Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine Spring 2019 Edition by Florida Restaurant and Lodging Magazine

SAVE THE DATE: FLORIDA TOURISM DAY — MARCH 13, 2019

Marketing for Hospitality Operators

SPECIAL SECTION

LODGING

Partners, Human Trafﬁcking Awareness, Lodging Basics, and the 5-Star Promise

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contents S P R I N G 2 0 19 | F R L A .O R G

DEPARTMENTS

4 8 12 14 16 18 19 20 21 22 24 25 34 36 41 47 48 49 50

Leadership Reports Letters from the CEO and Chairman Path to Power Charles Woodsby, Talk of the Town Restaurants Chefs That Sizzle Scott Maurer, Noble House Florida Leadership Meet Your New Governor And Elected Ofﬁcials Welcome Meet Our Newest FRLA Members Green Planet Straws Get The Skinny On New Paper Straws Government Relations Three Topics to Keep an Eye On this Legislative Session Business Matters Does Florida Want a $15-an-Hour Minimum Wage? Merger FRLA and CCLTA Merge in Collier County RCS Why You Need RCS Age ID Recognition Several FRLA Members Take Home Golden Spoon Awards Innovation How New Tech is Altering the Way Customers Search for Where To Eat Young Operators Q&A with Danielle Rosse Hospitality Workforce Opportunity Youth Can Fill Employment Gaps Hospitality Happenings Catch Up On The Latest Events Save the Date Don't Miss Out on the Industry's Most Important Meetings Giving Back Core and Its Partners Help Families Affected by Hurricane Michael Educational Foundation Bay High School A La Carte Industry Information You Need To Know Movers And Shakers

SPECIAL FEATURES

Visit Florida — FRLA’s Tourism Partner Working To Create Memorable Experiences For Visitors

FRLA’s Special Lodging Section A Look at Issues Facing Florida’s Lodging Establishments Training Course Teaches How to Spot This Horrible Crime, What to do With Sunken Concrete, Fiberglass Umbrellas Offer Long-term Solutions, Know The Basics From DBPR, and Meet The Leaders of Innisfree Hotels

Marketing How Professional Photos Can Help Make the Sale, Explore Some of the Beneﬁts of a Loyalty Program, and Five Ways To Get More Online Restaurant Reviews

36 FRL A .org

On the Cover: Cover photo courtesy of Eau Palm Beach.

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

LEADERSHIP REPORT

Letter from the CEO 2019 is off to an amazing start, and we are pleased to be working with new leadership across the state to protect, educate, and promote Florida’s $112 billion hospitality industry. I hope to see you all in Tallahassee on March 13 for Tourism Day as we showcase both the importance and diversity of one of Florida’s most important economic drivers. This event is a chance for you to meet with state leaders and your local delegation at the capitol and to hear from key decision-makers. In addition to the newly-elected legislators, we have a new Cabinet as well as a new DBPR Secretary. These men and women have a tremendous impact on our state’s businesses, and each brings a wealth of experience to his or her position. Get to know them and the new CEO and President of VISIT FLORIDA, Dana Young, on pages 14 and 15. This issue is dedicated to lodging, so it is the perfect place for us to announce FRLA’s

newest chapter, the Florida Inns Chapter. On January 1, FRLA merged with Florida Bed & Breakfast Inns and launched our first-ever statewide special interest chapter. I am thrilled to welcome these innkeepers to the FRLA family. You can read about this merger and learn more about our other lodging partners on page 27. Legislative Session begins on March 5, and FRLA is actively tracking current and potential legislation impacting our industry. We are committed to ensuring your voices are heard and your interests are protected, and we are honored to represent you at the local, state, and federal levels. Our Government Relations team has an update on potential issues that may arise on page 19, and you can always find our legislative priorities at FRLA. org/government-relations. Cheers to an exhilarating start to 2019!

Carol B. Dover Carol B. Dover FRLA President & CEO

We are an Industry of Opportunity

As I’ve entered my role representing all of you, I am humbled by the responsibility and exhilarated by the opportunity. We are an industry of promise and have demonstrated an incredible resiliency to all challenges and obstacles we have faced. Governmental, environmental, economic and generational just to name a few. We have faced many crises over the years and have always responded bravely, intelligently and usually quite effectively. We don’t always win, but always leave our mark and make progress. I choose to shine a bright light on a critical success factor that we all deal with every day: 4

S P R I N G 2019

employing and retaining the best and the brightest workforce possible. It is the “make or break” ingredient in the recipe for success in all of our businesses. You each know how great it feels, and how confident you are when your hotel or restaurant is FULLY STAFFED, TRAINED and ENGAGED. You also know how deflating it is when stakeholders are disappointed with the root cause being short staffed, employees undertrained and disengaged. Over the decades, our industry has significantly improved our image and reputation in being a potential employer of choice, but we still have a long way to go. It is in our best interest to stand out among all vocations people can choose to be the one that people line up for. Shortage of talent is not an issue; it is a crisis. We must meet it head–on and solve it. In addition to recruiting more people into “the top of the funnel” we must retain the talent we have. The revolving door of employees hurts every aspect of your business from employee morale to guest experience to financial results, to name a few. I’ve learned from many smart people over the years to follow and commit to a vision and formula for success that summarizes this

way, “the quality of your guest experience will never exceed the quality of your employee experience.” To be true to this statement, it requires the best selection process, training curriculum, and ongoing feedback and development at every level of your organization. When this becomes a reality, your people STAY and excel at their jobs and everyone wins — your team, guests, vendors, the community, investors and YOU. The challenge and opportunity we have is to better communicate the opportunity we have for legitimate jobs with growth and longterm careers. When we hire good people, it’s important to demonstrate a commitment with a firstclass work experience, a great future and the knowledge that they’ve made the right choice for themselves and their families. Hoteliers and restaurateurs for life! Sincerely,

Alan Palmieri Alan Palmieri 2019 Chairman of the Board

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S P R I N G 2019

MAGAZINE Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine is the official publication of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Inc. (FRLA). FRLA reserves the right to accept, modify or reject any and all content submitted for publication, whether paid or otherwise, solely at its discretion. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, FRLA does not endorse or warrant any products or services contained herein. In addition, unless otherwise expressly noted, the opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of FRLA, its directors, officers, members or staff. Content submissions may be made to the Publisher’s Office by regular mail or by email. Please note that submitted materials will not be returned. FRLA Headquarters 230 S. Adams St. Tallahassee, FL 32301 850/224-2250 Fax: 850/224-9213

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PAT H T O P O W E R

Charles Woodsby COFOUNDER OF RED LOBSTER AND FOUNDER/CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF TALK OF THE TOWN RESTAURANT GROUP

harley Woodsby has been involved in the restaurant industry with a career spanning over 60 years. He began his career by attending culinary school in New York City and in 1954 opened his first restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. He then moved to Jacksonville, Florida, in 1960 and formed a business partnership that would change the rest of his life. This partnership owned and operated numerous successful restaurants in Florida, and in 1968, they opened the very first Red Lobster in Lakeland. In two years the partnership sold all five of their Red Lobsters to General Mills. Charley stayed on with the company to open 72 Red Lobster Restaurants across the country. At the age of 42, Charley left the General Mills organization to retire, but in just one year, Charley was back in business with his son, Ron. Together they opened the first Talk of the Town Restaurants in Lakeland, Florida. Over the next five years, they opened Talk of the Town Restaurants in Winter Haven, Clearwater, St. Petersburg and Orlando. In 1984, they took their restaurants in a new direction and opened a high-end steakhouse using only the highest quality and standards. Talk of the Town Restaurant in Orlando became “Charley’s Steak House,” and the rest is history. In 2006, Woodsby was honored with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. While semi-retired, Charley stays active and formed a charitable foundation in 1992 that supports a multitude of programs designed to help the needy in the United States and Honduras.

How did you get started in the hospitality industry? After I married Jean in 1951, we decided to move to

New York to find our future. My brother and his wife were living there and seemed to be doing really well. I took a job in the same diner where my brother worked. I seemed to enjoy the restaurant business and interacting with the people so I decided to attend culinary school at night. In 1955, after graduation, we took our savings of $14,000 and moved to Atlanta where I purchased a tea room. I soon developed a passion for the restaurant business.

Early in your career, what was the most valuable lesson you learned? The most valuable lesson

I learned is that the guest is always right. I had a customer who came in every week and ordered the fried shrimp. One night he called me over and said, “Charley, these shrimp are not right.” I explained to him that we had run out of Florida East Coast shrimp and had ordered Honduran white shrimp that were just as sweet. I defended my decision to do that and got a little combative with him. Well, I did not see him the next week or the week after that. I had lost a valuable customer. No matter what the issue is, the customer is always right. I have carried this throughout my career. 8

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Do you have any mentors who were instrumental in helping you achieve your goals? I came from a family of nine where we all had to pitch in to make ends meet. We often had relatives living with us who could not find work. My parents worked hard to keep a roof over our heads and our bellies full, which taught me a valuable lesson. So, I’d have to say it was living through these hard times that motivated me to strive for a better way of life.

What is the single greatest factor in the success of your career? My motto has always been quality, value,

service and integrity; be honest, be truthful and treat people with respect. My faith has also always been very important to me. I believe God guided me in all directions of my life, putting the right opportunities and the right people before me at the right time.

Please explain to readers how you decided to diversify Talk of the Town Restaurant Group? We wanted the location of all the restaurants to be in Central Florida not too far from the corporate office. At the time, the population of Orlando could not support just one brand, so we decided to open multiple brands. We tried multiple concepts before the first Charley’s Steak House opened. With the success of Charley’s, we realized that fine dining restaurants were the way to go. From there, we developed FishBones, Vito’s Italian Chop House, MoonFish and Johnnie’s Hideaway.

