GRA Weekly

June 20, 2024

This week's newsletter is brought to you by GRA Corporate Partner, Melissa Libby & Associates.

QSR EVOLUTION CONFERENCE & NEXTGEN RESTAURANT SUMMIT

QSR Evolution Conference & NextGen Restaurant Summit

The QSR Evolution Conference will focus on the needs of quick-service restaurant operators where industry leaders will hear and share perspectives on running QSRs of the future. Educational sessions focus on growth and franchising, leadership, technology, digital marketing trends, company culture, drive-thru and the changing consumer.

The NextGen Restaurant Summit is geared toward nextgen and emerging full-service brand operators. Topics covered during educational sessions cover unique restaurant experiences of the future, F&B innovation, technology, restaurant design, menu engineering and labor and employment.

When: September 4-5, 2024

Where: Atlanta Marriott Marquis

Keynote presentations will be provided by:

Burger King
Firehouse Subs
GoTo Foods
Inspire Brands
KFC
Popeyes
Tim Hortons
...and more!

As a partner of the event, we secured a discount for GRA members to attend. Use code GRA10 at checkout to save 10% on your full conference pass which will grant you access to all sessions and included receptions of the event.

INVEST ATLANTA RECOVERY FUND APPLICATIONS OPENING SOON

Invest Atlanta Recovery Fund Applications Opening Soon

Invest Atlanta, the group tasked with facilitating the Small Business Recovery Grants introduced by Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta City Council, has released some initial information regarding the grants. These grants will go to businesses located in the impact zone during the recent Atlanta water crisis, with priority given to a group of business categories which includes restaurants. Applications for the grant will open this Monday, June 24 and will close on Monday, July 8.

Check here to see if your restaurant is eligible for funds and view an on-demand webinar hosted by Invest Atlanta, where your questions regarding eligibility, required documentation, and other information will be answered.

LAST CALL - VOTE FOR THE BEST CULINARY TOWN IN THE SOUTH

Vote for the Best Culinary Town in the South

The Local Palate is looking for the best and brightest culinary towns across the Southeast, wearer you can not only find exceptional restaurants, but also farmers’ markets, great bars, and more.

Thanks to all who voted in the preliminary round, the City of Alpharetta is now a TOP 3 finalist and we need YOU to help us pick the winner! The winning town will be featured on the cover of the South’s Best Culinary Towns issue, on stands October 29 - let’s put Georgia on the map!

Vote here by Friday, June 21.

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.

NRAEF 2023 IMPACT REPORT

NRAEF 2023 Impact Report

The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has published their 2023 Impact Report, which includes industry statistics, highlights from the past year, and a look at what's to come.

Click here to view the full report.

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.

GRA ADVOCACY UPDATE

GRA Coastal Kitchen Cabinet Recap

At the Coastal Georgia Kitchen Cabinet kickoff earlier this month, Savannah-area restaurateurs gathered to meet the new President + CEO of the GRA Stephanie Fischer and our government affairs team, network with State Senator Derek Mallow and State Representative Anne Allen Westbrook, and learn more about how the GRA can support the region's diverse foodservice industry.

Special thanks to the Can Be Employed at The Ordinary Pub team for helping make this event a success! For more information about the GRA’s advocacy initiatives, contact Scott Bierman.

Georgia DOR | Quarterly Sales & Use Tax Rate Updates

Effective July 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.

SALMONELLA OUTBREAK LINKED TO CUCUMBERS

CDC: Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Cucumbers

Fresh Start Produce Sales Inc. has recalled whole cucumbers.

Cucumbers were sold in bulk in 24- and 32-count boxes directly to retail distribution centers, wholesalers, and food service distributors in 14 states, but these sellers may have shipped to additional states or re-packaged them for stores.

Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.
Shipped from May 17 to May 21.
Grown in Florida.

This recall does not include English cucumbers or mini cucumbers. Recalled cucumbers should no longer be in stores.

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.

PREPARE YOUR RESTAURANT FOR HURRICANE SEASON

National Hurricane Preparedness | June 1 - November 30, 2024

Atlantic hurricane season officially began on June 1 and runs 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:

FEDERAL UPDATE

New Action Expands Loan Access for Energy-Reducing Retrofits, Solar Panel Installation

The Small Business Administration has lifted the lending cap for clean energy projects through its 504 Loan Program, which is designed to benefit small and medium businesses. The cap was previously set at $16.5M.

What this means: Restaurant operators interested in projects to reduce energy consumption through a building retrofit or to produce renewable energy will have greater access to capital.

More about the program: The 504 Program has 10-, 20-, and 25-year maturity terms available with an interest rate above the current market rate for 10-year U.S. Treasury issues.

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.

E-VERIFY UPDATE

E-Verify | NEW Login URL Reminder

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

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.