GRA Weekly

December 21, 2023

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, Society Insurance

UNDERSTANDING ALCOHOL RISKS

As you know, serving alcohol comes with both risk and reward.

When done responsibly, serving alcohol can help your business flourish—research indicates that restaurants that offer alcohol generate 21% of their revenue from drink sales alone.

Serving alcohol responsibly is critical for protecting your customers, your community, and your business.

The first step toward ensuring safe and responsible alcohol handling at your establishment is by understanding what alcohol does to the body.

In the newest eBook you can explore:

Current drinking trends
Alcohol’s journey through the body
How our body removes alcohol
Knowing the risks

Download the ebook here.

2024 GEORGIA GROWN EXECUTIVE CHEF PROGRAM

2024 Georgia Grown Executive Chef Program

The Georgia Department of Agriculture's Georgia Grown campaign has partnered with the Georgia Restaurant Association for a statewide Georgia Grown Executive Chef program. The following terms outline the commitment to the Georgia Grown Executive Chef program.

Participant Requirements:

Incorporates locally grown product into your menu, educating patrons about foods that came from local farms and generating awareness about the product and their producers.
Promotes and fosters a relationship between chefs and farmers, while creating a greater awareness among both restaurateurs and consumers about the availability of quality, local products in Georgia.
Demonstrates knowledge about which local Georgia products are available for the cooking season.
Assists local chefs on a strategy to incorporate locally grown produce into their menu.
Aims to provide public school culinary education and school food nutrition by educating, training, or developing recipes.
Provide a list of products you source locally and farms you work with and/or the approximate percentage of your menu that is sourced locally.
Available these dates:
Taste of Georgia Legislative Reception on February 21, 2024 from 5:00PM - 8:00PM.
Georgia ProStart Invitational on February 29, 2024 from 8:00AM - 4:00PM to judge.
One full day on March 23 or 24, 2024 to do 1-2 live demos at the Georgia Food and Wine Festival (date TBD).
Available for at least one other Georgia Grown event or outreach during the year.

The Department of Agriculture and the Georgia Restaurant Association appreciate your support and participation in the Georgia Grown program. Your involvement in this program contributes to our mission to create a greater awareness both among restaurateurs and consumers about the importance of buying and eating local. Apply by January 31, 2024. For information on how to apply, click here.

GRA FOUNDATION UPDATE

Volunteers Needed: Help Our Industry Grow

The Georgia Restaurant Association Foundation (GRAF) is currently recruiting industry leaders to mentor ProStart Students and serve as judges at the 2024 Georgia ProStart Invitational - which will be held on Thursday, February 29, 2024 from 8:00AM - 4:00PM at Gas South Arena. The GRAF is seeking volunteers with experience in the Hospitality industry and a passion for service. Read the full flyer here.

To register as a mentor or judge, contact Katie Ashley, GRAF Programs Manager, for more information.

GRA ADVOCACY UPDATE

Georgia DOR | Quarterly Sales & Use Tax Rate Updates

Effective January 1, 2024, Georgia Department of Revenue has published the new quarterly sales and use tax rates. Historical, current and upcoming sales and use tax rates changes may be viewed here.

Savannah Alcohol Update

The Savannah Department of Revenue has provided updates on the license renewal process, dates for Sunday sales, and the Server Training Program. Alcoholic Beverage License (ABL) renewal packages have a submission deadline of December 31, 2023, with a grace period extending the final application date to January 28, 2024. Additionally, two dates were announced on which ABL holders may sell alcoholic beverages, regardless of a Sunday Sales license – 2023 New Year’s Eve and 2024 St. Patrick’s Day. Finally, the new Server Training program is up and running, with the deadline for Server Cards on January 1, 2024. The program provides a simple training program at no charge and is good for 5 years. For more information regarding the Server Training Permit Card click here.

FEDERAL UPDATE

National Restaurant Association holds webinar on new FTC “junk rule” proposed rule.

On Tuesday, December 19, the National Restaurant Association held a webinar on the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed rule on “Unfair or Deceptive Fees” that would force U.S. businesses to eliminate the use of “hidden” and “misleading” fees. The proposed rule would instead require businesses to post total prices for a service or good, which reflects all costs except shipping and government charges.

