ARHA Now, Volume 11, Issue #2

Partnering to help people feel confident that establishments are taking steps to provide a higher level of cleanliness

What is the Ecolab

Science Certified™ program?

A comprehensive, science-based public health and food safety program that combines science-backed products, procedures and training with periodic auditing to help deliver a higher level of cleanliness.

Together, we can help you meet employee, staff, guest and customer expectations and advance cleaner, safer practices.

Confidence in clean is critical

95% of consumers want to see as much or more cleaning and sanitation practices post-Covid-19 vaccine.*

A majority of consumers also want:

• hand sanitizer provided

• to see strict cleaning protocols and employees visibly cleaning

• to know hospital disinfectants are being used

• cleaning practices audited by an independent party

more at ECOLAB.COM/SCIENCECERTIFIED

CURBSIDE ALCOHOL SALES

THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE ALABAMA RESTAURANT & HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION

334.244.1320

3 S. Jackson Street

Montgomery, AL 36104 ARHAONLINE.COM

MINDY HANAN

President & CEO

SHEA PERKINS

Senior Director of Membership

MELISSA MARTIN

Project Coordinator

ALISON INGLE

Director of Communications

CHEF JESSICA HENRY

Director of ProStart Program

FOR ADVERTISING RATES: Call 334.244.1320 or visit ARHAonline.com

FROM THE PRESIDENT 4

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS 5

SERVSAFE REMOTE OPTIONS 6

2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION RECAP 8

DON STALEY RETIREMENT 11

2022 PROSTART COMPETITION RECAP 12

2022 PROSTART NATIONALS 16

EDUCATOR OF EXCELLENCE AWARD 17

THE REAL COST OF RUNNING A RESTAURANT 18

HUMAN TRAFFICKING AWARENESS 20

UKRAINIAN RESTAURANT WEEK 22

2022 BARTENDER OF THE YEAR 23

2022 STARS OF THE INDUSTRY AWARDS 24

2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS & ADVISORY COUNCIL 26

ARHA WHAT’S HAPPENING 27

MINDY HANAN President & CEO, ARHA

from the PRESIDENT

The first half of the year has flown by! Summer has wound down and ARHA is looking forward to having in-person chapter meetings again this fall. This is your opportunity to be involved. Being engaged at the local level is extremely important in order for the industry to be successful legislatively. As we approach the mid-term Congressional elections and Alabama’s statewide elections, it has never been more important for legislators and policymakers to continue to hear from our industry leaders. We are continuing to push our lawmakers and elected officials for economic and legislative support as the industry

continues to recover. But, no matter how hard ARHA lobbyists work for you, your legislators want to hear from you, their constituents. They want to know how your business is doing, what your challenges are and how laws and regulations are affecting your business.

The hospitality industry continues to deal with the ongoing labor shortage that is disrupting the way we normally do business. Training is critically important. Without a standard operating procedure for onboarding new employees, industry businesses are finding themselves in a revolving door of hiring, firing, job posting and doing it all over again. The Alabama Community College System has created a Food and Beverage Certificate Program that can assist you in rapidly training your new employees. In addition, there will be a Lodging Certificate Program that will be introduced in the coming months. At this time, due to a grant made possible by Governor Ivey and the Alabama Tourism Department, the training is available at no cost to your employees or your business. These certificate programs were created by working in concert with the industry to define the most critical skills needed for entry-level workers.

Congratulations to ARHA Board Members Adam Keeshan and Hans van der Reijden of Ithaka Hospitality Partners and Auburn University’s School of Hospitality Management on the opening of the Tony & Libba Rane Culinary Science Center. This is the culmination of years of work and will put Alabama on the map as the premier culinary educational institution in the country. We look forward to the great industry leaders that will emerge from this visionary undertaking.

ARHA achieved many great wins for the industry in this year’s legislative session - replenishing the Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund which reduced all Alabama employer’s unemployment taxes by 29%, the ability to sell alcohol to go, and allowing 18 year-olds to serve alcohol as part of the Responsible Vendor Program are just a few of the legislative accomplishments. Please see Deborah Miller’s full report for more information.

