GRA Weekly

May 11, 2023

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner NetTax

GROWER + BUYER MIXER EVENT

Spring Grower Buyer Mixer

Join local farmers, producers, and food industry professionals for the first Grower + Buyer Mixer Event hosted by the AgLanta Eats urban agriculture program. This event and panel discussion is a great opportunity to receive product marketing, branding and distribution training, discuss best practices, facilitate relationships with Atlanta’s most influential agriculture and food industry professionals, and shop for locally-grown produce. The Grower + Buyer Mixer is scheduled for Monday, May 22nd, at CreateATL, located in West Atlanta. Purchase your tickets here.

NATIONAL HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS

National Hurricane Preparedness | Hurricane Season Begins June 1

Atlantic hurricane season officially begins June 1 through November 30. The Georgia Restaurant Association strongly encourages restaurant owners and operators to stay informed and be prepared as seasons are increasingly uncertain. Learn more.

Additional resources:

WELL DONE, GEORGIA PROSTART!

Well done, Georgia ProStart!

May 2nd-4th, our state champions for culinary and management travelled to Washington D.C. to compete in the National ProStart Invitational. Our culinary team, Berkmar High School, helmed by Georgia ProStart Educator of the Year, Chef James Bryant, finishes top 10 in the nation with 8th place. The management team, Maxwell High School, earned high praises for their innovative micro-influencer marketing plan.

Both teams showcased the best of Georgia’s culinary and management talent, and we could not be prouder of their year-round hard work and dedication. The future of the hospitality industry in Georgia is in solid and very talented hands.

Many thanks to our generous sponsors for helping us send these awesome teams to Nationals! We couldn't have done it without your support - Gas South, Coca-Cola, TriMark, and Volrath! And last but certainly not least, a huge thank you to our industry mentor and staff for their time and dedication in helping the kids prepare for Nationals - Reggie Coachman and Katie Ashley!

GRA Member Exclusive: Volunteering Opportunities

Help the Georgia Restaurant Association Foundation educate and train the youth of today to become the service industry professionals of tomorrow! We have a plethora of new options for current GRA members to volunteer with ProStart and our high school outreach programs. We have created a survey for members to indicate which area(s) they would like to participate. We are currently working on developing programming for the 2023-2024 school year. If you have any questions, please reach out to Katie Ashley, Foundation Programs Manager. Sign up here.

CONDOLENCES FOR THE METZ FAMILY

Metz Culinary Management Founder John C. Metz Passes Away

Metz Culinary Management, Inc. announced that company founder John C. Metz passed away peacefully on May 8, 2023, at the age of 83 surrounded by his loving family. He is survived by his children John, Jeff, and Maureen, spouses, Susan, Sean and grandchildren Kaitlyn, Ashley and Jeffrey, and a wealth of extended family, friends, and members of the community whose lives he touched for the better.

John Metz was the perfect example of a self-made entrepreneur who became a pioneer in the hospitality industry. He started his career in entry-level positions in the industry and went on to serve as a cook in the U.S. Army. In 1967 after his service in the Army, and seeing a need for management services for food service, he founded Custom Management Corporation. Custom Management became one of the country's largest food service management companies. He eventually sold the company to Morrison's Hospitality, where he served as Chairman and CEO.

After several years with Custom Management, Metz turned his passion for hospitality to restaurants, specifically T.G.I. Friday’s. He franchised his first Friday’s in Wilkes-Barre, PA, which continues to be one of the most successful locations for the brand. He was awarded Friday’s Domestic Franchise Developer of the Year in 1995 and Franchisee Group of the Year in 2011 and 2016. At the time of his passing, Metz owned and operated nine Friday’s restaurants in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Metz expanded his restaurant holding in 2008 to include Northeastern Pennsylvania’s first and only Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Mohegan Pennsylvania. Continue reading.

STATE + LOCAL NEWS

Proposed Single-Use Plastics Ban in South Fulton.

