GRA Weekly

October 26, 2023

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, US Foods

WE NEED YOUR VOTE: 2023 PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARDS

We Need Your Vote: 2023 People's Choice Awards

Voting is now open for the 2023 "Georgia on My Mind" People's Choice Awards! Vote for your favorites in the following categories:

Favorite Neighborhood Hangout

Favorite Born and Raised Beverage

Favorite Eatertainment Experience

Uniquely Georgia Restaurant

Voting is open until Monday, November 6 - and you can vote as many times as you like! Winners in all categories will be honored at the GRACE Awards Gala on November 30 at the Georgia Aquarium. To learn more about the GRACE Awards Gala or to purchase tickets, visit https://www.garestaurants.org/grace.

SUBMIT YOUR VOTE

IT'S OFFICIAL - ATLANTA'S MICHELIN GUIDE IS HERE!

It’s Official - Atlanta’s Michelin Guide is Here!

The Georgia Restaurant Association is thrilled to extend heartfelt congratulations to Atlanta’s very first Michelin Guide class! Thanks to years of dedication and commitment from the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Atlanta joins just five other regions in the United States to receive this prestigious accolade - securing the city's status as a global destination. All award recipients were honored on Tuesday, October 25 at the Rialto Center in Downtown Atlanta. Get to know them here.

GRA FOUNDATION UPDATE

GRA Foundation's ProStart Educator Bootcamp Unites Educators for Scholarship and Mentorship

On Friday, October 20, the Georgia Restaurant Association Foundation (GRAF) hosted the ProStart Educator Bootcamp. The bootcamp, held at Ted's Montana Grill, brought together 15 passionate educators from 14 schools across the state of Georgia to explore scholarship, mentorship, and training opportunities within the ProStart program, a pivotal initiative for culinary education in Georgia. Keep reading.

GRA ADVOCACY UPDATE

GRA Attends Senate Workforce Study Committee in Dalton

On Thursday, Scott Bierman and Dedan McFadden attended the fifth meeting of the Senate Study Committee on Expanding Georgia’s Workforce in Dalton. The goal of the committee is to examine current practices, pilot programs, public-private partnerships, and initiatives regarding workforce development across Georgia. As Georgia continues to grow, it is clear amongst all industries that the number one hurdle moving forward is finding a skilled labor force to meet the needs of businesses and consumers. Following the final meeting at the Georgia State Capitol on November 14, the committee will present its findings and potentially adopt recommendations for proposed legislation. We will continue to provide updates as we work towards finding solutions to today’s labor challenges.

DOR Centralized Alcohol Licensing Portal Update

The Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) plans to improve to the Centralized Alcohol Licensing Portal (ALP) to create a more streamlined process between licensees, municipalities, and the state. Starting Wednesday, November 1, DOR will require all jurisdictions within Georgia to use the portal and is offering to help local governments with the implementation. Additionally, DOR is changing the background check process to only require a one-time background check and fingerprinting for those registering within the system.

GRA Hosts Whiskey Wednesday

On October 18, we held our Whiskey Wednesday PAC fundraising event at HOBNOB in Dunwoody. Attendees from the restaurant industry gathered to network, enjoy a guided whiskey tasting from Bardstown Bourbon, and bid on rare bottles in a silent auction. Thank you everyone who attended, we raised just over $11,000 for the Georgia Restaurant Association Political Action Committee! Your support reaches candidates who will advance a pro-restaurant and pro-business legislative agenda, fight onerous legislation, and address the issues that are most important our industry.

IT'S TIME TO GET ON TIK TOK

It's Time to Get on TikTok

Restaurants can benefit from TikTok’s platform because it’s designed to be visual. As culinary providers know, customers eat with their eyes first. Showcasing short-form videos of food preparation, composed plates, and even quick food hacks can draw guests to your establishment through the power of video. What makes TikTok unique is that it is designed to furnish users with new content and accounts. Its algorithm studies what a user is watching and interacting with, then showcases recommendations based on data via a For Your Page. This, in turn, pushes users to discover new profiles they haven’t started following yet. For restaurants, this is a huge benefit, allowing them to get in front of users without a high marketing budget. Learn how to get started.