ARHA continues to advocate for relief and to connect you with resources to help you through this time. It is our honor to represent you and fight for Alabama’s restaurant and hospitality industry.

WELCOME. New Members

RESTAURANT

Captain D’s Seafood - SPFS, Inc. Madison, TN

Catherine’s Market/Bru63 Alexander City

Fanny Goldmine Diner Alexander City

Gulf Coast Restaurant Group Gulfport, MS (Half Shell Oyster House)

Kowaliga Restaurant Alexander City

Papa Dubi’s Albertville

Russell Lands Alexander City

Saw’s Bar Homewood LLC Birmingham (Local No. 39 Homewood)

Springhouse Restaurant Alexander City

Wicker Point Golf Club Alexander City

Willow Point Golf and Country Club Alexander City

LODGING

Holiday Inn Express Fairhope-Point Clear Fairhope

Huntsville Marriott at the Huntsville Space & Rocket Center

Pursell Farms Sylacauga

Staybridge Suites Auburn Auburn

ALLIED

Ecolab St. Paul, MN

B&B Beverage Management Auburn

Next Level Development & Training Assoc. Jackson, MS

Royal Restoration, LLC Helena

Social Eastern Shore Daphne

Pursell Farms, Sylacauga

Springhouse Restaurant, Alexander City

Huntsville Marriott at the Space & Rocket Center

The ServSafe Manager certification exam can be proctored remotely from almost any computer *. That means you can schedule your manager training and exams anytime, freeing your trainers and managers to focus on your operations.

Your team can take exams at a time that works with your schedule

Built to integrate seamlessly with your current platforms or portals Flexible Efficient

No need to schedule big classes now that you can train on demand

Watch a video of the candidate experience

LegislativeREPORT

Election year Legislative Session Fast Paced/What’s Ahead for 2023

The 2022 Regular Session was “rushed” to say the least. The fast paced work days cut the number of months in session down significantly and that meant extra work for ARHA and all organizations that maintain a presence in the statehouse. Committee meetings overlapped with meetings of the Senate and House on the floor resulting in some organized chaos.

All in all, ARHA enjoyed a robust and productive session with all of the priority proposals getting a favorable nod from the Alabama legislature. A list of bills are provided for your review. Other measures that required regulatory action have been met and dealt with. However, there are always a looming number of items yet to be tackled.

There were 442 bills and resolutions enacted and some of them have a positive impact for our ARHA members. Your team helped with efforts to lower the average employer’s unemployment compensation insurance by a significant 30%. Already begun in May, if a business has less than $15 million in sales in 2021 they will no longer prepay sales tax monthly but must remit on the 20th of the month after the tax is accrued.

Beginning in October of 2023, 75% of businesses will be exempt from business personal property tax. Also the $100 minimum business privilege tax will be zeroed out in 2024.

The legislation granting an alcohol license for the world class hospitality center at Auburn University will be a game changer for our state. The legislation to lower the ages of servers of alcohol to the age of 18 will certainly help in the staffing shortages that our industry has struggled with.

Priority number one for ARHA is persuading the state legislature and executive branch of government that our members were hurt and remain hurt from the pandemic and deserve consideration from the federal funding. Inflation,

rising costs of food and drastic understaffing continue to plaque our membership. And now we have to be concerned about security issues as well as new surges of the Coronavirus. Just recently, statistics show there is an uptake with the virus and it is predicted that the fall may bring a greater surge that could lead to more mask mandates, social distancing and hopefully not, but shutdowns.

DEBORAH MILLER Miller Development Group

The second round of ARPA funds have not been issued to the state and while many thought there would be a summer special session to allocate those funds at the time of this writing that seems unlikely. Instead sources indicate that a special could occur in January around the time of the organizational session if at all.

We need your help! While we continue to buttonhole members of the legislature and the Executive Branch, ie., the Governor’s office, your hometown discussions with legislators will go a long way in our pursuit of funds. It should be noted that the Regular session does not begin until early March of 2023. That is a long time in the unpredictable environment in which we live. And the only thing predictable is that it is unpredictable.