Is there anything you would like to share with Florida’s hospitality industry members? I truly

believe nothing comes easy. Anything is possible if you are willing to work hard. Embrace your dreams with passion. One person with passion is better than a hundred with only an interest. Believe you can and you will. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

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VISIT FLORIDA

here really is no other place like Florida! When people think of the Sunshine State, they imagine beaches, springs, trails, campgrounds, theme parks, hotels, shopping and culinary delights, but Florida is about experiences, making connections and memories. With record numbers of visitors to the state, it is more important than ever that VISIT FLORIDA works together with its partners to help create these experiences. To help make these connections, VISIT FLORIDA relies on its private sector, state agency and trade association partners, like the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. VISIT FLORIDA’s vision is to establish Florida as the No. 1 travel destination in the world and we can accomplish this together. Tourism supports Florida’s economy, creates jobs for residents, and its economic impact is felt across the state. Year after year, Florida has welcomed a record number of out-of-state visitors, and based on the latest economic impact study, these visitors spent $112 billion and supported 1.4 million Florida jobs. According to the Florida Office of Economic and Demographic Research, for every $1 the state invests in VISIT FLORIDA, $2.15 in tax revenue is generated. Each year, Florida Tourism Day gives the industry a chance to come together in Tallahassee to talk with legislators about the impacts of tourism on the state’s economy. Working with FRLA, VISIT

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FLORIDA looks forward to a successful legislative session for the tourism and hospitality industry. The industry’s hard work makes a difference in the experience visitors have in Florida and keeps them coming back! VISIT FLORIDA’s goal is not just to share sunshine, but to brighten the lives of all. Some of the benefits of partnering with VISIT FLORIDA include marketing tools, hospitality training, industry contacts, discounts, promotions, partner to partner benefits and increased marketing exposure to visitors. VISIT FLORIDA works to leverage marketing for its partners through a number of creative and affordable co-op opportunities such as digital and print advertising, domestic and internationally targeted social media, video content production and more. To learn more about the resources available to Florida tourism businesses, go to VISITFLORIDA.org.

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

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Chefs That Sizzle

Scott Maurer EXECUTIVE CHEF, NOBLE HOUSE, KEY WEST

Describe your role as a chef with Noble House. I ensure that all food

is prepared to the highest standards at Ocean Key Resort and Spa. This includes the very popular waterfront restaurant Hot Tin Roof, the iconic Sunset Pier, our LIQUID pool lounge, and our banquet department. I strive to create innovative dishes which are inspired by the Florida Keys and that utilize local products whenever possible. I ensure all of our guests have a memorable dining experience from start to finish. What inspires your menus?

Definitely our locale is an inspiration. We are surrounded by water living in the Florida Keys, with fresh and abundant stone crab, lobster and local fish available to prepare for guests! Please describe some of your most popular menu items. Crab

Cake with Hot Tin Roof remoulade and island slaw. Spicy Tuna Tacos with avocado, Sriracha aioli and micro

Hot Chef? Are You Considered Among Florida’s Hottest Chefs? 12 S P R I N G

2019

cilantro. Key West Pink Shrimp and Scallops with mascarponetasso risotto and garnished with pepper and onion escabeche. Please share with readers about the local vendors that you use on your menu. We use

Fishbusterz as our primary seafood distributor. Cole’s Peace for our breads. Flamingo Crossing for our ice cream. Key West Cakes and Cakes by Carol for our wedding cakes. Cupcake Sushi for some of our banquets events. What is your “sizzle” — your signature items, unique food presentations, or new ideas that you are using? Thyme and

Butter-Poached Florida Lobster with corn, fava beans and confit fingerling potatoes. Exotic Spice Rubbed N.Y. Strip Steak with yukon gold potato gratin, charred broccolini and garlic chips, cabernet sauvignon compound butter. Plantain-Crusted Swordfish, grilled corn salsa and a tequila-

poblano pepper sauce. These are a few of the dishes our guests and I like currently. We are in the process of writing a new menu, so I am sure my favorite dishes will change. What do you attribute your success as a chef to? Passion and

the determination to do the best every day without compromising integrity.

Know a chef who is creating a buzz with innovative cuisine, exceptional presentation or fresh new ideas? FRLA wants to tell the state about your chef in a quarterly feature in FR&L Magazine. Submit your favorite chef du jour to editor@frla.org. Please include a brief explanation of why your submission should be considered one of the hottest chefs in Florida. Be sure to include restaurant and contact information. Submissions will be featured in FR&L Magazine as Chefs That Sizzle!

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FLORIDA LEADERSHIP

Meet the Governor and the New Florida Cabinet Ron DeSantis,

Governor

Governor DeSantis is a Yale University graduate where he graduated with honors while serving as captain of the University’s baseball team. He graduated from Harvard Law School and was commissioned as a JAG Officer for the U.S. Navy. During his active duty, he was deployed to Iraq as an advisor to a U.S. Navy Seal commander. He also served in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Governor DeSantis was decorated with the Bronze Star Medal for Meritorious Service and the Iraq Campaign Medal. While DeSantis continued to serve in the U.S. Navy Reserve, he was a federal prosecutor and elected to the U.S. Congress in 2012. He is married to Casey DeSantis and together they have two children.

Ashley Moody,

Attorney General

Florida’s newly elected Attorney General is a fifthgeneration Floridian from Central Florida. She attended the University of Florida and received degrees in accounting and law. General Moody received her LLM from Stetson University College of Law. Ashley Moody started with Holland & Knight practicing commercial litigation. She then joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office. She was successful in both positions, earning recognition from both the business and legal communities. At the age of 31, she was elected as a Circuit Court Judge in Hillsborough County. As a judge, Ms. Moody worked to establish an Attorney Ad Litem program that recruited attorneys to volunteer to assist children whose parents did not appear in court with them. She also started a mentoring program for kids that were in the juvenile delinquency program. She was an adjunct professor at Stetson University College of Law and served the legal field by serving in several other faculty roles. She is married and has two sons. 14 S P R I N G

2019

Jimmy Patronis, Chief Financial Officer

CFO Patronis is fourthgeneration Floridian who grew up in Panama City. He earned his Associate’s degree in Restaurant Management from Gulf Coast Community College and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the Florida State University. Jimmy is a partner in Captain Anderson’s, a famous seafood restaurant in Panama City Beach. His career started at the restaurant, and from there, he began a public service career with internships at the Florida Senate and the United Kingdom’s House of Commons. He was appointed by Governor Jeb Bush to the Florida Elections Commission, and later was elected for eight years as a member of Florida’s House of Representatives. CFO Patronis has also served on the Public Service Commission and the Constitution Revision Commission. He is deeply involved in North Florida’s business community and is a board member of FRLA. Jimmy is married and has two children.

Nikki Fried,

Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Commissioner Fried is a lifelong Miamian. She graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Political Science, a Master’s degree in Political Campaigning, and a law degree from the Levin College of Law. Ms. Fried was Student Body president at the University of Florida. She is a Florida Blue Key Society member and served on the University’s Board of Trustees. She currently sits on the University’s Governmental Relations Advisory Committee. After receiving her law degree, Ms. Fried worked for the Alachua County Public Defender’s office, where she led the Felony Division. In private practice, she managed a foreclosure defense litigation department. Prior to being elected Commissioner, Ms. Fried was a contract lobbyist for various industries. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

FLORIDA LEADERSHIP

Meet the New President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA

s VISIT FLORIDA’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Dana Young leads Florida’s official destination marketing organization in partnership with its Board of Directors and the statewide tourism industry. Throughout her career, Dana has served in leadership positions working to cultivate and protect Florida’s exceptional business climate and a world-class quality of life. As an attorney at Fowler, White, Boggs, P.A. in Tampa, she represented a broad spectrum of businesses, landowners, and individuals in areas of regulatory compliance, permitting, zoning, and administrative law proceedings. Dana served in the Florida House from 2010 through 2016, rising to Majority Leader for the 2015 and 2016 legislative sessions. In 2016, she was elected to the Florida Senate, where she represented parts of western Hillsborough County for two years. Dana was recommended for the VISIT FLORIDA position by Governor Ron DeSantis and was unanimously approved by the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors on January 7, 2019. In addition to her duties as President and CEO, she is a member of the U.S. Travel Association’s Chairman’s Circle. Dana is a sixth-generation Floridian and was born and raised in Tallahassee. She received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from Florida State University and, in pursuit of her interest in law and public policy, graduated from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1993. In her free time, Dana enjoys spending time in natural Florida and tarpon fishing with her husband, Matt, and two daughters, Alexandra and Carson.

Meet the New DBPR Secretary

Follow Secretary Beshears on Twitter @HalseyBeshears FRL A .org

lorida Department of Business and Professional Regulation Secretary Halsey Beshears is a successful farmer, entrepreneur, business owner and public servant who represented the Seventh District of the Florida House of Representatives from 2013–2019. As a Member of the Florida House of Representatives, Secretary Beshears fought to improve Florida’s business climate by streamlining government involvement, lowering taxes and increasing transparency. Secretary Beshears sponsored and passed legislation in policy areas including the federal single-subject amendment, building construction, transportation, and public records in public agency contracts. During his tenure, he served as Chair of the Business and Professional subcommittee and the Careers and Competition subcommittee, as well as Vice-Chair of the Energy and Utilities subcommittee. Prior to serving as state lawmaker, Beshears pioneered several successful business ventures that are still thriving today. He holds a Bachelor’s in Social Science from Florida State University and a Master’s in Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida. Beshears is a long-time road bicycling devotee who logs more than 100 miles per week on the hills of Florida’s Big Bend. He’s the proud father of three daughters, Grace, Caroline and Suzanne.

