October 2011 Archives

The National Restaurant Association is seeking the industry's help in filming the latest video in its America's Restaurants series.

This video, the third in the series, is focusing on community service, philanthropy and the role restaurants play in helping and improving the lives of their neighbors and those they serve at their myriad establishments across the country. The first video served as an overview of the restaurant industry and the second depicted its varied career opportunities.

For this latest installment, NRA wants to include photographs that illustrate those restaurants and showcase their executives and team members as they perform community service and support charitable projects that are important to them.

Buoyed by stronger same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) topped the 100 mark in September for the first time in three months. 

The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 100.1 in September, up 0.7 percent from August and its highest level since June.  In addition, September represented the first time in three months that the RPI stood above 100, the level above which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators.

“The September increase in the Restaurant Performance Index was fueled by improvements in the same-store sales and customer traffic indicators,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association.

Watch our latest industry update video, where the National Restaurant Association's SVP of the Research & Knowledge Group Hudson Riehle summarizes the September Restaurant Performance Index and additional economic indicators, plus provides a holiday season outlook.

For previous industry update videos, visit our Research & Insights section.

More than 150 stakeholders in the U.S. food system gathered in Chicago this week for a Center for Food Integrity Food System Summit cosponsored by the National Restaurant Association.

Restaurant industry leaders joined representatives from agricultural producers, farm bureaus, commodity groups and other organizations Oct. 25 to 26 to discuss issues ranging from food safety to nutrition, animal well-being, technology innovation and the challenges of feeding a growing world population.

Dr. Robert Post, director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, spoke about his agency's campaign to educate Americans about the 2010 Dietary Guidelines and the government's new "MyPlate" icon to help consumers build healthful meals. He praised the National Restaurant Association and its members for their partnership on the MyPlate communications effort, including the NRA's new "Ask the Nutritionist" video series.

Russ Adams grew up raising turkeys, busing tables and washing dishes for his family's turkey farm and restaurant in Valparaiso, Ind.

His grandmother had opened the Strongbow Turkey Inn in 1940 to sell more turkey after the newly constructed U.S. Highway 30 cut through the farm. The inn had a restaurant, cabins and a gas station.

Today, Russ and his wife Nancy run what is now the Strongbow Inn, a destination restaurant with a banquet facility and on-site bakery and laundry. The business employs 138 people and seats 750 diners. They recently were named Indiana Restaurateurs of the Year by the Indiana Restaurant Association.

The National Restaurant Association appointed Christopher Melchert as its senior manager for food safety and quality assurance, a new position within the association's government affairs and policy department.

Melchert, a food safety and protection expert for more than 27 years, will help develop, manage and implement the NRA's agenda regarding food safety and quality assurance issues.

"Christopher's expertise will be a tremendous asset to the government affairs team and to the entire National Restaurant Association membership," said Scott DeFife, executive vice president of policy and government affairs. "His experience communicating with federal agencies will greatly add to our efforts on regulatory matters."

In her latest Ask the Nutritionist commentary, the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Food & Healthy Living Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., provides some quick tips for making a healthful, fun-filled Halloween.

Children (and maybe adults) with candy-filled bags from trick-or-treating is a key sign that Halloween is here. While allowing some indulgent treats, there are many ways in which you can make your Halloween activities more healthful. 

Treat your child to quality family time together by eating out a local restaurant, or by ordering takeout or delivery to enjoy at home. Restaurants offer a range of healthful options, including healthful options for kids. Our Kids LiveWell program highlights these options, making the healthful choice the easy choice for American families.

Nearly 100 members of the foodservice industry raised money on behalf of the National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Advocacy Fund at the 14^th annual Richard E. Marriott SAFE Golf Invitational in Williamsburg, Va., Oct. 20-22.

The event was held at the Williamsburg Lodge, where some of the most influential restaurant operators converged to network and raise money for the fund, a platform for advocacy on legislative and regulatory issues.

More than 63 players and 42 sponsors participated in this year's event, which included a golf outing and private auction.

The National Restaurant Association asked the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to consider delaying a provision of the health care law set to take effect next March.

Twenty percent of Americans say they plan to order takeout or delivery from a restaurant while trick-or-treaters come around this Halloween, according to new research by the National Restaurant Association. Among younger adults (age 18-34) and families with children, that figure rises to 33 percent and 28 percent, respectively.

In addition, the Association’s research shows that 16 percent of adults will go out to a restaurant or bar to celebrate Halloween during the weekend or on October 31. At one-quarter, younger adults (age 18-34) are more likely to do so than older adults.