While the world continues to change, the Alabama legislature largely remains the same. There are the same number of Democrats and Republicans. There are a few more females in the House on the Republican side. All but one incumbent in the Senate easily won re-election and leadership will all but remain the same in the Senate besides a few committee assignments.

Senator Greg Reed will remain the Pro Tem and Senator Clay Scofield will continue as Majority Leader. It is expected that Senator Bobby Singleton will also continue as Minority Leader and Jabo Waggoner will remain Rules Chairman.

The House is where the “action” is at this time. The Speaker of the House retired and that leaves an opening for Speaker, a possible new Majority Leader, the Rules Chairman did not seek re-election and the Speaker Pro Tempore is not seeking that post again. Several have thrown their hat into the ring. These posts are secret ballot votes among the membership.

There are several new House members that are being courted by those seeking the above mentioned positions.

Rest assured that your ARHA lobbying team is committed to your issues and your industry. Under the leadership of Mindy Hanan, the association continues to gain respect and clout in the Alabama legislature and the Executive branches of government. There is and will be many challenges but we stand ready to meet those challenges on your behalf.

2022 LEGISLATIVE SESSION RECAP:

LOWER AGE TO SERVE ALCOHOL TO 18

A bill passed by the Senate the final day of the session was a high priority of the bills pushed by ARHA. The new law allows 18-, 19- and 20- yearolds to serve alcoholic beverages in restaurants provided they do not work as bartenders. It specifically prohibits 18- to 20-year-olds from pouring or dispensing alcoholic beverages. The restaurant also must be certified annually as a responsible vendor under the state’s Responsible Vendor Program. The bill allows wholesale licensee or off-premises retail licensee employees under 21 years of age to handle, transport, or sell alcoholic beverages, provided the employee is working within the scope of his or her employment. It eliminates the up to 30-day jail time for juveniles and employers, while increasing the civil penalties for businesses for underage violations to $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense and $1,000 for a third or subsequent offense.

Act No. 2022-383

UNEMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENT CHANGES

After a lengthy House debate from minority and rural legislators, the bill to require people who receive unemployment compensation to apply

to a minimum of three places per week reached final passage. Most of the arguments centered around the lack of equality in both resources and opportunity to seek jobs in Alabama. State law previously required one contact. The contacts can be made in person or by telephone or email. This change will be effective on January 1, 2023 and weakened the requirement by the Department of Labor to randomly verify the authentication of 5% of the applicant instead of the proposed 10%.

Act No. 2022-301

UNEMPLOYMENT TAX DECREASE

HB 1 by Rep. Steve Clouse appropriated $772 million in American Rescue Plan federal dollars including $79.5 million to the Unemployment Trust Fund. The deposit of the $79.5 million returned the Trust Fund to the pre-pandemic balance. Employers received a 29% reduction in unemployment taxes for shared costs.

Act No. 2022-1

BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION /RAISE THRESHOLD FOR MONTHLY SALES TAX PAYMENTS

HB 82 by Rep. Danny Garrett provides an exemption of up to $40,000 in tangible business personal property from state ad valorem tax, beginning October 1, 2023. The bill will eliminate filings on a state level for about 75% of small business owners. *Estimated annual tax savings of $4.37 million. The bill also increases the threshold for submitting estimated monthly sales tax payments from $2,500 in state sales tax liability to $5,000. The increase will remove approximately 2,467 sales tax licensees from the requirement of making monthly estimated payments. Raising the threshold will avoid filing and any penalties and interest when a business does not owe any monthly tax or a small tax liability. Estimated to save $5.5 million in the month immediately preceding passage of the bill. Act No. 2022-53

BUSINESS PRIVILEGE TAX

HB 391 by Rep. Steve Clouse reduces the annual minimum business privilege tax of $100 to $50 for the taxable year beginning after December 31, 2022 and provides for a full exemption from the minimum business privilege tax due for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2023. Estimated to provide tax relief for 230,000 small businesses. Annual tax savings for affected businesses is approximately $23 million annually. Act No. 2022-252

CURBSIDE ALCOHOL SALES PERMANENTLY ALLOWED

Curbside alcohol sales in Alabama resumed July 1, 2022. The legislation by Rep. Gil Isbell, R-Gadsden makes takeout alcohol sales officially legal and permanent.