Aaron Frazier and Brennan Duckett of the National Restaurant Association discussed the potential outcome of this rule, and the impact this may have on restaurants across the country.

A replay of the webinar can be found here.

Have your voice heard on the FTC's new "junk fee" proposed rule!

Let leadership in Washington DC know the impact this will have on your business here.

Operators can claim their share of payment card settlement

What happened: A class-action lawsuit against the credit card duopoly recently reached a settlement. The Payment Card Settlement is the biggest antitrust class-action settlement in history. It sets aside at least $5.54B and a maximum of approximately $6.24B for millions of U.S. merchants who, for years, paid artificially inflated Visa and Mastercard interchange fees, which are also called swipe fees.

Why it matters: If a restaurant operator accepted Visa and/or Mastercard at any time between Jan. 1, 2004, and Jan. 25, 2019, they are likely a member of the class settlement and entitled to a share of the settlement.

Go deeper: The settlement ends a 2013 lawsuit in which the National Restaurant Association and the Restaurant Law Center played leading roles. The lawsuit alleged merchants paid excessive fees to accept Visa and Mastercard, while these two companies violated antitrust laws by price-fixing interchange fees.

How to claim your share: You can submit a claim through the official court-authorized Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement website. The fastest and easiest way to submit a claim is to wait for the claim form to arrive in the mail and use the Claimant ID and Control Number provided to log in.

Claim forms began mailing on Dec. 1, 2023. Because of the large number of claim forms being sent, you may not receive yours until Jan. 2024.
If you received a Claim Form in the mail and want to file a claim online using the Claimant ID provided, you can click the “Submit a Claim” button found on the Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement website.
If you do not receive a claim form and are uncertain as to whether you are a merchant that is eligible to file a claim in this settlement, also click the “Submit a Claim” button found on the Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement website and after providing your Taxpayer Identification Number along with some additional information, the Class Administrator will attempt to determine whether you qualify.

Need to know: Operators can file claims on their own, free of charge, by following the instructions above.

PREPARING FOR WINTER CONDITIONS

Preparing For Winter Conditions

As temperatures continue to drop, now is the time for restaurants to prepare! Emergencies can happen with extreme weather conditions like sudden temperature drops, snow, and ice - all of which can cause power outages. Some tips to get winter ready:

Letting cold water drip from a faucet served by exposed pipes, even at a trickle, can help prevent pipes from freezing and potentially flooding.
Make sure you have appliance thermometers in your refrigerator and freezer.
Check to ensure that the freezer temperature is at or below 0° F, and the refrigerator is at or below 41° F.
In case of a power outage, the appliance thermometers will indicate the temperatures in the refrigerator and freezer to help you determine if the food is safe.
Freeze containers of water for ice to help keep food cold in the freezer, refrigerator, or coolers in case the power goes out. If your normal water supply is contaminated or unavailable, the melting ice will also supply drinking water.
Freeze refrigerated items such as leftovers, milk, and fresh meat and poultry that you may not need immediately. This helps keep them at a safe temperature longer.
Group food together in the freezer. This helps the food stay cold longer.
Have coolers on hand to keep refrigerated food cold if the power will be out for more than 4 hours.
Purchase or make ice cubes in advance, and freeze gel packs ahead of time. Store all of these in the freezer for future use in the refrigerator or in coolers.
Check out local sources to know where dry ice and block ice can be purchased, in case it should be needed.
Store food on shelves that will be safely out of the way of contaminated water in case of flooding.
Make sure to have a supply of bottled water stored where it will be as safe as possible from flooding. If your bottled water has an odor, do not drink or use it. Instead, dispose of it, or if applicable, call your bottled water provider to make arrangements to get a replacement.
How to Prevent Pipes From Freezing
Food and Water Safety During Power Outages (FDA)
Winter Weather Preparedness (GEMA)

Be sure to follow your local National Weather Service Forecast and follow any emergency messaging from our partners on social media: Georgia EMA on X and Georgia EMA on Facebook.

FDA RECALL

Quaker Recalls Granola Bars and Granola Cereals Due to Possible Health Risk

The Quaker Oats Company announced the recall of specific granola bars and granola cereals because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. The entire list can be found here.