Early last week, an ordinance to enforce a ban on certain single-use plastics was introduced to the South Fulton City Council. The bill’s author, Councilmember Carmalitha Gumbs (District 2), successfully passed a ban on single-use plastic products back in 2020, but the ban was not enforced by city officials. Councilmember Gumbs hopes to enforce the ban through the City Department of Code Enforcement by establishing progressive fines for non compliant businesses, starting at $50 for the first violation and up to $1000 for the fourth violation. Beginning May 1, 2024, all affected businesses will be required to offer alternative, biodegradable, or recycled products in lieu of single-use plastic - or be subjected to the fines above.

Atlanta City Council Votes to Extend Hours for Sale of Alcoholic Beverages on Memorial Day

The Atlanta City Council periodically amends the Code of Ordinances to allow an extension of allowable hours for alcoholic beverage sales in anticipation of city-wide events, festivals, or holidays. On Monday, May 1st, the Council unanimously adopted ordinance 22-O-1197, which will permit establishments with a valid alcoholic beverage license to extend hours of operation on Memorial Day 2023. Participating businesses will be allowed to serve alcoholic beverages on Sunday, May 28th until 2:30AM on the morning of Monday, May 29, 2023 (previously 12:00AM); all patrons must be cleared of the premises 30 minutes after the closing time.

MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

May is Mental Health Awareness Month

In our continued efforts to raise awareness on the importance of mental health in our workforce, it is well known that restaurant industry employees have been especially impacted in the past few years by COVID-19, workforce shortages and economic uncertainty. Unfortunately, not all employees may have ready access to resources. A recent proclamation from the White House states that “[i]t takes an average of 11 years to get treatment after the onset of symptoms, and less than half of Americans struggling with mental illness ever receive the care they need.” Employers are keenly aware that employees are their greatest asset and continue to take steps to better address how to support them whether through expanding health benefits or offering employee assistance programs.

Throughout the month, we will feature resources and selected articles to further educate our readers on the importance of mental health. The Georgia Restaurant Association also has a webpage dedicated to free mental health resources to assist employers and employees.

RESTAURANT SHOW

GRA Member Benefit: Claim Your FREE Badge for the National Restaurant Association Show

Don't miss this opportunity to connect with your peers in foodservice at the culinary destination of the year! As the world’s most influential showcase of foodservice innovation, the National Restaurant Association Show is a must-attend event for every member of the industry. Plus, as a dual member of the Georgia Restaurant Association and the National Restaurant Association your company is eligible for one complimentary badge to attend.

To claim your complimentary badge: email restaurant@maritz.com or call (864) 699-6435.

TIPS + TRICKS FOR RUNNING PAYROLL

Tips and Tricks for Running Payroll at Restaurants and Bars

Payroll management can be a daunting task, particularly for small business owners. Restaurants and bars can encounter unique challenges when it comes to running payroll. With so many employees and varying roles, it's important to have a solid system in place to ensure timely and accurate payments. Restaurant and bar owners can consider the following tips and tricks when running payroll... Continue reading.

FEDERAL UPDATES

DHS Ends Form I-9 Requirement Flexibility

Source: U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

COVID-19 temporary flexibilities for Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, will end on July 31, 2023. U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently announced that employers must complete in-person physical document inspections for employees whose documents were inspected remotely during the temporary flexibilities by August 30, 2023.

This new announcement gives employers additional time to complete in-person physical inspection of identity and employment authorization documents, and annotate the Form I-9 for this population. These flexibilities were initially announced in March 2020 and updated in March 2021. See I-9 Central Questions and Answers for more information.

DHS published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for alternative procedures allowing remote document examination for Form I-9 last year. DHS anticipates publishing a Final Rule in the Federal Register that will implement this proposal.

COVID INCENTIVES

PUBLIC AFFAIRS CONFERENCE

National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference

GRA members, join us on our annual trip to Washington, D.C. to attend the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference (June 19-21).

Our Government Affairs team will be there to guide you during this fantastic conference as well as on Capitol Hill to speak to Georgia members of Congress about the many issues facing restaurants.

For more information and to register.

MEDICAID REDETERMINATION

Medicaid Redetermination

Some of your team members may lose Medicaid coverage over the next 12 months. Make sure they stay covered by sharing our free service with them. Your team can enroll in health insurance plans easily over the phone, and will get access to their maximum federal subsidies and most reasonably priced plans.

Email hospitalityhealth@uhg.com for more information and free promotional materials. No employer contribution; simply post our free flyers.