JOIN US AT THE 2023 GRACE AWARDS

Join Us at the 2023 GRACE Awards

You're invited to join us in an unforgettable evening of celebration at the 15th Annual Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Awa rds! Raise a toast to the stars of Georgia's restaurant industry, mingle with industry icons, enjoy a dinner prepared by world-renowned Wolfgang Puck Catering, choose from a curated drink menu, and celebrate excellence in hospitality against the stunning backdrop of the Georgia Aquarium.

Thursday, November 30, 2023

Cocktail Reception | 5:00PM

Dinner + Awards | 6:30PM

Georgia Aquarium

255 Baker Street NW

Atlanta, GA 30313

Thank you to all who submitted nominations. Finalists for all categories will be announced early next week. Interested in sponsoring the event? Please contact Sarah Thorson.

GET TICKETS

FEDERAL UPDATE

New opportunity for employers to withdraw problematic tax claims

Last week, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced a special withdrawal process to help taxpayers who filed an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claim and are concerned about its accuracy.

What this means: The IRS is offering an option for taxpayers who filed for an ERC refund and would now like to withdraw the claim to avoid getting a refund for which they're ineligible. Claims that are withdrawn will be treated as if they were never filed. The IRS will not impose penalties or interest.

Why this matters: Many small business owners were pressured or misled by ERC marketers into filing ineligible claims. This new process is designed to help those employers.

FTC Rulemaking on Pricing

On October 11, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a proposed rule on price transparency that could have major implications for restaurants.

What does this mean for restaurants? The proposed rule would:

Require menu prices to be inclusive of all mandatory fees including service charges and swipe fees, and
Require third-party delivery apps to list an all-in transaction cost (including delivery, service, and other fees), during menu section.

What’s our take? We do not believe the FTC has the authority to tell restaurants how to price and market their services. As long as fees are transparency, restaurants should have the ability to structure their prices in the way that works best for their business. Furthermore, requiring all-in pricing can actually be very confusing for consumers, for example in a third-party delivery situation where it may look as if a restaurant has raised their prices when really a consumer is paying higher third-party delivery fees.

Statement by National: “This proposed rule appears to be a scattershot plan that both attacks the restaurant business model and forces us to raise our prices. Small business restaurant owners create the economic engines of their local economies, which is why it is disappointing that this proposed rule appears to be a one-size-fits-all rule for businesses big and small. We’re still closely reviewing what the FTC has included about restaurants and analyzing the ways in which their proposal will fundamentally change the way restaurants do business so that we can provide appropriate comments on what we expect will be far-reaching impacts.”--Sean Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs, National Restaurant Association

What’s next? Comments will be due around December 18 (60 days after the rule is published in the federal register). We will be working with our National colleagues on our industry’s comments. Then we anticipate a final rule will be issued in late 2024, with implementation and potential legal challenges occurring in 2025.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD RECIPIENT

GRA Names 2023 GRACE Awards Lifetime Achievement Recipient

The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA) is thrilled to announce Robby Kukler as the recipient of the 2023 Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Lifetime Achievement Award. Kukler is the founder of Kukler Restaurant Advisors and co-founder of Fifth Group Restaurants. Kukler will receive his award on November 30, 2023, during the GRACE Awards gala at the Georgia Aquarium.

With an impressive career spanning nearly four decades, Kukler’s experience is rooted in building Fifth Group Restaurants (FGR), an Atlanta-based company with numerous casual fine dining concepts. Kukler currently serves as an advisor at the eponymous Kukler Restaurant Advisory (KRA). Read Robby's full bio here.

