GRA Weekly

September 22, 2022

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, Seated.

ARE YOU READY?

Preparing for Natural Disasters

The Georgia Restaurant Association has compiled Georgia specific information to help your restaurant be prepared for Hurricanes, Power Outages, Tornadoes and more. All these resources can be found here.

In addition, the National Restaurant Association has developed a comprehensive toolkit of assets that provide restaurant-specific recommendations for what to do in advance, during, and after a natural disaster, including hurricanes, floods and wildfires. These assets incorporate best practices from official agencies (FEMA, CDC, Ready.gov) and restaurant operators. The guide is supported by DoorDash and is free to download. Click the following links to get their guide and assets.

VOTING REMINDER!

Reminder: Register to Vote in November Elections

Tuesday, September 20 was National Voter Registration Day, a 10-year-old nonpartisan effort to reach potential voters who aren’t already signed up. Voting gives everyone a chance to voice and choose who will be their voice on Federal, State, and local issues. You must be registered to vote by October 10th in order to vote in the November 8 election.

Check Voter Registration Status

Print & Mail Voter Registration

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER!

Please join us for an unforgettable evening celebrating Georgia's Best & Brightest!

The Georgia Restaurant Association invites you to join us for the 14th Annual GRACE Awards gala, an event that recognizes hospitality and foodservice professionals for excellence and achievement in their fields.

Help us celebrate the amazing Georgia Restaurant Industry! Last chance to register, tickets are almost sold out!

September 27 | Georgia Aquarium

GRA IN THE NEWS

ProStart puts students on culinary pathway

AJC- Jennifer Pacheco was 5 when she started watching cooking shows with her mom. She credits the inspiration she drew from those programs with helping her earn the $4,000 scholarship the Georgia Restaurant Association will present to her on Sept. 27 as the ProStart Student of the Year. Last year, Pacheco enrolled at Gwinnett’s Maxwell High and its culinary course where she learned about ProStart, a national program that gives students insight into the industry through competitions and connections. In the spring, Pacheco and her team took top honors at ProStart’s Georgia contest in the management division. Read more.

FEDERAL UPDATES

Legislation expanding teen hours introduced in House

Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) introduced last week the Teenagers Earning Everyday Necessary Skills (TEENS) Act, H.R. 8826, which would lift current federal restrictions to permit 14- and 15-year-olds to work between the hours of 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. year-round and increase the number of workable hours during a school week to 24.

What this means for restaurants: Expanding the number of working hours for teen employees could help restaurants combat the ongoing labor shortage.

Update: Legislation regarding Credit Card Competition introduced in the House

More than 60 business execs, including restaurant owners and operators, took part in a successful grassroots “fly-in” last week to urge members of Congress to support the Credit Card Competition Act of 2022. Reps. Peter Welch (D-VT) and Lance Gooden (R-TX) introduced the H.R.8874 in the House. Now that legislation is in both chambers, it has a greater likelihood of advancing, passing, becoming law and ultimately reducing excessive swipe fees. Read more.

CATER TO EVERY GENERATION - WITH TARGETED TASTES

Cater To Every Generation—With Targeted Tastes

Each generation is known for having distinct fashion and music styles. But did you know each also has unique dining habits? Whether driven by affinity for technology or important life milestones, each age group can be served with different offerings.

What drives the trends?

Generational trends can be influenced by a variety of factors.

Learn more.

TIME TO SAVE ON ELECTRIC RATES

October 1st is the Time to Save on Electricity Costs

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.

On October 1st, 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).

SCAM ALERTS IN GEORGIA

Gift Cards

As the holiday season approaches, be aware of growing gift card scams. Recently, some restaurateurs have seen an increase of individuals purchasing online gift cards with stolen credit cards. These individuals are using the gift cards the same day and are neglecting to tip the servers who take care of them. We recommend that you reach out to your gift card supplier for information on what protection can be offered to you regarding gift card fraud. Please check with your processor or POS to see if they have a service or software that would address this issue. If you have any questions or would like more information, contact us and we would be happy to connect you with a trusted partner to assist.

Health Inspectors

Instances of individuals posing as health inspectors are on the rise. In many cases, individuals will contact a restaurant and demand payment for the inspection fee. Please be aware that inspection fees are only charged when a restaurant requests an additional inspection or a re-inspection. Also, the Health Department will bill the restaurant and will not ask for payment at the time of the inspection. If you ever have any doubts or want to verify that the health inspector is legitimate, you can reach out to your local health department or contact the State Health Department. If you need assistance contacting your local health department, you can contact us and we will get you the proper information.

Reminder: Questions to know when Health Inspector Arrives

Georgia Food Code mandates that every location have one Certified Food Service Manager (CFSM). However, if the CFSM is not there when a health inspector arrives, then the person in charge must be able to answer certain questions. See Georgia Food Code 511-6-1-.03(c) Correct Answers to Food Safety Questions to make sure all people in charge are prepared. Learn more.