“While not a traditional holiday for dining out, Halloween is clearly an occasion where restaurants play a major role in celebrations, according to our new research,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the National Restaurant Association.

In her latest Ask the Nutritionist commentary, the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Food & Healthy Living Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., shares information on how to incorporate more whole grains into diets and menus - and how to be recognized for doing it.

You might have seen recommendations around incorporating more whole grains into the diet, but not sure why they are so important.

The Dietary Guidelines recommend eating at least 3 servings (3 oz.) of whole grain products every day. Scientific studies show that incorporation of whole grain foods and other plant foods along with a low total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol diet may reduce the risk of heart disease and certain cancers.

Bringing sustainability practices to the fore has helped upscale caterer Affairs to Remember snag more customers and approximately $150,000 in additional revenues, its general manager, Patrick Cuccaro said. 

The Atlanta-based off-premises-only caterer, which is a participant of Zero Waste Zones, a partner of the National Restaurant Association's Conserve Solutions for Sustainability, has discovered that its recycling and composting efforts are powerful marketing tools.

"Fortune 500 companies are talking to us," Cuccaro said. "They're saying they believe in our mission of zero waste and are using us because of that, even if we cost more."

The National Restaurant Association has officially launched its Health Care Knowledge Center, a website that offers information, tools and solutions to help restaurateurs understand the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act on their operations and comply with its requirements.

The website was developed specifically for members of the National Restaurant Association to help explain the new health-care law, how it affects restaurateurs and to help them deal with the implementation of the law.

"We're pleased to announce the launch of our Health Care Knowledge Center, a website we developed to be a one-stop, online shop that will provide answers on health-care reform implementation and solutions for our members," said James Balda, the NRA's chief marketing and communications officer.

As Food Day approaches, the National Restaurant Association notes that every day is "food day" for the one million restaurants in the United States.

In the past few weeks, the NRA has worked with a coalition of organizations that represent a wide breadth of the supply chain, from farm to fork. These organizations are showcasing how the food industry creates jobs, fuels the economy, participates in community service and promotes healthful living and environmental responsibility.

Food Day is Oct. 24.

Are you an outstanding entrepreneur or small business owner? The Small Business Administration would like to honor you.

In his latest commentary, the National Restaurant Association's Chief Economist Bruce Grindy analyzes the latest trends in food and menu prices.  Wholesale food prices are on pace to register their strongest gain in three decades, while menu and grocery store prices are following different paths. 

Wholesale food prices continued to march higher in September, according to new data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.  Average wholesale food prices rose 0.6 percent in September, their fourth consecutive monthly increase and 13th gain out of the last 15 months. 

As a result of the steady gains over the last several months, wholesale food prices are on pace to post their strongest annual increase in more than three decades.  On a year-to-date basis through September, average wholesale food prices increased 7.8 percent.  If this trend continues, it would represent the strongest gain since 1980, when prices rose 8.1 percent.

As the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation closes in on its goal of raising $3 million on behalf of its ProStart education program, its chairman, Carlton Curtis, vice president of industry affairs for the Coca-Cola Co., recently talked about its importance to students and the restaurant industry, how it prepares the next generation of industry professionals and what is planned for the months ahead.

What are some of the new and exciting initiatives being explored by the NRAEF?

About 24 months ago, the NRAEF decided to put a national focus on its philanthropic purpose through ProStart, a two-year, high-school program that introduces students to careers in the restaurant industry. A key aspect of this is to raise awareness about the program and the financial resources that will expand it to its natural potential and support state ProStart programs. This year we have an objective of raising money to help support the enhancement of the current program and expansion of it and we are well along on that path. We have over $2.1 million raised for 2011 and another $500,000 committed for 2012 in multiyear grants even though we haven't even started stumping for 2012 yet.

If you're a restaurateur who uses the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) as part of your hiring plans, or if you're working on new construction or renovations to your restaurant, ask Congress to act soon to make sure you qualify for the same tax treatment for these business activities that you receive today.

The industry-driven Foodservice GS1 US Standards Initiative is celebrating its two-year anniversary this month, and GS1 US reports that the industry has now passed the halfway mark on the way to a 75-percent voluntary adoption of GS1 standards by 2015.

The Initiative was launched in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) and the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) as an industry collaboration to drive waste out of the foodservice supply chain, enhance product information and establish a foundation for improved traceability and food safety.

“Traceability is critical for food safety,” said Ann Oka, Senior Vice President of Supply Chain Management for Sodexo. “If we don’t know where a product came from it is very difficult to ensure quality control, let alone recall products in the case of a foodborne illness outbreak.”

