaurateurs stressed how important and helpful the RRF was and requested the Congressman's support for replenishing funds into the RRF. Congressman Loudermilk heard our pleas and has officially signed on as a co-sponsor for the ENTRÉE Act. Our sincerest thanks for his continued support of our industry.

The GRA continues to urge Georgia's Delegation members to support this and other legislation that would provide additional funds to the RRF. See below for a summary of the ENTRÉE Act brief.

Download the Brief.

2021 MARKETING & OPERATIONS SUMMIT

FRLA’s Marketing + Operations Summit is back for the 9TH Annual premier Florida hospitality event. Bringing you leading industry trends, best practices, top-notch speakers and unparalleled networking, we’ve made sure there’s a seat for EVERYONE at our table. Join Florida’s most influential hospitality professionals and top-level executives. Click here for full agenda.

GRA members have been invited to attend using discount code ASSOCMOS21 to receive 50% off registration.

MESSAGE FROM GRA PRESIDENT + CEO

I want to share this letter that I was proud to join along with over 90 chief executive officers from companies and business associations representing the entire US and every major industry. It calls on Congress to quickly pass a law that will protect DACA recipients, known as Dreamers.

As you know, the GRA and National support comprehensive immigration reform including protections for Dreamers because we need immigrants to strengthen our workforce, our supply chain, and our communities. And we aren’t alone; research shows this is a very popular, bipartisan issue across America. Legislators from both parties in DC are currently exploring opportunities to protect Dreamers and create other legal pathways for immigrants to work in the US; we’ll be keeping a close eye on these efforts and continue to advocate for commonsense, pro-growth policies.

WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT

Take a Tax Break for Hiring the Unemployed

Did you know you could receive a tax break for hiring unemployed individuals? The Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) is a federal tax credit for hiring applicants from certain target groups who face significant barriers to employment—including individuals unemployed for 27 weeks or longer.

Get the FAQs.

5 SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS FOR YOUR BUSINESS

Searching for the latest social media trends for your business? There are plenty of ways to tap into the moment to set your business up for long-term social media success.

In 2020, social media was pretty much the only way small businesses could keep in touch with their customer base. As a result, small business owners became uber-focused on trending topics. What they saw was mostly divided into two trends: radical authenticity and pure escapism. Pure escapism led to short-term boosts in metrics, while radical authenticity helped those gains last and made followers more loyal.