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

Welcome FRLA New Members • 1812 Osprey - A Neighborhood Bistro, Sarasota, FL • A M Deeb Recruiting Inc, Sarasota, FL • Acentria, Tallahassee, FL • Adjusterman LLC, Pompano Beach, FL • Admiral's Seak & Seafood, Deerfield Beach, FL • All in Sports Grill, Jupiter, FL • Allphase Construction USA LLC, Deerfield Beach, FL • Aloha Tiki Bar & Grill, Panama City Beach, FL • Alpha Foundations, Tallahassee, FL • Americas Best Value Inn, Starke, FL • Applebee's - 302, Merritt Island, FL • Art Ovation Hotel, Sarasota, FL • Avenger Capital, Sarasota, FL • B2B Pro Marketing, Atlanta, GA • Babcock Ranch Table & Tap Restaurant, Punta Gorda, FL • Bagel Boyz, Jupiter, FL • Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, Deerfield Beach, FL • Baldwin Krystyn Sherman Partners, Tampa, FL • Ballyhoo Grill, Gainesville, FL • Banana Bay Resort & Marina, Marathon, FL • Bascom's Chop House, Clearwater, FL • Baxter Restoration, Fort Myers, FL • Baxter Restoration, Orlando, FL • Beach Patio Recreation Center, NAS Key West, FL • Bean Team, Tallahassee, FL • Beantown Pub South, St. Petersburg, FL • Best Western Plus Beach Resort, Fort Myers Beach, FL • BigShots Golf, Vero Beach, FL • BirthdayPak of Orlando, Apopka, FL • Bistro 424, New Smyrna Beach, FL • Blindster Inc, Orlando, FL • Blue Pointe Bar and Grill, Jupiter, FL • Boca Grande Real Estate Inc, Boca Grande, FL • BonChon, Orlando, FL • Boshamp's Seafood & Oyster House, Destin, FL • Boucher Brothers Management, St. Petersburg, FL • BowStern, Tallahassee, FL • Bradley's Bakery & Bistro LLC, Kissimmee, FL • Brass Ring Pub, Jupiter, FL • Brown & Brown Insurance, West Palm Beach, FL • Brule Bistro, Delray Beach, FL • Burger 21 Lakeland, Lakeland, FL • Burger 21 New Tampa, Tampa, FL • Burger 21 Westchase, Tampa, FL • Business Broker World, Sarasota, FL • C4 Financial Coaching / C4 Business Incentive Group, Fort Myers, FL • Caler Donten Levine Cohen Porter & Veil PA, West Palm Beach, FL • Camila's Restaurant, Orlando, FL • Cantina Laredo, Fort Myers, FL • Casks & Flights Wine Tasting Room, Pensacola, FL • Cater Nation, Orlando, FL • Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, Cape Coral, FL • Charley's Steak House, Kissimmee, FL • Chef Ena Kitchen Inc, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Cici's Pizza, Orlando, FL • Cintas, Hialeah, FL • Class Action Capital, New York, NY • Cobalt Pool Service, Fort Myers, FL • Comfort Inn University, Gainesville, FL • Commercial Property Southwest Florida, Fort Myers, FL

S P R I N G 2019

• Community Bank, Miramar Beach, FL • CopperTop Bar & Restaurant, Jacksonville, FL • Cosmos Ice Cream, Cocoa, FL • Crafty Bastards Restaurant & Pub, Gainesville, FL • Creative Services / Bags Inc, Bagdad, FL • Crush Law PA, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Culhane's Irish Pub, Atlantic Beach, FL • Culhane's Irish Pub, Jacksonville, FL • Culvers, Naples, FL • Culver's, Naples, FL • Dan Smith, CFBE, St. Cloud, FL • DaRuMa Landings Inc, Sarasota, FL • DeBary Diner, Debary, FL • DeVine Wine & Grill, Oviedo, FL • Dickey's Barbecue Pit, Navarre, FL • Doc Ford's Dixie Fish Company, Fort Myers Beach, FL • Doc Ford's The Beached Whale, Fort Myers Beach, FL • Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille Captiva, Captiva, FL • Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille Fort Myers Beach, Fort Myers Beach, FL • Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grille Sanibel, Sanibel, FL • DoubleTree By Hilton Sunrise - Sawgrass Mills, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Doubletree Resort Hollywood Beach, Hollywood, FL • EDiningNews, Boca Raton, FL • Ed's Restaurant, Defuniak Springs, FL • Element, Sarasota, FL • Embassy Suites Resort, St. Augustine, FL • EmployerNomics, Orlando, FL • EmployU Inc, Casselberry, FL • Energy Consumption Management, Naples, FL • Enviro-Master Services LLC, Charlotte, NC • ERC - Expense Reduction Coaching, Weston, FL • Estuary Oysters LLC, Crawfordville, FL • Ethos Vegan Kitchen, Winter Park, FL • Evok Advertising, Lake Mary, FL • Evolution Parking Systems LLC, Tampa, FL • FarFromBoring Promotional Products, Boca Raton, FL • FC Meyer Packaging, Fort Worth, TX • Fenway Hotel, Dunedin, FL • Filta, Ormond Beach, FL • Firehouse Subs, Melbourne, FL • Firehouse Subs, Neptune Beach, FL • Firehouse Subs Altamonte Springs, Altamonte Springs, FL • Firehouse Subs Good Homes, Ocoee, FL • Firehouse Subs IDrive-SeaWorld, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs Jensen Beach, Jensen Beach, FL • Firehouse Subs Kirkman, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs Kissimmee, Kissimmee, FL • Firehouse Subs Lake Buena Vista, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs Lake Nona, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs Mall of Millenia, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs Mariners Village, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs Michigan, Orlando, FL • Firehouse Subs North Woodland, Deland, FL • Firehouse Subs Winter Garden, Winter Garden, FL • Fish-Tale Waterfront Dining, Fort Myers Beach, FL • Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, Miami, FL • Florida International University, North Miami, FL • Flying Conch Lounge, NAS Key West, FL • Food Idea Group, Bonita Springs, FL • Food Safety & Inspection Services, Boynton Beach, FL • Ford Insurance Agency, St. Cloud, FL

• Formaggio Pizza & Italian Restaurant, Ocala, FL • Fort Myers Brewing Company, Fort Myers, FL • Fort Myers Event Center, Fort Myers, FL • FRLA, Orlando, FL • Frontier Building, Miami, FL • Gainesville House of Beer, Gainesville, FL • Gecko's Grill & Pub, Sarasota, FL • GoZone WiFi, St. Petersburg, FL • Green Planet Straws, Kennedale, TX • GreenBridge Furnishings, Miami, FL • Grillsmith Carrollwood, Tampa, FL • Grillsmith Countryside, Clearwater, FL • Grillsmith Lakeland, Lakeland, FL • Grillsmith Midtown, Tampa, FL • Grillsmith New Tampa, Wesley Chapel, FL • Grove, Lakewood Ranch, FL • Gulfpoint Construction Co, Fort Myers, FL • Half Shell Dockside LLC, Apalachicola, FL • Hampton Inn St Augustine I-95, St. Augustine, FL • Hattricks Tavern, Tampa, FL • Heart of I-Drive Hotel, Orlando, FL • Hew Parlor & Chophouse, Dunedin, FL • Hi-Fi Rooftop Bar, Dunedin, FL • Hillsborough Community College, Tampa, FL • HM Restaurant Group, Fort Myers, FL • Holiday Inn Express & Suites Busch Gardens, Tampa, FL • Holiday Inn Tallahassee East Capitol, Tallahassee, FL • Holsen Inc Concessions & Catering, Miami, FL • Hospitality Services Group LLC, Destin, FL • Hotel Indigo St. Petersburg Downtown, St. Petersburg, FL • Howard Hospitality, Miramar Beach, FL • HROi - A Paychex Company, Tampa, FL • Hyatt Place Fort Lauderdale 17th Street Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Incredible Flavors LLC, Orlando, FL • Inn At Boynton Beach, Boynton Beach, FL • International Palms Resort & Conference Center, Cocoa Beach, FL • Isla Bella Beach Resort, Marathon, FL • Just A Pinch Cafe & Catering, Fleming Island, FL • Kemmons Wilson Insurance Group, Memphis, TN • Key Performance Hospitality Management, Sanford, FL • Kulik Family Restaurants Inc, Tampa, FL • La Paella, West Palm Beach, FL • La Quinta Inn & Suites, Naples, FL • La Quinta Inn & Suites, West Palm Beach, FL • La Quinta Inn & Suites Ft Myers-Sanibel Gateway, Fort Myers, FL • La Quinta Inn & Suites Naples East, Naples, FL • LCS JAX, Jacksonville, FL • Legacy Hotel At IMG Academy, Bradenton, FL • Leon County Sheriff's Office, Tallahassee, FL • Lessing's Food Service Management, Great River, NY • Lindburgers Restaurant, Jupiter, FL • LinMar Cafe, Palm Beach Gardens, FL • Little Caesars, Fort Pierce, FL • Lodging System, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Long Law PA, Fort Myers, FL • Lucky Lobster Co, Dunedin, FL • Manifest Distilling, Jacksonville, FL • Margaritaville Resort Orlando, Kissimmee, FL • Marker 36, Naples, FL

