GRA Weekly

December 1, 2022

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner Healthy Hospitality.

AFFORDABLE HEALTH INSURANCE

Open enrollment is now through January 2023.

Don’t miss the chance to pass along this free service to your employees. Multilingual agents will help your employees find the right coverage, help them access any subsidies that are available to them, and sign them up right over the phone. This service is free for GRA members. Call 1-844-759-0642 or visit: Georgia Restaurant Association | Hospitality-Health.com to get started.

Get Started Today!

SAVE ON ELECTRIC RATES!

The Time to Save on Electricity Costs is Today

The Georgia Restaurant Association fought hard for restaurants to have access to a rate that was previously only available to large, multi-unit chains. If you are a restaurant that uses Georgia Power, identifies as 722 in NAICS, and meet the actual peak demand requirement of not less than 30 kW, then you should reach out and ask about switching to the TOU-FD. We have heard testimonies from independent restaurants from across the state reporting an average savings of 10%-15% on their power bill.

You may contact Georgia Power’s Business Solutions Center directly at 1-888-655-5888. If you have any questions, you can contact us and we are happy to assist to the best of our ability or connect you with a trusted partner.

Background: Every 3 years, the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) holds hearings regarding the electricity rates suggested by Georgia Power. In 2019, the Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) filed a rate case with the PSC against Georgia Power. There are over 80 different electricity rates. Restaurants and other medium businesses pay more for a unit of electricity than residential consumers and large manufacturers. Prior to 2020, large chains and franchises paid less for a unit of electricity than an independent restaurateur. The GRA successfully petitioned opened 3,000 slots for any restaurant filed as 722 of the NAICS to have access to the lower rate. The new rate is called Time of Use Food and Drink (TOU-FD).

GREEN LINE RATES

SUPPORT THE FUTURE

Did you know that you can generate donations while shopping, at no extra cost?

Simply start your shopping at smile.amazon.com/ch/85-0672071 to confirm "Georgia Restaurant Association Foundation" as your charity of choice, and AmazonSmile will donate a portion of your eligible purchase price to our organization.

GRA ADVOCACY UPDATE

November Advocacy Recap

November was election month! Find current election results here. Please remember to vote in the Georgia Senate Runoff election on December 6 – find your polling place(s).

The State Senate Study Committee on Third Party Food Delivery Apps concluded on November 1st with a series of legislative action recommendations for the upcoming session. Read the full recap here.

Earlier in the month, the GRA Advocacy team networked with government agencies at the Georgia Regulatory Breakfast and represented the Georgia restaurant industry at the Council of State Restaurant Associations (CSRA) Fall Government Affairs Conference in Salt Lake City.

Want to get involved or learn more about the GRA’s legislative priorities? Please contact Scott Bierman.

CITY OF ATLANTA

Mayor Andre Dickens Announces $3.5 million Loan Program to Help Small Businesses Acquire Property

ATLANTA—Mayor Andre Dickens announced the launch of a new $3.5 million loan program to support local small businesses by building equity. Through the Atlanta Commercial Down Payment Assistance Loan Program (CDPA), Atlanta small businesses are eligible to apply for a direct loan of up to 20 percent of commercial property costs up to $200,000 to acquire commercial property. Read more.

FEDERAL UPDATES

U.S. DOL Wage & Hour Division | New H-2A Guidance

Do you employ temporary H-2A workers? The WHD recently published seven new fact sheets to provide general information about recruitment, notifications, records, meals, job hours, wages and housing. Learn more.

National Restaurant Association seeks Lame Duck action

With just weeks left in 2022, our national partner urged Congress to take action in the Lame Duck session to help reduce swipe fees, permanently restore depreciation and amortization, expedite the processing of Employee Retention Tax Credit filings, and avert a railway strike.

What this means for restaurants:

Our national partner continues to press Congress to help restaurants and their workers who have been under pressure from declining consumer confidence and inconsistent financial conditions for 3 consecutive holiday seasons.

Tell Congress to reinstate EBITDA

Our national partner is coordinating a sign-on letter with the National Association of Manufacturers to urge Congress to reinstate the Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) standard for business interest deductions. Join us in urging Congress to act on this by year’s end! Please sign onto the letter by Fri., Dec. 9, 2022. Contact Association VP, Public Policy Aaron Frazier for more information and check out the Association’s policy brief for more details on why EBITDA is so critical for restaurant growth.

What this means for restaurants: Restoring EBITDA will help restaurants manage rising interest rates and invest back in their businesses to spur growth in the short and long term. If Congress does not act by year’s end, the legislative process and any progress already made on this bill must start all over again in the 118th Congress.