GRANT OPPORTUNITIES

Workforce Employee Retention Grant from Cobb Travel & Tourism

Cobb Travel & Tourism (CT&T) received approval by the Cobb County Board of Commissioners in January 2023 to administer an American Rescue Plan (ARPA) grant of $2,000,000 from Cobb County. The intention of this Hospitality & Tourism – Workforce Employee Retention Grant program is to help combat unemployment for four discrete and often overlooked areas of Cobb’s hospitality and tourism industries with their current workforce challenges: arts organizations, live entertainment venues, tourist attractions and craft beverage makers. Funding will be administered to benefit up to 100 organizations in two tranches to each awardee as a maximum grant allocation of $20,000 to be used for workforce recovery, recruitment, and retention. CT&T will require each company to sign a memorandum of agreement prior to receiving funds and to complete a survey series during the grant process. See if your restaurant qualifies.

Greg Hill Foundation x Restaurant Strong Fund

The Greg Hill Foundation’s Restaurant Strong Fund and Grubhub want to further aid small business restaurants by providing resources to enhance and sustain their business. To support single-location restaurants, The Restaurant Strong Fund will provide grants ranging from $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the need showcased in the application. The grant funds could include support in the following areas:

Updating technology + equipment
Marketing and PR services
Staff training programs
Staff incentivized wages
Maintenance of current infrastructure or new construction

Applications for the grants will be open from Monday, October 16 through Tuesday, October 31, 2023. All applications will be notified of status on Tuesday, November 28, 2023. See if your restaurant qualifies.

AFFORDABLE MENTAL HEALTH SOLUTIONS

Prioritizing Industry Wellbeing with GRA's Affordable Mental Health Solution

After enduring years of unprecedented challenges, the hospitality industry faces significant concerns about the wellbeing of its workforce. With over 70% of restaurant workers reporting high stress levels, and nearly one-third experiencing symptoms of depression, the need for comprehensive support is undeniable. In response, the GRA is proud to highlight HealthiestYou by Teladoc, a revolutionary solution designed to address these issues.

This partnership provides members with unlimited virtual medical and mental healthcare visits for employees and their households at an astonishingly low rate of $9 per month, with no additional costs like copays, deductibles, or coinsurance—far below the normal $49 monthly rate. Importantly, this offering is accessible to all foodservice businesses with two or more enrollees, extending to both full- and part-time employees.

By enrolling in this industry-specific initiative, you take an active step to ensure affordable mental and physical healthcare for your entire team. With a staggering 27 million untreated adults experiencing mental illness and an average wait time of 6 weeks for traditional appointments, HealthiestYou offers timely and convenient access to board-certified mental health professionals via phone or video, enabling members to seek help from the comfort of their chosen environment. Together, GRA and Teladoc aim to safeguard the wellbeing of every individual within the industry. To learn more, determine eligibility, and enroll, click here.

CASTING CALL: MY BEST CHEF

Casting Call: My Best Chef

We are excited to announce an open casting call for an all-new culinary competition series from the makers of Top Chef, called My Best Chef. Producers are looking for chefs with exceptional culinary skills that need guidance in other areas of service - including communication, delegation, organizational skills, etc. The series will feature culinary challenges incorporating these vital skills, while contestants are being coached by celebrity chefs. Contestants will compete for a grand cash prize and the bragging rights to being the season one winner.

How to Apply:

1. If you are the chef looking to compete and you are currently working in a brick and mortar restaurant, a regular pop up restaurant or a catering company, then you can apply at the following link: https://mybestchef.castingcrane.com (Private Chefs are currently not eligible)

2. If you want to nominate a chef who fits the description above, forward the application link to them, have them apply and list the Georgia Restaurant Association as the nominator.

Location and filming dates will be disclosed to the chosen contestants in 2024.

DINING WITH GRATITUDE

Dining with Gratitude All October

Calling all Georgia restaurants and food service establishments! This October, help Giving Kitchen (GK) raise critical funds and vital awareness by participating in Dining With Gratitude. The ask from GK is simple:

1) pledge at least $1,000 for food service workers in crisis through a direct donation or percentage of sales,

2) tell your staff about Giving Kitchen at lineup

3) in October, share with your customers you’re stepping up to support food services workers in crisis and invite them to dine with gratitude - they will send you a package for promotion kit in September. Register and find more details here.