With millions of other retailers represented by the Merchants Payments Coalition, the National Restaurant Association is asking Congress to stand up for debit swipe-fee reforms.

Reps. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) and Bill Owens (D-N.Y.) last week introduced a bill to repeal the swipe-fee reforms that took effect for merchants on Oct. 1. The NRA opposes that bill.

Debit-card swipe fees dropped for many NRA members as the NRA-supported Durbin Amendment took effect Oct. 1. The Federal Reserve's rules implementing the Durbin Amendment for the first time cap debit-card swipe fees for merchants at 21 cents per transaction plus 0.5 percent of the transaction price and an extra cent if card issuers have taken certain security measures.

The Merchants Payments Coalition opposes the Chaffetz/Owen effort. The MPC supports an effort by other lawmwakers who have asked the Justice Department to look into potentially anticompetitive behavior by banks who have recently moved to raise fees on debit-card users.

Show off your creativity and commitment to healthy dining by entering USDA's new video contest.

The contest promotes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's MyPlate campaign, which encourages healthful eating habits.

The videos should show how to add more fruit and vegetables to your diet without straining your budget. They should be about 30 seconds long.

USDA encourages participants to share their most inspiring tips, tricks and how-tos in the videos. The videos can feature songs, skits or demonstrations. They must include the message, "Make half your plate fruits and vegetables."

In her latest Ask the Nutritionist commentary, the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Food & Healthy Living Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., provides tips for boosting the immune system by eating nutrient-rich foods.

As the seasons change, the risk of cold and flu can increase. Proper hygiene is one of the best defenses against spreading cold and flu, and eating the right foods can help your immune system perform at its best to resist the cold and flu bug. 

When dining out, consider selecting menu items that are high in essential nutrients that help support a healthy immune system, including vitamin C, zinc and vitamin A (beta carotene). 

Effectively reforming the U.S. tax code will make American businesses more competitive and increase opportunities for job growth, the National Restaurant Association told members of the Senate and House of Representatives in a letter dated Oct. 12.

The letter, sent to the Finance Committee's Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., and Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and the Committee on Ways and Means' Rep. Dave Camp, R-Mich., and Rep. Sander Levin, D-Mich., said supporting comprehensive tax reform at the individual and corporate levels simultaneously and keeping tax rates low would help ensure that employers continue to invest and create jobs here in America.

"Comprehensive tax reform would provide incentive to create jobs because it would make it less costly to hire workers," said David Koenig, the NRA's vice president of tax and profitability.

The latest episode of the National Restaurant Association's podcast series launched today. Available for free download, the podcast focuses on job and career opportunities in the restaurant industry, and how restaurant industry job growth is outpacing the national economy.

Host Blair Chancey, editorial director of Food News Media, speaks with the National Restaurant Association’s Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of research, and Wendi Safstrom, vice president of educational programs, about industry employment trends and how to support a future workforce through the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's ProStart program.

Listen to and download the podcasts through iTunes.

Two U.S. House subcommittees this week held a hearing to scrutinize tough new proposed guidelines for how companies market food to children.

In her latest Ask the Nutritionist commentary, the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Food & Healthy Living Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., highlights fall fruits and vegetables that make excellent additions to both adult and kids' menus. The Association's Kids LiveWell program also encourages the use of more produce in kids meals.

In-season produce keeps restaurant menus fresh and exciting - and colorful. Fall and winter produce reflects the colors of changing foliage, with yellows, oranges, greens and reds that generally remain with the fruits or vegetables throughout the cooking process. Dishes created with seasonal favorites - like winter squash, Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes - add both flavor and visual appeal to seasonal menus.

Incorporating seasonal fruits and vegetables into your diet provides an array of various nutrients. For example, there are thousands of antioxidants called polyphenols, which provide beneficial health effects. Fruits and vegetables are a natural, terrific source for these antioxidants to help keep your body functioning at its best.

The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, or ORLA, received one of four Governors' Gold Awards at a gala event Oct. 11 in Portland, Ore.

The award was presented to ORLA officials by four Oregon governors in recognition of the association's contributions to the state and exemplary service to Oregonians on local, regional and state levels.

"We are excited to accept this award on behalf of the hospitality industry for all they've done to make our community and Oregon a better place to live," said Steve McCoid, ORLA's president and chief executive. "We're fortunate to work in an industry ... that gives back so much that [it inspires] us to do more for them."

The National Restaurant Association recently released a new ad in its America Works Here campaign.