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

Second Half of 2018 • Matthews Buses Commercial, Orlando, FL • Maxine's on Shine, Orlando, FL • Meehan's Irish Pub, St. Augustine, FL • Mellow Mushroom, Fort Myers, FL • Miami Grill, Gainesville, FL • Miami Grill, Greenacres, FL • Miami Grill, Jacksonville, FL • Miami Grill, Margate, FL • Mike's Cafe & Oyster Bar, Panama City Beach, FL • Milan Catering, Sarasota, FL • Mimmo Wine Distribution LLC, Jacksonville, FL • MindQuest Escape Games, Jupiter, FL • NAS Key West Fleet Readiness, NAS Key West, FL • Navigator's Bar, NAS Key West, FL • Navrae LLC, Rockwall, TX • Navy Getaways, NAS Key West, FL • Nervous Nellie's Crazy Waterfront Eatery, Fort Myers Beach, FL • Newk's Eatery, Palm Beach Gardens, FL • Newk's Eatery Naples, Naples, FL • Nice N Easy Oyster Bar & Grille, Orange City, FL • Nick & Johnny's Osteria, Juno Beach, FL • Novecento Aventura, Aventura, FL • Novecento Brickell, Miami, FL • Novecento Doral, Miami, FL • Novecento Key Biscayne, Key Biscayne, FL • Old Town Tavern, Key West, FL • Olde Marco Island Inn & Suites, Marco Island, FL • Ooh Wee Catering, Tallahassee, FL • "Overture Restaurant", Sarasota, FL • Palm City Brewing, Fort Myers, FL • Patrice & Associates, Celebration, FL • Pelican Bay Foundation, Naples, FL • Pelican Club / Lessing's Hospitality Group, Jupiter, FL • Penn House Productions LLC, Coral Springs, FL • Pest Logic, Deerfield Beach, FL • Pestmaster Serv, Jacksonville, FL • Phat Panda Street Food, Juno Beach, FL • Pomodoro On The Bay, Apalachicola, FL • Powell Hospitality LLC, Orlando, FL • Premier Island Management Group, Gulf Breeze, FL • Premium Parking, Pensacola, FL • Primrose At The Henderson, Destin, FL • Pro Kitchen Hub Tampa, Tampa, FL • Professional Tax Solutions Inc, Falls Church, VA • Proforma Mega Marketing Solutions, Tampa, FL • ProPark America, Hartford, CT • Quality Guest Linen Service, Fort Myers, FL • Quick Tab LLC, Hollywood, FL • R L Schreiber Inc, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Radiant F&B LLC, Tampa, FL • Rebel Branding, Orlando, FL • Reception Palace Ballrooms, Miami, FL • Reinhart Foodservice Valdosta, Valdosta, GA • Restoration Hardware, West Palm Beach, FL • Rewards Network, Orange City, FL • RipFire Siesta Key, Sarasota, FL • Rosen College of Hospitality At UCF, Christmas, FL • Rufino's Pizza, St. Augustine, FL • Runway Grill, NAS Key West, FL • Salata, Orlando, FL

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• Sal's Place, Gainesville, FL • Sandbar, Naples, FL • Sandbar Tiki & Grille, Englewood, FL • Sapphire Clean Corp, Kissimmee, FL • SBE Solutions Inc, Royal Palm Beach, FL • Scratch Concepts LLC, Tampa, FL • Servpro, Fort Walton Beach, FL • Sheraton Four Points, Cocoa Beach, FL • Shrimp Basket Destin, Destin, FL • Shrimp Basket Fort Walton, Fort Walton Beach, FL • Shrimp Basket Milton, Milton, FL • Shrimp Basket Navarre, Navarre, FL • Shrimp Basket Panama City, Panama City, FL • Shrimp Basket Panama City Beach, Panama City Beach, FL • Shrimp Basket Pensacola Beach, Gulf Breeze, FL • Shrimp Basket Pensacola Davis Hwy, Pensacola, FL • Shrimp Basket Pensacola Nine Mile, Pensacola, FL • Shrimp Basket Perdido, Pensacola, FL • Shrimp Basket Warrington, Pensacola, FL • Shutts & Bowen LLP, Miami, FL • Signs Now, Orlando, FL • Silver Spoon Solutions, Miami, FL • Silverspot Cinema, Miami, FL • Simple & Good, Alachua, FL • Sister's Place, Williston, FL • Sky Fine Dining, Ocala, FL • Skys The Limit, Boca Raton, FL • SMG - Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Solstice Bar & Grille, Kissimmee, FL • Somerset Academy South Homestead, Homestead, FL • Southernmost House, Key West, FL • Souza's Churrascaria, Cocoa, FL • Spectrum, Tampa, FL • Spinway Florida LLC, St. Augustine, FL • Square 1 Brandon, Brandon, FL • Square 1 Fort Myers, Fort Myers, FL • Square 1 The Villages, The Villages, FL • St. Joe Club and Resorts, WaterSound, FL • St. Michael's Brewing Company Inc, Gulf Breeze, FL • Stellar Prime, Deerfield Beach, FL • Sun Ed High School of North Broward, Margate, FL • Suncreek Brewery, Clermont, FL • Sunseeker Resorts, Las Vegas, NV • Sunset Lounge, NAS Key West, FL • Suntan Terrace Beach Resort, Nokomis, FL • Surfcomber Hotel, Miami Beach, FL • SuViche Brickell, Miami, FL • SuViche CityPlace, Miami, FL • SuViche Hospitality Group, Miami, FL • SuViche Las Olas, Fort Lauderdale, FL • SuViche South Beach, Miami, FL • SuViche Wynwood, Miami, FL • SYSCO Jacksonville, Jacksonville, FL • SYSCO West Coast Florida, Palmetto, FL • Takeout Button, Clearwater, FL • Tanuki, Miami Beach, FL • Tapeo Tapas Bar & Restaurant, West Palm Beach, FL • Taste of Redland, Homestead, FL • Text4Safety, Fernandina Beach, FL

• The American Grilled Cheese Kitchen, Fort Myers, FL • The Auto Club Group (AAA), Fort Myers, FL • The Breaking Bread Bakery, Cape Coral, FL

• The Bull Gourmet Burgers, Deerfield Beach, FL

• The Bungalows of Madeira Beach, St. Petersburg, FL • The Church Street District, Orlando, FL

• The Club At Renaissance, Fort Myers, FL • The Coolinary, Sarasota, FL

• The Crow's Next Sports Bar, Deerfield Beach, FL • The Deck Pizza Pub, Tallahassee, FL

• The Dolphin Depot LLC, Jacksonville Beach, FL • The Freeman Law Firm PA, Fort Myers, FL

• The Great Greek, Palm Beach Gardens, FL • The Grey Taproom, Navarre, FL • The Locale Cocina & Bar, Boca Raton, FL • The Magic Oyster, Jensen Beach, FL • The Original Egg, Sarasota, FL

• The Pearl Steak & Seafood Restaurant, Naples, FL • The Ravenous Pig, Winter Park, FL

• The Rock Grill, Deerfield Beach, FL

• The Sarasota Modern, Sarasota, FL

• The School Board of Broward County, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, FL

• The Taco Stand, Miami, FL

• The Vine Post, Juno Beach, FL

• The Wayfarer Group LLC, Cutler Bay, FL • The Yellow Elder, Deerfield Beach, FL • Tin & Taco, Orlando, FL

• Titomirov Vodka LLC, Jupiter, FL • Toast Inc, Fort Lauderdale, FL • Toast Inc, Palm Beach, FL

• TownePlace Suites, Boca Raton, FL

• Treasure Coast Food Bank, Fort Pierce, FL • TripShock, Destin, FL

• Trumbo Palms Catering & Conference Center, NAS Key West, FL

• United Franchise Group, West Palm Beach, FL • United Parking LLC, Fort Lauderdale, FL • USI Insurance Services LLC, Tampa, FL • USS Nemo, Naples, FL

• Vale Food Company, Tallahassee, FL • Venus Restaurant, Largo, FL

• Village On The Isle, Venice, FL

• Waffle House, New Port Richey, FL

• Waffle House 2044, Jacksonville, FL • Waffle House 2083, Jacksonville, FL • Waffle House 2133, Jacksonville, FL

• WAND Corporation, Eden Prairie, MN

• Wash Around the Clock Commercial Laundry, Tallahassee, FL

• Weinan Hotel, Kissimmee, FL

• Wekiva Island / Outriggers Tiki Bar & Grille, Longwood, FL

• Wendy's, Pompano Beach, FL

• White-Wilson Medical Center, Fort Walton Beach, FL • Wing Shack, Orlando, FL

• Wisdom Group Inc, Lakewood Ranch, FL

• Womens Council of Realtors, Englewood, FL • Zonal Hospitality Systems, Maitland, FL

• Zoom Drain Central Florida, Leesburg, FL

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

ENVIRONMENT

GREEN PLANET STRAWS People love straws. There is nothing like drinking a frosty beverage through a straw. Back in the day, straws were made of paper; recently plastic straws have been popular. Currently many jurisdictions and businesses across the country have decided to ditch plastic straws for paper because plastic straws are not being recycled by consumers, and they have been found in our oceans impacting sea-life and the environment. Paper straws aren’t as popular with consumers because they traditionally are associated with not getting the job done; they haven’t been durable. Today there are straws on the market that are comprised of high-quality paper that are single-use and degradable. Kevan Johnson is CEO of Green Planet Straws. FR&L Magazine had an opportunity to talk with him about their sustainable straw products. PLEASE SHARE WITH READERS WHAT TYPE OF DURABLE PAPER DOES GREEN PLANET STRAWS USE TO MAKE PAPER STRAWS.

Green Planet Straws are made of FDA-approved paper (FDA 21 CFR 176.170 for Direct Food Contact) and we use FSC-certified products to manufacture our biodegradable straws. Plus, our straws meet the ASTM Standard for compostability. WHAT DOES FSC MEAN?

FSC stands for the Forest Stewardship Council, an international organization

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established in 1993 to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. Companies that are FSC Certified meet the standards set by the FSC when it comes to ecofriendly forest products. The FSC-certified paper used in Green Planet’s biodegradable straws comes from responsibly managed forests that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits. DO YOUR PAPER STRAWS HAVE A BEESWAX COATING?

Absolutely not! Cultivating beeswax is not good for the bees. It is not

uncommon for the farmer to cut off the queen bee’s wings so hat she can be artificially inseminated or forced to stay in the colony. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE APPEAL OF GREEN PLANET STRAWS?

Our straws are high-quality straws. Paper straws get a bad name because there are a lot of cheap products supplied to the industry. Paper straws can be made in 2-layers, 3-layers and 4-layers. Lesser quality straws collapse during use and can get soggy! Green Planet Straws use 3 and 4 layers. In addition, machinery in our factory can tighten up the straws and make them stronger and stiffer. CAN YOU SHARE WITH READERS ABOUT CUSTOMIZATION OF THE STRAWS?

We think it is fun to use paper straws because they can be customized: printed to any color that you like and the wrapper can be customized too! We can even print pictures on them. We love when folks ask to test our straws because they love them!

