GRA Weekly

May 30, 2024

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

MEET THE EXPERTS

Register Now To Attend GRA's Newest Educational Networking Event - Meet The Experts, Hosted In Partnership with NCR Voyix, Ecolab, Moore Colson, And Sysco

Meet the Experts will feature over a dozen industry experts for an evening of speed coaching and power networking. On Wednesday, August 7, 2024 from 2:00PM to 5:00PM at the NCR Voyix Headquarters, this event offers restaurant and hospitality operators the opportunity to connect one-on-one with some of the biggest restaurateurs in the business, plus experts in HR, public relations, law, accounting, licensing, insurance, and more.

How it works: Operators (restaurant/hospitality owners, managers, and restaurant leadership) can select up to five (5) topics to be paired with during the event for 15-minute sessions. Consider it an ideal opportunity to ask questions, get advice, and exchange business information to keep the conversation going in the future. It's speed coaching and power networking at its finest.

THE RESTAURANT INDUSTRY'S MOST INFLUENTIAL MARKETERS

The Restaurant Industry’s Most Influential Marketers

Every year, Nation’s Restaurant News editors put together the Power List: the 50 most influential people in the industry. Congrats to GRA Board Member, Kaffee Hopkins, vice president of marketing and administrative officer, Sterling Hospitality on this well deserved recognition! And a special shout out to another GRA Member, Zach Noren, director, off-premise, GoTo Foods on also being named! Read the full list here.

COASTAL GEORGIA KITCHEN CABINET

Coastal Georgia Kitchen Cabinet

Join us for a happy hour as we kick off the Georgia Restaurant Association’s Coastal Georgia Kitchen Cabinet! Through the creation of this alliance, we will bring together local restaurateurs to form a grassroots network to advocate for the issues important to you. At this kickoff event you will meet the new President + CEO of the GRA Stephanie Fischer and our government affairs team, and learn more about how the GRA can assist Savannah’s restaurants with the issues that you face.

Tuesday, June 4 | 3:30PM - 5:30PM

RSVP today!

NOMINATE A RESTAURANT LEADER

Nominate a Stellar Restaurateur!

One of the key roles of the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation is to help raise awareness of the positive impact restaurants have in their communities and the role the industry plays in championing diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Nominations are now open for the Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards, which support this mission. The nomination categories are:

Inclusion Innovator Award
Community Champion Award
My Journey Award
Ambassador of Hospitality Award

Category descriptions, nomination guidelines and award FAQs can be found here. Nominations, submitted through the NRAEF platform in the link, are due by July 5.

BUCKHEAD RESTAURANT WEEK

Buckhead Restaurant Week is Back!

In consultation with Melissa Libby & Associates, Buckhead Village District – Jamestown and Lenox Square – Simon, Livable Buckhead is excited to announce the return of Buckhead Restaurant Week for 2024, helping to promote Buckhead as a dining hotspot and increase patronage at local restaurants during traditionally less busy times.

How will it work?

Participation is FREE.
Restaurants will provide tiered flat pricing menu.
Participating restaurants can determine if they want to be part of lunch, dinner, or both.
Participating restaurants are free to determine what they would like to include in the tiered BRW offering, whether special items or regular menu items.
The restaurant is also free to determine any other items besides food, such as wine or cocktail choice to include in the tiered offerings.

MOTIVATING RESTAURANT TEAMS

Motivating Restaurant Teams: 5 Key Strategies

Navigating the complexities of the restaurant industry is challenging, especially during times of economic downturns or significant changes. For managers, the uncertainty can ripple down to every member of the team, who might be grappling with personal concerns about job security and financial stability. The following are five practical tips managers can use to keep their team motivated and cohesive, even in the toughest times. Keep reading.

COCA‑COLA® LENS

Bringing Insights Into Focus

Earlier this week, The Coca-Cola Company announced the launch of Coca-Cola Lens, an insights platform designed to empower our customers to make data-driven decisions for growth.

As the industry continues to navigate ongoing challenges, Coca-Cola Lens makes actionable insights more accessible, magnifying relevant trends to anticipate consumer preferences.

