Leadership Reports Letters from the CEO and Chairman

Letter from the CEO By the thinnest of margins — 0.8% — Florida voters narrowly passed Ballot Amendment 2 to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour by 2026. Given the devastating impacts that COVID-19 has already had on Florida’s economy, we are extremely worried about the job losses and business closures that will accompany this mandate.

We are incredibly proud of our small business owners and employees from across the state who came together to fight this amendment. We have seen too many places across the country that have implemented this wage hike, only to see workers who were promised more money instead lose their jobs altogether. We are concerned about our small businesses and those they employ.

Businesses across Florida are already doing their best just to keep their doors open and take care of their employees during the challenging circumstances of COVID-19. FRLA will continue to do all that we can to help local businesses and employees in every way we can as they navigate the coming years. We hope that our state’s 21 million residents and our millions of visitors will also continue to support Florida’s diverse restaurants, hotels, motels and others across our unparalleled hospitality industry, along with the 1.5 million employees who depend on these jobs to provide for their families and to grow their careers.

We know there will be a lot of questions as the wage implementation nears, and we are committed to helping you. We still have a very busy legislative session ahead of us where we will fight for COVID-19 liability protections for the industry, alcohol delivery and takeout, and we will continue to help increase your business by building consumer confidence through enhanced sanitation and safety training programs like the FRLA Seal of Commitment.

We will work together to move forward as these financial impacts disrupt our industry and put our people’s livelihoods on the line. We are HOSPITALITY STRONG, and we are here to assist you moving forward.

While the bright spots in 2020 with regards to COVID-19 and minimum wage have been few and far between, the theme of this magazine, technology, appears to be one of the brightest for our industry. According to many, technology in the hospitality sector has grown faster this year than ever before. This was a popular topic of discussion at our recent Marketing and Operations Summit in Destin. COVID-19 Recently I was asked to speak about the future of the hospitality industry. Well the crystal ball that I purchased doesn’t seem to be working and is just sitting as a decoration on my desk.

If we look back over the past 40 years, things were not always rosy. We were in a recession during the early 1980s. On 9-112001, our world stopped. During 2008–09, we experienced a housing and financial crisis that led us into another recession. Then here comes 2020 with COVID-19 — and we will call that the Twilight Zone.

Now let us take a look back at what has been introduced during the past 40 years. In the 1980s, credit cards were used to guarantee rooms, children’s camps began, computers in hotels and loyalty programs started. The next decade brought coffeemakers in rooms, irons and ironing boards, free breakfast, online reservations and VRBO. During the 2000s, there came the start of video conferencing, Wi-Fi, the birth of OTAs, revenue has certainly accelerated the transition to, expansion of, and implementation of technology in our industry, and we know that it will continue to play an important role across the hospitality sector.

Carol B. Dover

Carol B. Dover

Letter from the Chairman of the Board

FRLA President & CEO management, smartphones and AirBnB. The following decade saw the introduction of digital marketing, social media and epic amounts of fast food.

So here we are in 2020, and what will this decade bring? I guess the point that I am trying to make is that we continue to innovate, introduce new products and amenities, and we are redefining service. I can only encourage all of us to remain optimistic of the future and look at our challenges as opportunities for our industry.

I want to thank all of you for the opportunity to serve as 2020 FRLA chairman. I wish all of you the very best. Keep you and your families safe.

Sheldon Suga

Sheldon Suga 2020 Chairman of the Board

2019-20 CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD Sheldon Suga Hawks Cay Resort, Hawks Cay

2020 VICE CHAIRMAN Jim Shirley Great Southern Café, Santa Rosa Beach

2020 SECRETARY TREASURER AND LODGING DIRECTOR 2020-21 Olivia Hoblit Innisfree Hotels, North Florida

2019–20 RESTAURANT DIRECTOR John Horne Anna Maria Oyster Bar, Bradenton

2020–21 RESTAURANT DIRECTOR Carlos Gazitua Sergio’s Restaurants, Miami

2020 IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN Kevin Speidel Hilton Grand Vacations

MANAGING EDITOR Susie R. McKinley Email: Editor@frla.org

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