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

G O V E R N M E N T R E L AT I O N S

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS UPDATE By SAMANTHA PADGETT

With the 2019 Legislative Session opening, there are three more topics that have become potential issues for FRLA. Our full 2019 Legislative Forecast was published in the Winter FR&L Magazine, which can be found at FRLA.org/magazine.

E-VERIFY: A bill has been filed that would make the use of E-verify mandatory for all of Florida’s employers. E-verify is the federal government program that screens applicants for employment eligibility. While it is very important that members of the restaurant and lodging industries comply fully with the existing laws and regulations regarding employment eligibility, there may be more than one program or solution that effectively achieves this goal. FRLA will work closely with policymakers to ensure they have the information necessary to determine what the true impact of this legislation would be on Florida businesses.

PREDICTIVE SCHEDULING: Across the country, there has been a movement to place burdensome restrictions on employers’ scheduling practices. Called “predictive scheduling,” this seemingly wellintentioned effort would significantly reduce or eliminate flexible scheduling practices that often serve to benefit both the employer and the employee. While we have not yet seen an organized effort to adopt “predictive scheduling” FRL A .org

ordinances at the local level, the possibility of such a wave is more than speculative. We anticipate a bill will be filed that will prohibit regulation of employer scheduling practices at the local level. FRLA will share our concerns about “predictive scheduling” with policymakers and support this bill.

STRAWS: Several local government entities have chosen to adopt regulations, restrictions and bans on straws. As is the case with local regulations, they often have similar provisions, but few are exactly alike. This leaves those businesses that operate in multiple locations to have to keep up with the intricacies of each differing regulation. This can be confusing and burdensome. Straws are not, in and of themselves, evil. In fact, they may serve very real and positive purposes. Straws provide necessary assistance to disabled individuals who may need them in order to consume their chosen beverage. Parents may choose straws to prevent in-car messes when feeding children on-the-go. A ban might not always be the answer for every business and every customer. But this doesn’t mean we as an industry don’t have

a role to play. FRLA will encourage policymakers to limit local regulation in favor of a policy of “request-only” — have the plastic straw available but provide it only on request of the customer. This will significantly reduce the distribution of straws. Customers who need them will ask for them. Those who don’t need them won’t receive them automatically only to throw them away. Further, allow for use of straws made of alternative materials.

There is an increased availability of straws made by other materials such as paper. This is a great alternative, and many businesses may find that this serves their customers well. However, alternative materials may not be suitable for all beverages. Allow businesses to decide if these alternative materials will be satisfactory to customers. As always, a business should be free to decide for itself how it can best serve its customer.

SAVE THE DATE

FLORIDA TOURISM DAY MARCH 13, 2019

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

B U S I N E S S M AT T E R S

Does Florida Want a $15 an Hour Minimum Wage?

oes Florida want a $15 minimum wage? While recent polling suggests voters are uneasy about nearly doubling the state’s wage floor, labor unions and a millionaire trial lawyer have other plans. Labor groups pointed to Amazon’s recent announcement of a $15 starting wage as a sign that the “Fight for $15” has momentum in Florida. Orlando attorney John Morgan has pledged to spend $1 million in order to place a $15 minimum wage constitutional amendment on the 2020 ballot. (This measure would also raise the cash wage for tipped employees to nearly $12 an hour). Morgan believes that giving workers an hourly pay raise would be good for employers and employees. The researchers who have studied $15 are considerably less optimistic. In Seattle, a team of economists at the University of Washington found that less20 S P R I N G

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skilled employees who were supposed to receive a raise instead lost hours at work — offsetting the hourly wage boost. In the San Francisco Bay Area, a Harvard study identified a 14-percent spike in closures for certain restaurants following each one-dollar change in the minimum wage. If the $15 experiment isn’t working in these high-wage markets, how would it affect a state like Florida? In a survey commissioned by my organization of over 300 Florida businesses, nearly one-third said that they may be forced to go out of business if $15 became law. Half would be forced to lay off staff; one out of every three would look into replacing employees with self-service technology. Atlantic Shore Retirement Residence shares these concerns. Should a $15 mandate become law, a manager of the

Pompano Beach assisted living facility says that many seniors “are going to be displaced from their [residence] homes.” Increased labor costs and already tight margins would force the business to cut employee hours, reduce staff, and eventually close down. They’re not the only one: Economists from Miami and Trinity Universities estimate that a $15 minimum wage, applied in Florida in 2020, would cost the state over 136,000 jobs. These consequences resonate with Florida voters: In a recent poll of 500 registered voters in the state, just one-third (32 percent) would support a $15 minimum wage if it would have a harmful impact on senior homes. Voters were similarly concerned about the impact on young adults, and with good reason: Decades of economic research have conclusively linked increases in the minimum wage to a decline in opportunity for young adults. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

PHOTO BY UNDEFINED UNDEFINED / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

By MICHAEL SALTSMAN, MANAGING DIRECTOR AT THE EMPLOYMENT POLICIES INSTITUTE

COLLIER MERGER

FRLA and CCLTA Merge to Increase Size and Influence of Collier County Chapter

he Collier County Lodging & Tourism Alliance (CCLTA) merged with the Collier Chapter of FRLA on Jan. 1, 2019. This brings the Chapter to nearly 200 members. The merger has created one hospitality group representing Collier County and will continue the local presence and state representation of FRLA, and will provide benefits for restaurants, lodging and business partners which were not available for the local associations. Tom White of Hawthorn Suites, FRLA member, and former board member of CCLTA is the new Collier County Chapter President. CCLTA President Randy Smith, CEO of Naples Transportation, and FRLA board member, has been selected as the Chapter’s Government Relations Chair and state representative. The Board of the Chapter is comprised of supplier (allied), restaurant, hotel and attraction members. All CCLTA Board members have joined the Collier Chapter board.

COLLIER CHAPTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS President: Tom White – Managing Partner Hawthorn Suites VP Lodging: Marco Perry – GM LaPlaya Resort VP Restaurants: Martin Diehr – F&B Director Baleen Restaurant/LaPlaya Resort Treasure: Stephen Dorcy – GM Inn at Pelican Bay Secretary: Beth Preddy – Owner Preddy PR, Inc. Gov’t Relations/PAC State Rep: Randy Smith- CEO Naples Transportation

Gov’t Relations/PAC Alternate: Fred Hirschovits – Founder/CEO Twenty Twenty Worldwide Hospitality-Staybridge Suites Naples/Marco Island Education State Rep: Randy Upchurch – Director School of Resort & Hospitality Management Florida Gulf Coast University LODGING BOARD MEMBERS Jeff Arman – GM Residence Inn, Joe Dinunzio – GM Gulf Coast Inn, Stephen Dorcy – GM Inn at Pelican Bay, Clark Hill – GM Hilton Naples, Fred HirschovitsFounder/CEO Twenty Twenty Worldwide

Hospitality-Staybridge Suites Naples/ Marco Island, Sharon Lockwood – GM JW Marriott Marco Island, Marco Perry – GM LaPlaya Resort, Laura Radler – GM Edgewater Beach Hotel, John Reilly – GM Naples Bay Resort, Tom White – Managing Partner Hawthorne Suites RESTAURANT BOARD MEMBERS Simon Ayouch – Consultant, Martin DiehrF&B Director Baleen Restaurant/LaPlaya Resort, Jacquie Koon- Owner CJ’s on the Bay, Brent Pleeter – GM South Street, Al Romeo – Partner/GM Flemings Steakhouse ALLIED/BUSINESS PARTNERS Carlos Artime – Supervisor Career & Technical Education Collier Schools, Tate Baker – Sales Rep Heartland Payment Systems, Guy Clark – Partner Food Idea Group/Where To Eat 239, Jenny Gezella – President Naples Princess, Rob Grady – Agent Risk Strategies Insurance, Matt Hamerling – Rep Enterprise Rent-A-Car, David Longfield-Smith – Blue Zones Project, Beth Preddy – Preddy PR, Inc., Randy Upchurch – Director School of Resort & Hospitality Management Florida Gulf Coast University EX-OFFICIO MEMBERS Dianna Dohm – Executive Director Marco Chamber of Commerce, Michael Dalby – Executive Director Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, Jack Wert – Executive Director Naples Marco Island Everglades Convention & Visitor Bureau For more information, please contact Lois Croft, Southwest FRLA Director, at LCroft@ FRLA.org or 239-339-7692.

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

RCS

You Need RCS Age ID®

CS Training’s Age ID® reduces the risks that come with selling alcoholic beverages and tobacco by authenticating identification documents, like driver’s licenses, using a mobile device. Patented ID verification technology authenticates more than 250 unique DMV ID barcode formats for all 50 U.S. states, every Canadian province, Mexican states as well as State Justice Information Systems and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) databases. RCS clients who use Age ID® find about four percent of IDs presented for the purchase of alcohol are fake IDs. Eliminate errors associated with manual age checks by automatically verifying that a buyer is of legal age and that an ID is authentic, reducing the risk of fines, loss of liquor license or criminal charges. Notifications alert sellers if the same ID is used within a set amount of time, and allow sellers to create VIP, banned or custom groups that notify clerks when group members are making a purchase. Popular Tallahassee hotspots Madison Social and Township successfully use Age ID® to weed out fake IDs and reduce the potential for underage drinking in their establishments. In the past six months, Age ID® has identified 3.5 percent of IDs presented at these establishments as fakes. Contact FRLA’s RCS Training at 850-559-7499 for more information and a free trial of Age ID®.

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

SAVE THE DATE AU G U S T 1 3 - 1 4 , 2 0 1 9

TA M PA M A R R I O T T WAT E R S I D E H O T E L & M A R I N A

I N PA R T N E R S H I P W I T H R E S U LT S T H R U S T R AT E G Y

FRLA.ORG/EVENT/SUMMIT

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

RECOGNITION

FRLA Members Named as

Golden Spoon Award Winners

Congratulations to FRLA members and RCS clients that were recognized recently with a Golden Spoon award from Florida Trend Magazine. The Golden Spoon awards are an honor bestowed by the Magazine to fine dining restaurants throughout Florida. For more information about the Golden Spoon awards, please visit floridatrend.com/ golden-spoons/awards.

