This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, United Healthcare

LAST CHANCE TO VOTE FOR THIS YEAR'S PEOPLE'S CHOICE WINNERS

Vote For Your Favorite People's Choice Finalists

Congratulations to the finalists of this year’s Georgia on my Mind People’s Choice Awards! They were nominated by you and the winners will be selected with your vote!

Vote for your favorites by this Sunday, October 20.

Winners will be announced at the 2024 GRACE Awards - Monday, December 9.

Register to attend.

GEORGIA HOUSE HOLDS SECOND HEARING ON CREDIT CARD FEES

Georgia House Holds Second Study Committee Hearing on Credit Card Fees

On Tuesday, members of the Georgia House of Representatives and GRA's VP of Government Affairs, Scott Bierman, joined a panel of representatives from other business groups to outline the need for reform on credit card interchange fees on sales tax - and the impact that these fees have on small businesses. The committee will release policy recommendations later this fall.

Watch the meeting.

GRA IN THE NEWS

Diversity Drives Produce Demand in Atlanta

“Atlanta’s booming economy and increasing affluence have led to higher spending power, enabling more people to dine out frequently and seek high-quality, fresh ingredients in their meals,” says Stephanie Fischer, president and chief executive officer of the Atlanta-based Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA).

Read the entire article.

NATIONAL RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION SURVEY

Help Shape the National Restaurant Association’s 2025 Agenda

What are the trends and challenges that will define your business in 2025? Please take a few minutes to complete the National Restaurant Association’s 2025 Business Conditions Survey. Your input will provide us and the Association with data to illustrate how current business conditions are impacting the industry, and strengthen our ongoing advocacy on your behalf.

Take the survey.

SHRM-ATLANTA CONFERENCE

2024 Atlanta Works Conference

Our friends at SHRM-Atlanta are hosting another virtual conference focused on technology and law that will be taking place on Friday, November 1. The website with the agenda can be found here.

Please let us know if you would like to attend and we will work with SHRM-Atlanta on a group discount for GRA members. Contact Sarah Thorson if you are interested in attending.

JOIN US IN SAVANNAH ON MONDAY FOR OUR NEXT KITCHEN CABINET

Join Us in Savannah on Monday for Kitchen Cabinet

We're headed to Savannah for our next Coastal Georgia Kitchen Cabinet! Join us for industry networking, seasonal wine and food tasting and more!

When: Monday, October 21

Where: The Room at Common

RSVP.

FORMER PROSTART STUDENT AND GRA INTERN RECOGNIZED BY GSU

Georgia State News Hub Features Former ProStart Student and GRA Intern, Ashley Casasola

Georgia State senior Ashley Casasola discovered her passion for cooking at a young age, and it’s continued to guide her through college. As she completes her degree in hospitality administration, she’s planning to...

Continue reading.

WHAT WE'RE READING THIS WEEK:

How to Build a Culture that Empowers Your Teams

Navigating Consumer Confidence Without Overusing Discounts

Eater Creates an App

FEDERAL UPDATE

• Restaurant Law Center Joins Fight to Protect Unique IL Swipe Fee Law

Illinois passed a first-of-its-kind law exempting state sales taxes and employee tips from swipe fees. In both cases, restaurants do not keep any of the money but pass it on to servers or the local government.

Read the full overview.

• The FTC is Cracking Down on Misleading Menu Claims

Ten seafood restaurants recently received a warning letter on how “wild-caught, American seafood” may be advertised when the seafood is actually from farm-raised foreign sources.

The letter, sent by an official at the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), said the agency will crack down on false claims of locally caught fare and how “eat local” slogans or restaurant décor could be flagged as false implied claims, which could illegally mislead customers.

Read the full overview.

• New Study Finds Eliminating the Tip Credit Has No Impact On Earning Gaps

The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) recently released a study conducted by University of California-Irvine economists, that finds eliminating the tip credit does not have any discernible impact on eliminating earnings gaps between minority, female, and white male employees.

Read the full report.

• Voluntary FDA Sodium Reduction Recommendations Released

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed Phase II voluntary targets to reduce sodium in over 150 categories of packaged foods and restaurant foods.

Read the full overview.

Coastal Georgia Kitchen Cabinet - Savannah

Georgia Restaurant Association

Monday, October 21 l 5:30PM

RSVP.

8th Annual Restaurant Legal Summit

Restaurant Law Center

October 23-25

Register.

SHRM: Atlanta Works Conference

Society for Human Resource Management

Friday, November 1 l 9:00AM - 3:30PM

Register.

GRACE Awards

Georgia Restaurant Association

Monday, December 9 l 6:00PM - 10:00PM

Register.

Articles within GRA weekly newsletters are curated from a variety of sources. Links may expire over time and/or require a subscription to view.

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