HOSPITALITY SUMMIT EARLY BIRD RATES END FRIDAY 9/12/25.

Register NOW for the best rates!

Federal Updates

📌 As the new tax law “No Tax on Tips” required, the U.S. Department of Treasury released a list of traditionally tipped occupations within 90 days of the law’s enactment. This preliminary list will receive public comments, but the Treasury Department predicted a final list will be “substantially the same. Access to the list is linked here. 

📌 The National Restaurant Association is hosting a free webinar series designed to prepare the restaurant and hospitality workforce for future success. This series is designed for industry leaders, including operators, workforce partners, educators, job seekers, and advocates. 

• Shaping the Restaurant Workforce Through Cultural Intelligence and Second Chances 
• Wednesday, September 10 | 2:00 P.M. ET 
• Fostering Future-Ready Leaders Through Training and Upskilling 
• Wednesday, September 17 | 2:00 P.M. ET 
• Driving a Public-Private Partnership to Ensure Workforce Success 
• Wednesday, September 24 | 2:00 P.M. ET 

📌 The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) unveiled MAHA in Action, a new interactive platform designed to showcase federal and state efforts advancing the Administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda. According to HHS, the tool provides a transparent view into reforms reshaping America’s food, health, and public safety systems. Explore the platform here. 

📌 The National Restaurant Association recently shared the following economic stories: 

• “Restaurant occupancy costs were more than 5% of sales in 2024” – Wednesday, September 3 
• “Labor market softens despite solid restaurant and lodging job openings in July” – Thursday, September 4 
• “Nonfarm payroll employment has slowed materially over the past 4 months” – Friday, September 5 
• “Restaurants added 11k jobs in August” – Friday, September 5 

📌 Immigration reform remains a critical issue in Washington, and National’s latest 90-Second Update breaks down both the current enforcement landscape and the urgent need for comprehensive policy change. To better understand how increased enforcement is affecting restaurants nationwide, we’ve launched a national survey focused on its impact on customer traffic and workforce participation. Take the survey. 

📌 Four Democrats vying to take on Republican Rep. Mike Lawler are set to take part in a Westchester County forum that is showcasing a party-winnowed field of contenders. The Westchester Democratic Committee event will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 10 at New Castle Town Hall in Chappaqua. The committee invited four of the eight Democrats planning to run next year for New York's 17th Congressional District, the Hudson Valley swing seat Lawler has won twice. 

State Updates

📌 Billy Jones, the North Country’s lone Democrat in the state Legislature, is scheduled to step down on Friday, setting up what is expected to be a highly competitive race for the Assembly seat that he’s held since 2017. The stakes are high in the 115th Assembly District: Democrats are expected to spend heavily to hold their only foothold in the purple district, while Republicans see a path to full regional control. Under state law, the vacancy will trigger a special election in which the political party committees for the district’s three counties — Franklin, Clinton, and Essex — nominate their candidates. Gov. Kathy Hochul has up to 10 days after Jones’ departure to call for the election, which must be held within 70 to 80 days and will likely coincide with local and county elections on Nov. 4. 



📌 Gov. Kathy Hochul is facing pressure from all directions when it comes to two controversial pipeline gas projects. The Northeast Supply Enhancement Pipeline (NESE) and Constitution Pipelines have both faced repeated rejections from the state Department of Environmental Conservation but have seen their applications revived after conversations between Hochul and President Donald Trump earlier this year.  NESE is further along and recently saw the public comment period conclude after a brief extension amid calls from Democrats in Congress for even more time 

New York City Updates

📌 Zohran Mamdani, the frontrunner in the New York mayor’s race, said the city should brace itself for a deployment of National Guard troops as part of President Donald Trump’s attempt to fight crime and round up undocumented immigrants in Democratic cities. “We cannot try to convince ourselves that because something is illegal, Donald Trump will not do it,” Mamdani said at a rally with US Senator Bernie Sanders at Brooklyn College on Saturday. 



📌 Is your health permit up to date? A Food Service Establishment Permit, issued by the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), expires after one year. Check the expiration date on your permit. Renewal notices are sent out 3 months before the permit expires. Be sure DOHMH has your correct contact information to receive all official notices! If you are unsure, you should complete and submit this form or update your information when you renew your permit online. If you owe any outstanding fines imposed for Health Code Violations, you must pay them before your permit will be renewed. You must also provide proof of current Worker's Compensation and Disability Insurance coverage every time you renew. (NYSRA can help you with both!) 

Sign up HERE for updates from the National Restaurant Association.

Upcoming Leadership Roundtables



Each virtual Hospitality Leadership Roundtable features a monthly topic of discussion, and a town hall session for open conversation and Q&A.

Hospitality Leadership Roundtable | Register

Tuesday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. 

NYC Hospitality Leadership Roundtable | Register

Monday, September 29 at 3:00 p.m. 

Caterers Council | Register

Wednesday, October 1 at 11:00 a.m. 

Follow NYSRA on Social Media!