BONITA SPRINGS Angelina's Ristorante Italian RCS Customer

Moxie Kitchen + Cocktails Modern Southern Member

CLEARWATER Rusty's Bistro Contemporary Member

Taverna Italian Member

CLEARWATER BEACH Caretta on the Gulf Modern American Member

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PALM BEACH Buccan New American Member HMF Contemporary Member

LAKELAND Nineteen61 Nuevo Latino Member

PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar Seafood Member

DELRAY BEACH Salt7 Steakhouse Member

MIAMI Wynwood Kitchen & Bar Latin Contemporary Member

PANAMA CITY BEACH Grand Marlin Seafood Member

FORT LAUDERDALE S3 Restaurant Contemporary Member

MIAMI BEACH Hakkasan Chinese Member

PENSACOLA Global Grill International Member

INDIAN SHORES Salt Rock Grill Steakhouse/ Seafood Member

NAPLES Osteria Tulia Rustic Italian Member

RIVIERA BEACH 3800 Ocean American Member

JACKSONVILLE Bistro AIX Mediterranean Member

ORLANDO Bull & Bear Steakhouse Member

SANIBEL ISLAND Il Cielo New American RCS Customer

COCOA BEACH The Fat Snook Seafood Member

KEY WEST Louie's Backyard Modern American Member

Chatham's Place Continental/ Southern Member

ST. AUGUSTINE Ice Plant Bar & St. Augustine Distillery Modern American RCS Customer ST. PETERSBURG Parkshore Grill American Member TALLAHASSEE Cypress Restaurant New Southern Member Masa Asian Member WEST PALM BEACH Pistache French Member WINTER PARK Luma on Park New American Member Prato Modern Italian Member

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

R E S TA U R A N T I N N O VAT I O N

Innovation for a Competitive Edge By BOB DEARDEN CFO, FRLA

PHOTO BY JACOB AMMENTORP LUND / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

ay Kroc was a salesman and deal-maker who understood what his customers wanted. After numerous failed attempts to secure financing to construct a drive way (drivethru) around his first McDonald’s, he finally accomplished this in 1947. This helped McDonald’s flourish into the most integrated, efficient and innovative food supply system in the world. I suspect that not even Ray Kroc could have imagined that food consumed off-premises would grow to be chain restaurants’ largest piece of sales, making up about 57 percent in 2017. For quick service, the largest restaurant segment based on sales, off- premises sales account for a staggering 80 percent of total revenue. Innovation for a restaurateur is a must and is beyond just food quality or service. At the 2018 Tech Accelerator of the Year Award, Domino’s Pizza brought home the hardware as the top restaurant innovator. Domino’s cited that nearly two-thirds of its orders come through digital channels. Moreover, as a way to maximize take-out orders, Domino’s deployed a Hotspot delivery service. A clever name for delivery service to a location without a physical address such as a park, stadium or other shared locations. Domino’s is also testing self-driving cars in Miami as a delivery option. Domino’s constant innovation has contributed to an amazing 30 straight quarters of positive same-store-sales domestically through the third quarter of 2018. FRL A .org

Another significant change in the restaurant industry over the last 10 years is the platform consumers use to find a dining experience. Consumers are no longer discussing “where do you want to eat,” it has evolved into “what do you want to eat?” AI (Artificial Intelligence) and voice service is the newest platform through Alexa, Siri and Google Home for consumers to search for restaurants. 70 percent of consumer searches are unbranded searches. The majority of searches are by food item (hamburger, pizza or sushi as an example) or cuisine type located “near me.” Most importantly, 65 percent of these searches convert to purchase decisions for consumers. Expect continued growth in customized consumer searches looking for restaurants that maybe are dog-friendly, have outdoor seating, and have vegan or gluten-free options or any other imaginable consumer need or desire. Furthermore, expect AI to incorporate the Trip Advisors, Yelp and other rating services into search results for Voice Services. The bottom line is that if you are not properly managing your digital information to connect with customers, you are losing ground to your competitors. Innovation in the restaurant today is much more complicated than Ray Croc’s drive way. Staying current with everchanging technology trends is crucial. This will enable a restaurateur or a brand to thrive in a landscape of small profit margins, rising labor cost, a shortage of talent and a host of other challenges.

Young Operators

Danielle Rosse OWNER, OCEANS 234 OCEANFRONT RESTAURANT, DEERFIELD BEACH Favorite social media outlet? Instagram. Favorite type of restaurant? I love a restaurant with a great vibe and energy. Describe the culture of your business in 20 words or less: Everything matters to us, all aspects of our business and our team. We focus on working together to help all of our people achieve their goals personally and professionally. Favorite workout? Good competitive circuit training. What podcast are you listening to? GaryVee has my attention at the moment. Where are you going on your next vacation? Madrid, Spain Favorite app? Amazon, Audible and Pulse (real time POS app for my store), not necessarily in that order. Cause you believe in? I believe in protecting and investing in our children. If you are planning a dinner, who would you invite to represent Florida’s hospitality industry? Carol Dover of course! How did you get into the hospitality industry? I got in to hospitality because it allowed me opportunities and growth through hard work and dedication without a formal education. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

the

LODGING issue

lorida is the standard when it comes to highquality lodging options. From our world-class golf and beach resorts to fabulous boutique hotels and motels located on one of our busy interstate highways, hoteliers around the country strive to maintain the level that our industry is recognized for. Florida also has a strong lodging industry. With more than 44,000 licensed operations*, Florida lodging establishments offer the traveler a wide variety of places to enjoy the Sunshine State.

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This edition of Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine features our special lodging issue that focuses on information of interest to the lodging industry. In addition, our Hospitality Workforce section following this section has an interesting story about opportunity youth and the lodging industry. This is a reprint from Lodging Magazine, and readers may find it helpful when looking at workforce issues. Cheers! *Source: 2017-18 DBPR Hotels and Restaurants Annual Report

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

Lodging Partners

FRLA’s Lodging Partners

RLA partners with various organizations to fortify hospitality industry eﬀorts in Florida. From water quality to hospitality employee and lodging, there is strength in numbers. We are proud of our partnerships our lodging sector partners, and together, we collaborate to bring the best of lodging to guests throughout the state. Dan Murphy, Senior Vice President of Membership and Corporate Relations, noted, “Our lodging partnerships bring so much to the table for FRLA, and we hope our partners feel the same way. From the power and diversity that our affiliation with AAHOA brings, to the voice at the local level granted us by our Florida Inns Chapter, and to the cream of the crop when it comes to guest expectations that Superior Small Lodging oﬀers, we are privileged to have these valuable alliances with the Industry.”

AAHOA

The Asian American Hotel Owners Association (AAHOA) is a key partner in our lodging sector partnerships. The more than 18,000 AAHOA members own almost one in every two hotels in the United States. AAHOA s a strong partner in Florida with members ranging from the small operator to some of the largest in the state. With billions of dollars in property assets and hundreds of thousands of employees, AAHOA members are core economic contributors in virtually every community across the nation. In addition to being a proud defender of free enterprise and the foremost current-day example of realizing the American dream, AAHOA is the largest hotel owners’ association in the world. For information about AAHOA, visit aahoa.com.

Together, FRLA, AAHOA, the Florida Inns Chapter and the Superior Small Lodging Association work to represent all aspects of Florida’s lodging industry. Want to know more? Contact Dan Murphy, Vice President of Membership at 850.224.2250 extension 226.

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THE FLORIDA INNS CHAPTER

Earlier this year, the Florida Bed and Breakfast Inns (FBBI) merged with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) to become the Association’s first-ever state-wide special interest chapter. This new group was formed as a result of a merge with the Florida Bed and Breakfast Inns (FBBI), an organization of 45 tight-knit innkeepers from around the state. Although this new chapter marks an official merge of the two associations, FRLA and FBBI have partnered since 2015 with FBBI members enjoying dual membership. “The goal of the Florida Inns Chapter is to combine member resources, to have one mission, one voice and one story at the local, state and national levels,” said Anthony Sexton, President of the FRLA Inns Chapter and Innkeeper at Saint Augustine’s Victorian House. “The creation of a new FRLA chapter specifically for bed and breakfast owners is an exciting new avenue for FBBI members, and we look forward to continuing to serve our members in the Florida Inns Chapter.” The Florida Inns Chapter will be comprised only of FBBI members for the first year but will open to all independent lodging owners and operators next year. For more information about the Florida Inns Chapter, please visit FRLA.org/chapters/floridainns or contact Nicole Chapman at 904-574-2259.

SUPERIOR SMALL LODGING ™

The name Superior Small Lodging, exemplifies the verified excellence found at each hotel, inn and resort in the association. From Pensacola to Key West, our small independent lodging properties feature personalized experiences in unique settings. Whether you prefer a home away from home in the center of activity, vacation retreat on the beach, Authentic Florida experience or glamorous waterfront luxury, there is a Superior Small Lodging for you! Our member properties’ White Glove hospitality and personal attention consistently earn 5-star reviews and a high rate of return visitors! When you choose to stay at a Superior Small Lodging™, you will experience extraordinary accommodations and a memorable guest experience. Go to www.FloridaSSL.org to find your next vacation destination. Superior Small Lodging of Florida (SSLoF) is pleased to partner with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA). The resources, advocacy, education and networking we enjoy with the members of FRLA benefit us in more ways than we can count.

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

Human Trafﬁcking

Human Trafﬁcking Awareness By CAROL B. DOVER

uman trafficking is an issue that we are all facing throughout the lodging industry. The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) is committed and proud to be a part of fighting this horrific crime. Although popular belief is that human trafficking occurs in seedy hotels in crime-ridden neighborhoods of border towns, the reality is that human trafficking can and does occur in many kinds of businesses at every price point. Eﬀorts to spread awareness and much of the media coverage about human trafficking tend to focus on sex trafficking, which is undeniably important. However, an equally problematic aspect of trafficking is labor trafficking. Essentially modern-day slavery, labor trafficking typically involves crews of workers like those frequently found in maintenance, agriculture, landscaping, construction and cleaning. A better understanding of the ways humans are trafficked and the ability to recognize the signs will help businesses and individuals alike work to fight this atrocity and make a diﬀerence.