• The curbside/carryout section applies to businesses with on- or off-premises licenses or a combo of both. This section codifies similar operating procedures to what was allowed on an emergency basis during the pandemic. It limits the amount of liquor that can be sold per customer to one liter, wine to 1,500 milliliters and beer to 288 ounces.

• Employees handling the beverage sales for curbside/takeout must be 21 years old or older.

Originally, this was allowed temporarily under pandemic emergency orders. The measure is a step in the positive direction as the restaurant and hospitality industry continues to recover post-COVID.

HAPPY RETIREMENT DON STALEY! President & CEO, Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports

Congratulations to ARHA Board Member Don Staley on his retirement! Don served as President & CEO of Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports (TTS) and also helped create the Tuscaloosa Sports Foundation in 2007, which later joined with the Tuscaloosa Convention and Visitors’ Bureau to become TTS. From 2014 to 2017, Staley was the executive director of the Foley Sports Tourism complex, which he helped found and brand, a $32 million, 91,000 square-foot venue that’s become a national draw for the city, just nine miles up the road from Gulf Shores. For his efforts, Staley was recognized as Sports Tourism Executive of the Year in 2015, by the National Association of Sports Commissions. Before his tourism career, he spent 23 years coaching including being the men’s and women’s head soccer coach at Virginia’s Radford University and moving to Tuscaloosa to help create the soccer program at The University of Alabama.

DON STALEY President & CEO, Tuscaloosa Tourism & Sports

2032 Valleydale Road Birmingham, AL 35244

CLAYTON TAYLOR, ext. 1501 205-988-0681 800-476-0801 clayton.taylor@aieins.com

PERDIDO BEACH RESORT, ORANGE BEACH | FEBRUARY 27-28

Auburn High School

Boaz High School

Bob Jones High School

Calhoun County Career Academy Career Academies of Decatur

Central High School

Gulf Shores High School

Huntsville Center for Technology Jasper High School

Limestone County Career Technical Center

Opelika High School

Pelham High School

Pinson Valley High School

Riverchase Career Connection Center

Shelby County CTEC

South Baldwin Center for Technology Tuscaloosa Career & Technology Academy

THANK YOU SPONSORS

A total of 16 teams comprised of hospitality and culinary students from across Alabama competed at the 2022 Alabama ProStart Student Invitational held in March. The competition is hosted annually by the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association Foundation (ARHAF) and was held at Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach.

ProStart is a high school program that gives students interested in foodservice careers a head start by teaching culinary techniques and management skills through an industry-driven curriculum. Upon successful completion of the ProStart Program, students receive an industryrecognized certificate – and employers get wellprepared, enthusiastic employees.

The Alabama ProStart Student Invitational is a recognized competition which showcases the culinary, management and academic talents of

CULINARY COMPETITION:

1st Place: Pelham High School

2nd Place: Boax High School

3rd Place: Gulf Shores High School

MANAGEMENT COMPETITION:

1st Place: Pelham High School

2nd Place: Calhoun County Career Academy

3rd Place: Shelby County CTEC

BEST BEEF ENTREE (SPONSORED BY ALABAMA CATTLEMEN’S ASSOCIATION): South Baldwin Center for Technology

KNIFE SKILLS: Career Academies of Decatur

SPIRIT & TEAMWORK AWARD–CULINARY: Opelika High School

SPIRIT & TEAMWORK AWARD–MANAGEMENT: Boaz High School

students from high schools across the state. The student teams competed in both culinary and management events which are judged by industry professionals and experts. This year, two teams from Pelham High School were crowned the state champions in both categories and awarded multiple scholarships. In May, the culinary and management teams from Pelham High School traveled to Washington, DC to represent Alabama in the national competition.