Coca-Cola has always been dedicated to driving growth with our partners. Now, you will be able to self-serve the actionable insights you need, precisely when you need them, empowering you to navigate the evolving landscape with confidence and agility.

Coca-Cola Lens utilizes proprietary tools and data, plus trends from secondary and third-party sources, to bring insights into focus via a digestible, user-friendly website. Accessible to all, the platform dives deep into the nuances of consumer behavior, and then zooms out to show the trends and context that make up the bigger picture, all with a forward-thinking outlook.

Please visit https://www.coca-colalens.com/ for more information.

DEADLINE EXTENDED - FILE YOUR CLAIM TODAY!

Restaurant Operators May be Eligible Settlement Funds

The Payment Card Settlement is the biggest antitrust class-action settlement in history and sets aside about $6B for U.S. merchants who paid artificially inflated Visa and Mastercard interchange fees. The deadline to submit a claim as part of the Payment Card Settlement has been extended to August 30, 2024.

Key takeaway: If your restaurant accepted Visa and/or Mastercard at any time between Jan. 1, 2004, to Jan. 25, 2019, you may be entitled to a share of this $6B class-action settlement. Visit www.paymentcardsettlement.com to submit a claim before the updated deadline, Aug. 30, 2024.

Submitting a claim is easy: The claim process was designed to take only 5 to 15 minutes. The portal should even autofill most information when submitting the individual’s “Claimant ID” and “Control Number” found in the claim letter or by submitting the business’s Tax ID, if the claim letter is not available.

Learn more: Click here to watch a recording of a webinar the Association and the Restaurant Law Center hosted on the settlement. Register for the webinar to access the recording.

FEDERAL UPDATE

RLC Sues to Stop DOL Overtime Rule

Late last week, the Restaurant Law Center (RLC), Texas Restaurant Association, and other business groups filed a lawsuit to stop the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL's) 2024 Overtime Final Rule (2024 Rule). The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas and seeks to vacate the 2024 Rule, arguing it imposes illegal and harmful regulations.

Why it Matters: This action aims to protect restaurants and businesses from significant financial burdens and operational challenges. The 2024 Rule is set to increase the overtime threshold to $43,888 on July 1, 2024, and to $58,656 on Jan. 1, 2025. It also includes an automatic update to the overtime threshold every 3 years based on available wage data.

A Note onTiming: Because the first phase of the increased salary threshold is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2024, the coalition requested expedited consideration by the court.

RLC POV: "It is regretful that the Department of Labor is forcing employers to relitigate the issues that were decided when the Court struck down the 2016 Overtime Rule because of its illegality," said Angelo Amador, Executive Director of the Restaurant Law Center. "The 2024 Overtime Rule repeats the errors of the 2016 Rule and fails to address the flaws previously identified by the Court.”

Learn more about the RLC's case.

E-Verify | Login URL Update

USCIS has announced that effective June 25, 2024 all E-Verify users must use everify.uscis.gov to log-in to their accounts. The prior URL (e-verify.uscis.gov/) will result in an error message. USCIS also suggests that users update any internal documents/materials to reflect the change.

USTR Maintains Tariffs on China, Announces Increases in Certain Products

Last week, USTR announced that it WILL NOT reduce its current tariffs on China and will instead increase tariffs on various products, including electric vehicles, EV batteries, facemasks, semiconductors, and medical gloves. Additionally, tariffs on steel and aluminum products will increase to 25% in 2024.

Restaurant Impact: The Association has supported the elimination of these tariffs for years and is disappointed to hear that USTR will keep the tariffs in place. Many food products (vegetables, fruits, nuts, dairy, meat, grains, etc.), kitchen and food manufacturing and preparation equipment, and plastics (gloves, utensils, etc.) will continue to be affected by these tariffs. It also appears that USTR will not provide an extension of the current exclusions that apply to the ten seafood lines set to expire on May 31, 2024. Therefore, expect a 25 percent tariff on items currently subject to an exclusion, to restart June 1.