The ad notes that the restaurant industry is the second largest source of jobs in the United States, after the health care industry. Restaurants employ nearly one in 10 Americans, the ad notes. "With the right policies, we could add another 1.3 million jobs to our economy over the next decade," it says. 

The America Works Here ads run each month in Capitol Hill publications to convey to policymakers the impact the restaurant industry has on careers, communities and the economy.

Last month's ad focused on food safety. See previous ads about the industry's economic impact, opportunity and diversity, skills-building, careers, youth development and nutrition.

We've heard that some businesses still are not complying with a federal law that prohibits businesses from showing expiration dates and more than the last five digits of a card number on electronically printed receipts.

Members of the South Carolina Hospitality Association recently visited Atlanta to learn how restaurateurs there are cutting their landfill contributions - in some instances up to 85 percent - through composting and recycling.

Accompanied by officials of the National Restaurant Association and Zero Waste Zones, an NRA partner, the group examined the systems and infrastructure they'd need to reduce restaurant waste in their home state.

For Scott Fister, sustainability coordinator for Kiawah Island Golf Resort near Charleston, that meant taking a granular view during the tour of participants in the Zero Waste initiative, like Ecco, the upscale restaurant owned and operated by Atlanta's Fifth Group Restaurants. That sizeable restaurant composts and recycles all but half a roller bin of garbage per week.

The National Restaurant Association and organizations representing millions of American businesses told Congress Oct. 6 that the nation's merchants welcome the long-needed reforms in debit-card swipe fees that took effect Oct. 1 -- and that banks and card companies are unfairly blaming the reforms as they raise fees on card-using customers.

When Jack Markell was 16, he worked in a Friendly's restaurant in Newark, Del. One of his responsibilities was to rotate food in the "very chilly" walk-in refrigerator.

The job is a standard food safety practice in restaurants. Food rotation helps reduce waste, prevent contamination and ensure freshness.

"It's not that complicated, but you have to do it every day," the Delaware governor recently told a group of restaurateurs and retailers.

Markell announced the winners of the Governor's Award for Excellence in Food Safety Sept. 30 at Iron Hill Brewery in Wilmington.

The National Labor Relations Board today announced it is pushing back the date by which employers are required to post a new workplace notice of employees' right to organize into unions.

The NLRB says its notice-posting rule will take effect Jan. 31, 2012, rather than the original deadline of Nov. 14, 2011. In a press release issued today the NLRB said it postponed the mandate's effective date to "allow for enhanced education and outreach to employers, particularly those who operate small and medium sized businesses."

The NLRB finalized the poster rule in late August, ignoring comments from the National Restaurant Association and thousands of other employers and employer groups protesting the regulation.

The new regulation for the first time will require all employers subject to the National Labor Relations Act to post a conspicuous 11" x 17" poster outlining employees' rights to organize and bargain collectively.

The NRA and many other business groups have from the beginning questioned the NLRB's authority to impose such a mandate. The NRA and 31 state restaurant associations filed comments last February asking the NLRB to withdraw the proposal, first issued in December. We said the proposal "would mandate the posting of both misleading information to employees and lead to miscommunication between workers and managers."

More recently, as a leading member of the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace, the NRA Sept. 23 joined in a National Association of Manufacturers' lawsuit against the NLRB to block the notice-posting requirement. That and other lawsuits continue to move forward despite the NLRB's decision to postpone the requirement's effective date.

The National Restaurant Association said it is now accepting nominations for its annual Restaurant Neighbor and Faces of Diversity awards.

The awards are part of the NRA's Restaurant Industry Awards program and honor those members of the restaurant industry that best represent its commitment to diversity and charitable giving.

All nominees must be employed in the industry and suppliers are not eligible to participate. Nominations are due no later than Dec. 5. The awards will be presented at a gala event in April 2012, during the NRA's annual Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C.

The National Restaurant Association has added Steven Hilton, Vice President of Government Relations for McDonald’s Corporation, to its Board of Directors. Hilton was inducted at the Association’s fall 2011 board meeting in Washington, D.C., last month and will serve through Dec. 31, 2013, when he is eligible to renew his commitment.

The National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors consists of industry leaders who serve on a voluntary basis to guide the Association toward its vision of leading America’s restaurants into a new era of prosperity, prominence and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all it serves.

In his role at McDonald’s, Hilton leads the corporate government relations team, which manages McDonald’s state, federal and international government activities. He is responsible for building and protecting the brand through shaping public policy.