“ProStart students represent the future of the restaurant and hospitality industry,” said Mindy Hanan, Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association President and CEO. “This Competition is an incredible opportunity for those students to showcase the skills learned in the classroom through the ProStart program and their passion for this industry.”

PELHAM HIGH SCHOOL 1st Place Culinary

PELHAM HIGH SCHOOL 1st Place Management

BOAZ HIGH SCHOOL 2nd Place Culinary

GULF SHORES HIGH SCHOOL 3rd Place Culinary

CALHOUN COUNTY CAREER ACADEMY 2nd Place Management

SHELBY COUNTY CTEC 3rd Place Management

SOUTH BALDWIN CTEC Best Beef Entree Award

CAREER ACADEMIES OF DECATUR Knife Skills Award

OPELIKA HIGH SCHOOL Spirit & Teamwork Award - Culinary

BOAZ HIGH SCHOOL Spirit & Teamwork Award - Management

Pelham High School Represents Alabama at 2022 NATIONAL PROSTART STUDENT INVITATIONAL

The National ProStart Invitational (NPSI) returned to an in-person format this May at the Washington Hilton in Washington, DC. The culinary and management teams from Pelham High School won first place in the state competition and went on to represent Alabama at the event. NPSI s the finale of a nationwide series of state competitions hosted by partner state restaurant associations. Pelham High Schools culinary and management teams both did an outstanding job and ARHA is proud of all the students!

Educator of Excellence

CHEF DOUG ALLEN, PELHAM HIGH SCHOOL

Chef Doug Allen has been named the 2022 Educator of Excellence by the Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association. He has been the instructor for Pelham High School Culinary Arts for the past six years after enjoying a 45-year career in the food service and hospitality. Allen earned an associate’s degree in hotel and restaurant management from Midland Michigan at Northwood University.

The two years he served in the Army were spent in Germany where he traveled as much as he could to experience as many different cuisines as possible. He and his wife once owned a catering company that eventually developed into a restaurant, and then they opened a bakery in Mountain Brook for about six years before selling the business. He also worked at Jefferson State Community College as the executive chef and instructor for hotel housekeeping management, ServSafe and introduction to hospitality and tourism, and served as the executive chef for Saks Incorporated for 10 years. Additionally, he has been an American Culinary Federation Certified Executive Chef since 2003. When he’s not teaching or overseeing students at events and competitions, he is often tapped for the role of guest chef or guest speaker at culinary events and conferences.

Pelham High School has over 145 students in the culinary arts academy and has a first rate commercial kitchen and facility as a classroom. This year, under his supervision, both the Pelham culinary and management teams won first place at the 2022 Alabama ProStart Student Invitational. They went on to compete at the national competition in Washington, D.C. While Allen is an accomplished chef in his own right, he credits the students and the support of administration for giving the program a great opportunity to interact with the local culinary community. Chef Allen is steadfast in helping his students succeed as he prepares them for their future and very deserving of this honor.

Photo Credit: Kristie Allen Photography

RISING COSTS AND SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES DURING INFLATIONARY TIMES ARE ROCKING THE INDUSTRY AND CHANGING THE PLAYING FIELD.

THE REAL COST OF

Source: National Restaurant Association

As inflation grips the nation, restaurants and retailers are facing skyrocketing food prices, with no short-term relief in sight. The increased costs are related to several factors: the spike in fuel prices, the war in Ukraine, weather events affecting crop growth, ongoing supply chain labor shortages, and the re-emergence of Avian flu, which has reduced the number of chickens and other birds available for egg and poultry production.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates average wholesale food prices rose 17.5% year over year, from April 2021 to April 2022, the largest 12-month increase in nearly five decades. In May, food prices were up 15.6% year over year.

In addition, average hourly earnings of eating and drinking place employees increased 10.6% during the last 12 months. As a result, menu prices rose 7.4% on average between May 2021 and May 2022.