The Big Picture: USTR’s decision to maintain and increase tariffs is part of their ongoing strategy to address China’s unfair technology transfer policies.

What’s Next: Our coalition, Americans for Free Trade, released this statement, which opposes the Administration’s actions. Throughout this process, we have shared with the Administration why these tariffs are harmful for American businesses and consumers. A Federal Register notice will be issued next week outlining the procedures to comment on the proposed tariff increases.

DOL Announces 65% Increase to Overtime Threshold

The Department of Labor (DOL) has released its final overtime rule, significantly increasing the minimum annual salary threshold determining overtime pay eligibility under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) from $35,568 to $58,656. The rule will gradually come into effect, with an increase to $43,888 on July 1, 2024, and an increase to $58,656 effective January 1, 2025.

The Details: DOL sets a salary threshold to ensure eligible employees receive overtime pay for all hours worked over 40 in a work week.

Using 2023 data, the new salary threshold equals $1,128 per week or $58,656 annually for a full-year worker.
The rule also increases the salary threshold for the highly compensated employee (HCE) exemption from $107,432 to $151,164 annually.
The HCE exemption will also gradually come into effect, with an increase to $132,964 on July 1, 2024, and an increase to $151,164 effective January 1, 2025.

What’s New: The final rule includes an automatic update to the overtime threshold every three years based on available wage data at that time.

The DOL expects to announce the first such update on July 1, 2027, which will affect both the standard salary and HCE thresholds.
This methodology was specifically opposed by the National Restaurant Association and Restaurant Law Center in comments submitted last year.

Who’s Affected: Unless specifically exempted, an employee covered by the FLSA must receive pay for hours worked over 40 in a workweek at a rate not less than one and one-half their regular pay rate.

Beginning on July 1, 2024, any employee earning under $43,888 will be owed overtime pay.
On January 1, 2025, any employee earning under $58,656 will be owed overtime pay.
This means that employees who were previously exempt from overtime pay may now be eligible, and employers may need to adjust their pay structures and work schedules accordingly.

Please see the DOL fact sheet linked here for information on determining if an employee is exempt.

CHILD LABOR LAW COMPLIANCE

Child Labor Law Compliance in the Foodservice Industry

The National Restaurant Association and the U.S. Department of Labor's (DOL) Wage and Hour Division (WHD) are hosting a webinar, "Child Labor Law Compliance in the Foodservice Industry: Keeping Teens Safe This Summer," Tuesday, June 18 at 2:00PM

What to expect: The hour-long webinar will help you to ensure a safe and productive summer season.
An overview of federal child labor laws: Ensure you're up to date with the basics.
Permissible work hours: Learn the legal working hours for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Prohibited jobs: Understand the jobs deemed hazardous for 14- and 15-year-olds and jobs prohibited for all workers under 18.
Common violations: Avoid the most frequent pitfalls.
Q&A session: Get your questions answered by WHD specialists.

Don’t miss out: Register here here to secure your spot or watch a recording after.

Get ready: Check out this DOL fact sheet, Child Labor Rules for Employing Youth in Restaurants, or try the DOL’s employer self-assessment tool on child labor in restaurants.

MAIL THEFT ALERT

Mail Theft Alert

The GRA has received official notice from the U.S. Postal Service about recent mail theft in our area. As a precaution, we strongly urge our members pay their dues invoices electronically and to please contact us directly to confirm if a recently mailed check payment has in fact been received by our office. For more information on how to protect yourself against mail theft, please visit the USPS’s website.

GEORGIA IMPACT REPORT

Georgia Impact Report

Restaurants are engines of economic growth across the country, injecting billions into local and state economies. Whether it’s creating jobs, developing careers, or supporting local programs and businesses, the foodservice industry generates a significant impact in communities large and small. Click on our state impact reports to get a better idea of the size and scope of the restaurant industry where you operate, including no. of restaurants, jobs generated and sales as of the end of 2023.

SAVE ON ELECTRIC RATES

Save on Electric Rates

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.