We have invited the National Restaurant Association’s Director of Food & Healthy Living Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., to regularly contribute news, tips and information on how American families can live a healthy lifestyle full of enjoyable food and beverage experiences. In this first installment, Joy helps adults and kids alike navigate healthfully through this season’s football tailgating events with easy-to-follow tips for cutting back calories and unhealthy fat, and increasing nutrient-rich foods in your diet. Also watch a video of Joy dishing up tips for restaurant operators on creating healthful kids’ menus, as part of the Association’s new Kids LiveWell program.

Balance and moderation is key when it comes to enjoying your favorite foods, especially during football season with its tailgating parties and other sports-centered social events. Typically, if you follow a healthy diet 90 percent of the time, you can allow for 10 percent of “wiggle” room for more indulgent items.

Many food items commonly served at tailgate parties fall into that more indulgent category. But, there are ways you can make your tailgating healthier, by tweaking recipes or choosing different items. For example, adding choices of fruits and vegetables can be creative, fun, tasty and healthy.

Here are some tips to consider for your next tailgating event:

The National Restaurant Association’s Director of Food & Healthy Living Joy Dubost, Ph.D., R.D., offers up tips for restaurant operators on how to create healthful kids menus. The Association's recently-launched Kids LiveWell program aims to make the healthier choice the easy choice at restaurants nationwide.

To watch more of our videos, visit us on YouTube.

The National Restaurant Association has earned American National Standards Institute (ANSI) ASTM E2659 accreditation for its ServSafe® Food Handler training and assessment program. California recently enacted a law that makes accredited food safety training mandatory for all restaurant employees who handle, prepare or store food. ServSafe Food Handler is the leading program for food handler training in California.

The California Food Handler Card law was modified on Sept. 6, 2011, per SB 303 to require accreditation for approved training programs. As a result, only programs with the ANSI/ASTM E2659-09 Standard Practice for Certificate Programs Accreditation are qualified to issue compliant California Food Handler cards.

In addition to earning the ANSI ASTM E2659 accreditation, the ServSafe Food Handler program also received two commendations by ANSI. The first commendation is for a well-designed curriculum developed by a highly skilled team with advanced degrees. The second commendation is for the ServSafe California Call Center, which provides customer service by offering real-time, personal assistance to students in multiple languages by staff that is familiar with the law, the program and the state’s geography.

With National Food Safety Education Month (NFSEM) winding down, it’s important to keep in mind that food safety is a priority every day of the year. Without proper food safety practices in place, foodborne illnesses can occur, which could lead to complaints, poor reviews, additional health inspections and, ultimately, loss of customers. Sanitation and hygiene are essential when it comes to food safety.

The National Restaurant Association partnered with SCA, the makers of the Tork® brand of away-from-home paper products, for this year’s campaign. SCA provides resources to foodservice operators, such as advice from expert professional and academic authorities, best practices and hygienic product solutions.

“We see this ongoing partnership as an opportunity to continue offering education to the foodservice industry. As SCA celebrates its tenth anniversary in North America, our goal is to involve and commit more operators to food safety and hygiene practices so they understand how critical it is to the health and wellness of their patrons, as well as their bottom line,” says Suzanne Cohen, foodservice segment director for SCA Tissue North America.

Debit card swipe fees started to decrease for many merchants over the weekend.

A cap on debit card interchange fees, issued in June by the Federal Reserve, went into effect Saturday. It generally limits what large banks can charge merchants for accepting debit card transactions.

The rule applies to cards issued by regulated banks, or those with more than $15 billion in assets. About 600 banks are affected by the rule; the other 15,000 banks that issue debit cards have less than $10 billion in assets. Those 600 large banks, however, issue most payment cards.

Two food courts operated by contract foodservice company HMSHost are serving as pilot sites for a new National Restaurant Association initiative that identifies and shares sustainability practices for multitenant feeding areas of airports, travel centers and shopping malls.

The Sustainable Food Court Initiative is a joint venture of the NRA and Zero Waste Zones, an Atlanta-based program that strives to eliminate foodservice facilities' landfill contributions. Other partners in the Initiative include Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group, one of the nation's largest shopping center operators, and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, where one of the HMS pilot facilities is located. The other is in the Concord Mills shopping mall in Concord, N.C.

The initiative addresses some of the sustainability challenges that are peculiar to food courts. For instance, according to Chris Moyer, project director of the NRA's Conserve program, the complexes typically have multiple food and beverage outlets that share a dining area serviced by a third party. Those operators may not be directly involved in such functions as putting out and emptying trash receptacles, he says.