According to Hudson Riehle, the National Restaurant Association’s senior vice president of Research, the foodservice industry is still on target to reach $898 billion in sales this year, but when adjusted for inflation that figure is 11.5% below pre-pandemic 2019 sales.

“Food, labor and occupancy costs are the largest line items for restaurants,” Riehle says. “Combined, they account for roughly 70 cents of every dollar of sales during normal times. For the vast majority of operators, those three categories are taking up a larger share of sales than they did prior to the pandemic.”

Commodities analyst John Barone, president and CEO of MarketVision Inc., cites those and other unanticipated reasons for the current volatility in the market.

“A multi-year drought in the western half of the U.S., the pandemic, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, plus COVID-19, just about crushed

RUNNING A RESTAURANT

everyone except for amazon.com and pizza takeout,” he says. “In the spring of 2020, businesses were forced to close down, and many filed for bankruptcy. Restaurant and supplier employees moved to other industries. Then, when the flood of pent-up consumer demand arrived in the spring of 2021, no one could handle it. There were capacity issues and shortages at every level of the supply chain.”

But, he says, the biggest cost-side issue has been the price per gallon of diesel fuel. On June 14, it reached a recordhigh national average of $5.78 per gallon, up 79.5% from $3.22 a year ago.

“Fuel increases are rippling across the supply chain as raw goods move to manufacturers and processors, then to distribution, and then to restaurants,” he says. “When Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, diesel was still $4.10.”

Barone further notes that the bird flu outbreak has upended the supply chain as well. As of June 10, it’s led to the culling of 31.4 million egg layers, 5.5 million turkeys and 2.4 million broilers. And, more bad news: the USDA raised its 2022 large egg price forecast from $1.36 per dozen to $1.92.

All of this chaos is putting intense pressure on the industry, says Anissa Mandell-Chance, Focus Brand’s senior vice president of Supply Chain.

“Because food, fuel, labor, and other costs are up, they all contribute to margin erosion. We’re a franchise organization, and our franchisees are primarily small business owners,” she says. “There’s only so much

businesses can insulate before having to pass on some of those increased costs to the consumer. It’s a delicate balance for restaurants to focus on daily operations, manage costs, and drive traffic in this difficult environment.”

Mandell-Chance also offers the following suggestions to manage some of the ongoing supply chain issues.

Streamline menus. Look for opportunities to simplify and reduce operational complexity. Focus on executing top menu mix items well, since they drive sales. Get creative with your culinary team to determine whether you can use existing ingredients to fuel the innovation pipeline vs. introducing new products or suppliers. Also, make tough and timely decisions on what to remove from the menu. Be transparent with customers when removing menu items. It’s OK to tell customers you’re not offering certain items. Typically, they’ll trade for something you do serve. But, remember to share that information with them on your websites or apps. Now, more than ever, customers will understand due to the myriad supply availability issues foodservice and retail operations are facing.

“There’s no panacea; we’re not going to be able to wave a magic wand and fix the macro issues quickly,” she says. “It will take time, but it will get better.”

HUMAN TRAFFICKING

WARNING SIGNS in the hospitality industry

Hospitality professionals are on the front lines of human trafficking. If you come in contact with a guest exhibiting one or more indicators, they may be a victim of human trafficking.

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Patrons checking into room(s) appear distressed or injured.

The individual might have numerous rooms reserved for one night. Rooms may be paid for with cash or pre-loaded credit card.

An individual checks in with multiple young guests, does not have luggage, few or no personal items, and leaves the hotel.

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Within the group of guests checking in, there may be one person who appears very controlling over the rest of the group and will not let the others in the group speak.

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Excessive use of hotel computers for adult oriented or sexually explicit websites.

Rentals of pornography when minors are staying in the room.

The guest(s) left in the room may seem confused about their own name(s), may appear helpless, ashamed, nervous, or disoriented.

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Conversations with the guest(s) seem very scripted and/or vague.

The guest(s) might exhibit signs of physical abuse such as bruises, burns, scars, and/or malnourishment.