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Florida is the third-highest state for human trafficking in the nation, and it is imperative that we all work together to ensure that our state is a safe and welcoming place for all who visit. That’s why FRLA worked with subject matter experts to develop an online training course designed specifically for hotels and restaurants to educate hospitality workers about the signs of human trafficking and help them know the steps to take should they suspect trafficking is occurring. Because we are so committed to helping spread awareness, we are oﬀering the course completely free to anyone. The response to our course has been overwhelmingly positive, and I am proud of members who have taken the lead in their respective areas by taking this course. Additionally, I commend those who are taking and implementing other human trafficking awareness training. Their dedication to understanding human trafficking will undoubtedly make a diﬀerence in the community and help keep residents and visitors alike safe.

Awareness and education are critical components of fighting human trafficking, and FRLA is committed to continuing the conversation in a variety of ways. We work with organizations across the state to hold and participate in panel discussions and to advocate for training. In addition to these partnerships, some of our regional directors will begin using their monthly meetings to host group training in human trafficking awareness. Other regions are organizing tasting events where participating restaurants pledge to use only non-trafficked ingredients, thereby incentivizing suppliers to ensure their laborers are not victims of human trafficking. I am proud of Florida’s hospitality industry for recognizing the threat that human trafficking poses and for taking a stand to say the Sunshine State is no place for traffickers. Join FRLA and the rest of Florida’s hospitality industry as we work to raise awareness and fight human trafficking in our state. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

Women in Lodging

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

MBA in HOSPITALITY and TOURISM MANAGEMENT

GOING BEYOND THE BUSINESS OF HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM PROGRAM INFORMATION One of the only MBAs with a concentration in hospitality and tourism management Ranked among the TOP 25 in the U.S. among Hospitality graduate programs One of the highest values and lowest costs in the country (approximately $18,000) Extensive employment opportunities Courses led by both hospitality industry leaders and top academics

The FAU College of Business is proud to be an accredited member of AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International, the premier accreditation agency for Schools of Business worldwide.

www.fau.edu/mbahospitality FRL A .org

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

Alpha Foundations

You have Sunken Concrete, Now What? By ERIC SHARKEY, Alpha Foundations Commercial Consultant

n the last issue of Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine, (Winter Edition, page 16), we talked about why concrete sinks, why it’s a liability to you and the common Band-Aid fixes. I also mentioned that Alpha Foundations is here to help with a practical and aﬀordable solution for sunken concrete repair. Before we get into that, let’s recap why concrete sinks in the first place. The causes of concrete settlement and sinking are the same whether it's a walkway, pool deck, sidewalk or patio. As soil underneath a concrete slab shrinks, settles or washes away, this leaves empty space, or voids, beneath the slab. With the soil no longer supporting the slab, the concrete will sink, creating an uneven surface – and more importantly, a trip hazard for your guests. So, how exactly do we fix these sunken concrete problems? Alpha Foundations uses a high-density polyurethane foam to fill voids and stabilize and lift sinking concrete slabs. The expanding properties of the two-part urethane formula

allows for accurate leveling of the slab. The result is a waterproof repair that's much more permanent than other common concrete repair methods. Additionally, most other repair methods take days to cure, but our solution is ready to go in just 15 minutes. That means minimal disruption to you and your guests! So, the next time you are out walking your property, be on the lookout for sunken concrete and remember that Alpha Foundations is here to help! Want more information or to discuss your sunken concrete woes? Contact me, Eric Sharkey, at 850-509-0540 or esharkey@ alphafoundations.com. About Us: Alpha Foundations is a full-service foundation and concrete repair company established in Tallahassee, Florida. Since 2002, Alpha Foundations has served thousands of customers throughout Florida and Georgia. VisitAlphaFoundations.com to learn more about this award-winning company.

STEP ONE Small 5/8” holes are strategically drilled in the slab.

STEP TWO Injection ports are installed.

STEP THREE Polyurethane foam is injected beneath the concrete to fill voids and raise the slab.

BEFORE

AFTER

Look familiar? Even the slightest deviation in concrete slabs can mean dangerous trip hazards for your guests. The Alpha Foundations solution to sunken concrete is quick and costs less than removing and replacing!

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STEP FOUR Holes and control joints are sealed.

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

Fiberbuilt

Fiberbuilt Umbrellas The leading manufacturer of fiberglass-ribbed umbrellas is located in our own backyard

ospitality focused, Ft. Lauderdalebased FiberBuilt Umbrellas & Cushions oﬀers an array of contract quality shade products designed to hold up to high traffic areas and the variety of weather conditions that Florida is famous for. Their reputation is for well-made umbrellas that last for years, not just a season. The finishes, fabrics and styles are fashionable, long lasting and budget-conscious. Design

trends are, of course, important but they realize that hoteliers and restaurateurs want to have confidence in the structural integrity of the outdoor products they purchase. For the hospitality industry, shade products aren’t merely chic accessories, they’re a necessary furnishing that adds to the bottom line. You need to oﬀer your guests a comfortable outdoor dining or lounging experience. If the look of the outdoor area

is stylish as well, that is a bonus. For that reason FiberBuilt’s design options include, embroidered and silk screened logos, multicolor canopy panels, and extra-large vents for superior wind management. As the sales of large scale, center-pole umbrellas continues to grow, there’s also been an increase in the call for cantilevered umbrellas. With these trends in mind, FiberBuilt has added the Euro Collection which includes the 10 foot octagonal and square Edge cantilevered umbrellas and the Venice model that comes in 16 and 20 foot sizes that provides shade over multiple tables. FiberTeak™, FiberBuilt’s simulated wood poles and finials, oﬀers the benefits of a wood-look in several finishes and textures (teak, bamboo and coconut palm) without any of wood’s drawbacks such as checking, warping or splitting. And those essential fiberglass ribs, provide the flexibility needed in Florida for years of durable performance. FiberBuilt’s mission is to provide a fashionforward design element that comes in multiple styles, shapes, sizes, fabrics and finishes so that hotels, restaurants, cruise ships, and country clubs can create a custom look that coordinates with their furnishings and fits their budget.

SHADE PRODUCTS & CUSHIONS FOR EVERY LOCATION, BUDGET AND DESIGN Toll-free 866.667.8668

www.fiberbuiltumbrellas.com

FLEXIBILITY IS OUR GREATEST STRENGTH™ FRL A .org

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

Transient Public Lodging

Transient Public Lodging Basics By SABRINA GROOVER, Training and Research Consultant and CARLOS LEZCANO, Statewide Training Manager

ourism is one of the most important drivers of the Florida economy. Every year, millions of visitors come to our state to experience our fantastic theme parks or relax on our beautiful, white sandy beaches. The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants — together with public lodging operators — plays a vital role in ensuring accommodations are clean and secure. Public lodging establishments are required to obtain a state license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants. The easily identifiable license types are hotel, motel, bed and breakfast and vacation rental.

Most establishments are inspected at least annually. Vacation rentals, whether condominium units or dwellings, are only inspected when the Division receives a complaint. Fire safety is an important component of ensuring visitors’ wellbeing. Most transient lodging establishments, depending on the number of stories, building height and interior/exterior corridors, are required to have a fire sprinkler system. If a fire alarm is installed, it must be maintained and functional at all times, and fire extinguishers must be present. Halls, entrances and stairways must be properly illuminated, and exits must remain free of obstructions. The Division works closely with local fire authorities and reports readily observable fire violations to them or to the State Fire Marshall. In addition to smoke detectors, transient public lodging establishments must also have one hearing-impaired smoke detector per every 50 rental units or portion thereof, up to a maximum of five. These specialized detectors, in addition to emitting the familiar alarm, have a powerful strobe light to alert guests who are deaf or hearing deficient. The physical integrity of building components is important and must be well maintained. Buildings with three stories or more are required to complete a Certificate of Balcony Inspection every three years. The certificate must be completed by a person competent in conducting structural inspections to ascertain railings on all balconies, platforms and stairways are safe and secure. Certain requirements apply specifically to the safety and cleanliness of rooms. Entry and connecting room doors must have a secondary lock that is not operated by the guest room key. Sheets and pillowslips must be changed and laundered between guests. If provided, dishware and utensils must be washed, rinsed and sanitized, or a notice must be conspicuously posted informing guests these items have not been sanitized. For more information about licensing and requirements for transient public lodging establishments, visit DBPR’s website at MyFloridaLicense.com.

Miami Beach Requires Panic Buttons for Housekeepers

ffective August 1, 2019, all Miami Beach hotels and hostels are required by law to provide safety buttons or notification devices (panic buttons also know as employee safety devices) to staff that enter occupied rooms such as housekeepers, rooms service and mini-bar attendants. In addition, each guest room must post signage notifying guests that the safety button/notification device has been provided to these employees. As part of this new ordinance, each hotel and hostel must provide an affidavit with the annual BTR renewal stating that they are in compliance with the requirements. This ordinance does allow for an initial warning followed by penalties of $500, $1,000 and $2,000 for subsequent violations. Similar requirements have been implemented in other cities across the U.S., including Chicago.

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

Lodging Leaders Spotlight

Meet the Leaders of Innisfree Hotels With three decades of industry experience, Innisfree Hotels now exists as the largest beachfront hotel owneroperator on the entire Gulf Coast. With integrity and hard work at its backbone and a service to humanity at its heart, Innisfree fosters a company culture that is second to none. Their values have enabled them to grasp a deeper understanding of their guests, partners and clients, thus delivering a service that inspires new experiences and unforgettable memories.