The guest(s) may have tattoos that reflect money or ownership.

The guest(s) may not have any spending money or identification, may not make eye contact, and may wear clothes printed with slogans such as “Daddy’s Girl” or clothing that is inappropriate for the weather or the guest(s) age.

„

Human trafficking victims typically will not admit they are victims and may not ask for help.

Source: Polaris Project,

Human

Task

Mike Jester

we are looking for bama’s best bartender!

The Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association (ARHA) and Old Forester are looking for the state’s best bartenders to compete in our cocktail showdown!!!

The competition will consist of two parts. First, contestants will create and submit an original cocktail featuring Old Forester for a chance to be chosen as the “People’s Choice Champion.” Second, contestants will be assigned two additional ingredients and tasked with creating their own cocktail variation on the fly!

Regional winners will compete at the state competition on Monday, November 14 at the Hotel at Auburn University. The state competition winner will be crowned Alabama’s “Bartender of the Year” and take home the $1,500 grand prize and trophy!

The competition is open to all professional bartenders in the state. Eight contestants will be selected to compete in each competition.

HUNTSVILLE:

The Westin Hotel Bridge St. Town Centre October 3 @ 5 pm

MONTGOMERY:

Ravello Ristorante 36 Commerce Street October 10 @ 5 pm

BIRMINGHAM:

The Lumbar 212 29th Street S October 17 @ 5 pm

JUDGING CRITERIA:

• Creativity & Technique

• Taste & Presentation

• Crowd Interaction/Showmanship

• Time Management

MOBILE:

Las Floriditas 107 Saint Francis Street October 24 @ 5 pm

HOW TO SIGN UP:

• Apply online at ARHAonline.com or scan the QR code

• Questions? Call 334.244.1320 or email sperkins@arhaonline.com

ARHA OPENS NOMINATIONS FOR 2022 STARS OF THE INDUSTRY AWARDS

The Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association’s annual Stars of the Industry Awards is an annual gala to recognize exemplary performance and service in hospitality across the state. This event draws hundreds of restaurant, hospitality, and tourism professionals from around the state.

This awards program is open for anyone who wishes to recognize an industry employee, manager, property or supplier for his or her outstanding performance. Each nomination category is further broken down by specific department and property size.

HOW TO NOMINATE:

• You do not have to be a member to nominate someone for an award

• Nominations may be entered in more than one category

• Nomination Deadline: September 30, 2022

NOMINATION CATEGORIES:

Front of the House Hospitality Employee of the Year

Back of the House Hospitality Employee of the Year

Front of the House Restaurant Employee of the Year

Back of the House Restaurant Employee of the Year

Hospitality Department

Manager of the Year

Restaurant Manager of the Year

Best New Culinarian of the Year

Chef of the Year

Supplier of the Year

Tourism Promoter of the Year

Humanitarian Award

Restaurateur of the Year

Small Hotelier of the Year

Hotelier of the Year

Spirit Award

SPONSORSHIP

Opportunities

$500 Bronze Sponsor

Recognition on Event Signage Recognition in Event Program

$1,000 Silver Sponsor

4 Dinner Tickets (not reserved seating) Recognition on Event Signage Recognition in Event Program

Recognition on ARHA website Recognition on Social Media

$1,500 Reserved Table

Reserved Table

10 Dinner Tickets Recognition in Event Program

$2,500 Gold Sponsor

Reserved Table

10 Dinner Tickets

Logo on Event Signage Logo on ARHA Website Logo in Event Program

Half Page Ad in Magazine Recognition on Social Media

$5,000 Platinum Sponsor

Reserved Tables

20 Dinner Tickets

Logo on Marketing Materials

Logo on Event Signage

On-Screen Logo at Event Logo on ARHA Website

Recognition in Event Program Recognition at Awards Dinner

Full Page Ad in Magazine Recognition on Social Media

Alabama Restaurant and Hospitality Association

2022 BOARD OF DIRECTORS

OFFICERS

Chairman Penny Groux Perdido Beach Resort, Orange Beach

Chairman-Elect Chris Townsley RAM Hotels

Treasurer Adam Keeshan Ariccia Cucina Italiana, Auburn

Secretary Kent Blackinton Renaissance Mobile Riverview Plaza Hotel

Immediate Past Chairman Bob Omainsky Fried Stewed & Nude, Mobile

President/CEO Mindy B. Hanan

Alabama Restaurant & Hospitality Association

OTHER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS

Bill Lloyd - Druid City Social, Tuscaloosa

Wayne Reaves - Manna Enterprises

Brandt Tucker - Proud Willie’s Wings & Stuff, Auburn

BOARD MEMBERS

RESTAURANT

Gabrielle Barnett - LuLu’s Gulf Shores

Jamie Black - Black Family Restaurants

Pete Blohme - PP Hospitality Group

Jud Blount - Vintage Hospitality Group

David Conklin - Firehouse Subs

Scott Dirting - Windcreek Resorts

Stephen Goode - The Southern Kitchen & Bar

Brian Harsany - Cosmo’s and Cobalt

Cynthia Shea Hart - Catered For Your Nutrition by Shea’s Clark Lopez - Rojo

Bob Parker - Dreamland BBQ

Robin Thagard - Bella’s Fine Dining

LODGING

Larry Bowser - PCH Hotels & Resorts (Shoals Marriott)

Sharon Delmar - Poarch Band of Creek Indians

Margo Gilbert - PCH Hotels & Resorts (Battle House Renaissance Mobile)

Craig Hillyard - PCH Hotels & Resorts

(Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa)

Alan Patel - Comfort Inn Homewood

Nanda Patel - Holiday Inn Gadsden

Sanjay Patel - Baron Hoover LLC - Hyatt Place

Rick Smith - PCH Hotels & Resorts

(Renaissance Ross Bridge)

Hans van der Reijden - Ithaka Hospitality

Jorg Wesche - Grand Bohemian Hotel

Toby Wilson - Wilson Hospitality Management Company

TOURISM

David Clark - Visit Mobile

Sara Hamlin - Greater Birmingham CVB

Pam Williams - Huntsville/Madison County CVB

ADVISORY COUNCIL

Cristina Alamanza - Buffalo Rock Company

Bob Baumhower - Aloha Hospitality

Brent Boatwright - The Westin Huntsville

Robyn Bridges - Auburn-Opelika Tourism

Bob Crawford - United-Johnson Brothers of AL

Patti Culp - Alabama Travel Council

Eric Duggan - US Foods

Beth Gendler - Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism

Mark Grenier - Topgolf

Nick Hartmann - Alabama Power Company

Paul Hufstedler - US Foods

Mike Jester - Heartland

Jim Keller - PCH Hotels & Resorts (Marriott Grand National)

Alex Lamote - Sculpture Hospitality

George Lane - Wood Fruitticher Food Service

David Martin, PhD - Auburn University

Aaron McCreight - Dothan CVB

Jeremy McDonald - Petra RMS

Joseph Mitchell - Jeff State Community College

Alvin Niuh - University of Alabama

Geoff Plott - Prichett Moore Inc.

Tami Reist - AL Mountain Lakes Tourist +

ARHA

Happ e nings

In June, the ARHA Board of Directors met at The Renaissance in Montgomery. The group heard from the Alabama Department of Labor and the Alabama ABC Board and discussed how the industry can move forward post-pandemic.

ARHA staff and board members, Adam Keeshan (Ariccia at The Hotel at Auburn University) and Chris Townsley (RAM Hotels) attended the 2022 National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C.

ARHA staff and board members participated in the 2022 Asian American Hotel Owners Association Conference and Trade Show at the Embassy Suites in Hoover.

ARHA was proud to endorse Katie Britt and congratulates her for winning the Alabama Republican nomination for U.S. Senate.

ARHA Board Chairman Penny Groux presented Bob Omainsky a plaque for his outstanding service and guidance as Board Chairman during the last two years.

BENEFITS AND

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