JASON NICHOLSON

TED ENT

Vice President of Hotel Operations

CEO & President

(Career Beginning: Mullet Belly Scrubber)

(Career Beginning: Pot Washer)

JASON NICHOLSON joined Innisfree Hotels in 1996 as an assistant general manager, swiftly climbing the ranks to assume his current position as vice president of hotel operations in 2015. His superb command of revenue management strategies, operational efficiencies and a keen eye for detail have brought significant gains for the numerous hotels he has helmed. Jason has served for years on the Board of Directors for the Pensacola Beach Chamber of Commerce. In 2015, he was appointed to the Visit Pensacola Board of Directors and served as Board Chair in 2018. His impressive work ethic and passion for serving the community are why he is hailed as one of Innisfree’s greatest leaders.

TED ENT was named Innisfree Hotels' chief executive officer and president in 2018. With nearly 30 years of experience in the hospitality industry, Ted has a diverse background as an executive chef, entrepreneur, and corporate business leader. Most recently, Ted served as president and chief operating officer of the Texas-based MH Hospitality. He has also been a guest lecturer and regular panelist at a number of highly acclaimed universities and conferences, including the University Nevada Las Vegas Hospitality School, Penn State University School of Hospitality, New York University Hotel Investment Conference, American Lodging Investment Summit and more. Ted brings so much to the table, from his distinguished career experience and professionalism to his relentless commitment to bettering the community and his passion for inspiring like-minded individuals. Ted and his family work hard to give back through what they call the ‘Three Ts of Philanthropy’ — time, talent and treasure.

5-Star Promise Announced by AHLA

he American Hotel & Lodging Association and several large hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott and Wyndham have put forth the 5-Star Promise representing the Industry’s commitment to employee safety. This initiative includes training for employees on workplace diversity, safety and security issues; it provides mandatory anti-sexual harassment policies in a variety of languages, offers training about sexual harassment, provides employee safety devices (ESDs) to employees, and the group will increase efforts to build partnerships with organizations that promote workplace safety and create awareness of human trafficking. FRL A .org

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

H O S P I TA L I T Y W O R K F O R C E

How Opportunity Youth Can Help Fill the Hotel Employment Gap This article was originally published in Lodging Magazine October 29, 2018 By LODGING STAFF

ith summer ending, many young adults have returned to school. Yet, there are nearly six million “opportunity youth” — that is, young people between the ages of 16 and 24 who are out of school and out of work, but who possess the drive and resilience to succeed in the workplace. Recognizing that a four-year college degree is not the only path to success, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF) launched the Empowering Youth Project to train opportunity youth for jobs in the hospitality industry. AHLA and AHLEF 34 S P R I N G

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have partnered with the national nonprofit Grads of Life and committed $500,000 in grants for local community organizations to train 1,000 young people in high-demand markets, including Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, and Baltimore, over the next two years. Shelly Weir, Senior Vice President of Career Development at AHLEF, shares more about the Empowering Youth Project and how engaging opportunity youth is helping address one of the hotel industry’s biggest challenges. Why did AHLA and AHLEF start the Empowering Youth Project?

Many hotels across the country are facing a critical labor shortage — by one estimate,

there are more than 600,000 job openings in the hospitality sector. The idea behind the Empowering Youth Project was to help our hotel members create a quality pipeline of workers to fill that gap. With that goal in mind, I was introduced to Grads of Life, a national nonprofit committed to partnering with businesses to create employment opportunities for opportunity youth. I saw the great work Grads of Life was doing in the retail sector, and I knew that they would be a strong partner to help us not only address our industry’s workforce needs, but also help the communities across the country where our hotels are located. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

H O S P I TA L I T Y W O R K F O R C E

What do you think hoteliers are looking for when hiring employees, and how can opportunity youth meet their needs?

Our members regularly tell me that they are hiring for their particular company culture, and are looking for workers with strong employability skills, or “soft skills.” They need help identifying a pipeline of employees who are willing to work hard and learn. Opportunity youth have the grit and determination to succeed in the workforce, so our grants provide these youth with both the training and access to future employers to get a foot in the door. And, by providing the youth with the AHLA Certified Guest Service Designation, we can teach them how to provide great service — a skill that could prepare them for a variety of jobs within the hospitality industry. Did you run into any challenges when you began to roll out the grants in the various cities?

One thing we learned pretty quickly is that

many of the participants who went through our trainings were likely to accept the first job they were oﬀered, even if it was in another service sector. We take pride in seeing how indemand these young adults are, and we are so excited for their success. But, at the same time, we also want to keep our trainees in our industry. We’re now working with our members to identify ways we can speed up internal hiring processes and ensure more of these young people join the hotel industry after their training. We have also seen that incorporating a job shadow or work-based learning experience yields amazing results for both the youth and the employer. It gives our trainees a chance to experience the industry firsthand, identify the right career path, and practice the guest-service skills they learned in the classroom. At the same time, it gives employers a chance to showcase why their company is the right fit and ensures the hiring and onboarding process is smooth for these young adults.

What are the next steps for AHLA’s Empowering Youth Project?

Our first year of the Empowering Youth Project has been a resounding success, and we are excited to build on that momentum and continue growing the program. We plan to continue investing in and growing our presence in our four established markets, while also expanding the training into additional communities in 2019. And we are looking to build tools for hotel members to make the program scalable across the country. With a tightening labor market, the demand for talent in our industry is greater than ever. By connecting youth to opportunities in the hotel industry and providing them with the tools and training they need to succeed, we’re helping address the labor shortage, investing in our workforce and communities, and building the next generation of hoteliers. To learn more about the Empowering Youth Project and find out how you can hire opportunity youth, contact Shelly Weir at sweir@ahla.com.

HUMAN TRAFFICKING FRLA’s course will help you and your staff: • Recognize the signs of human trafficking • Learn best practices to protect victims and businesses • Promote anti-trafficking awareness

Order online at StopHumanTraffickingFL.com | Call today 888-524-2118 FRL A .org

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

H O S P I TA L I T Y H A P P E N I N G S

We are proud to highlight the latest happenings in hospitality. This section is designed to serve as an update on our industry and provide a snapshot of what we’re accomplishing together. If you would like to share something significant that’s happening in your area, feel free to submit your story to editor@frla.org.

1. Chef Lindsey Autry from the Regional Competition with culinary students. 2. Students enjoyed participating in the Palm Beach Chapter’s EATS event 3. Scott Overton, 2018 NE Chapter President with Greg Delks, 2019 NE Chapter President at the Northeast Chapter Board Installation. 4. FRLA Miami-Dade Board Member Deanne Connolly Graham enjoyed Taste of Redland with organizers Mike Huter and Steve Haas. FRLA sponsored the event. 5. The Pinellas Chapter, with teams from Wyndham Grand, Sandpearl, Longhorn Steakhouse, Renaissance Vinoy and CJ Publishing, started off the year by feeding the homeless and providing essential toiletries for close to 150. 6. FRLA HQ staff participated in Wear Blue Day to support creating awareness against human trafficking. 7. FRLA members' hospitality extended well beyond the industry with the EscaRosa, Northwest Florida and Tallahassee chapters collecting toys for Operation Santa Boat, a sleigh that delivered toys to children impacted by Hurricane Michael. 8. The Suncoast Chapter installed their new board in early January. 36

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

MARKETING

Well-Shot Photos Can Make the Sale By JEREMY SPINKS, VP of Online Design at BowStern Marketing Communications

PHOTOS BY ZDENKA_SIMEKOVA (TOP) AND JACOBLUND (BOTTOM) / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS

picture sells a thousand meals: get serious about your photography. It’s still one of the hardest things to make people see the value of, but custom professional photography makes all the difference. Yes, phones have great cameras these days and they can add all sorts of filters and effects, but they are still a poor substitute for someone who understands lighting and composition and uses professional tools. Did you know, for example, that a crucial tool in the food photographers kit box is WD40? Not to keep the camera shutter from sticking, but to give the food that freshly–cooked glisten. This is just one of the many tricks that a professional can employ that is going to heighten the photograph’s impact. I routinely work with clients who can’t — or won’t — afford the time and effort required to do it properly. Real estate agents who provide phone-camera images taken from across the street at 2pm on a rainy day, for example. Or restaurants who provide instruction such as ‘use a nice picture of some shrimp’ without considering how this photograph needs to make their shrimp seem worth the extra time it takes to drive to their location. If your budget won’t stretch to a professional, put some time into lighting and composition. When shooting food, for example, you can employ a little color theory. Most food is not blue, and anything in the brown/orange range (say, a nice apple pie) will contrast well on a blue background. The blue will recede, providing more focus to the food. Another valid route is stock photography, of course. Here you can benefit from the experience of a professional without the

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expense of a custom shoot. This limits you, however, to a certain generic quality to the imagery. If your shrimp cocktail is unique, it deserves its own photograph. If stock photography is necessary, try to limit the amount of ambient content in the scene. Go close in on the food, to avoid portraying elements that a guest won’t find in your establishment. The same can work for pillows or towels; just don’t accidentally show a beach in the background if you’re not on the coast. Ultimately, stock photography will be limiting because you won’t be able to find every shot you need in the same style, or from the right angle, and location-based marketing can only employ so much pretend ambience before appearing to be fake.

If you’re shooting property, don’t just stand in the doorway and click; take shots from several angles and review them to see which is most flattering. You might vary your height as well as your angle, and crop out less flattering elements like air vents. If you have to shoe-string it, try remembering these few nuggets. • Invest in a tripod so you can make the most of natural light. Early or late in the day will appear the most appealing but are challenging to do well. • Shoot in landscape format, it’s more appealing and natural. • Use the right lens for the job: wide angle for property, macro for food.

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

MARKETING

uffy’s Sports Grill has 34 locations located throughout Florida and is known for great food, awesome hospitality and fun! Duffy’s serves 1 million burgers annually and has been family-owned and operated for 33 years. Duffy’s is regarded as a leader in restaurant loyalty programs. Their program has many offerings for members such as complimentary birthday gifts, deep discounts in food orders taken between 2–4 p.m. every Monday through Friday, call-ahead seating, double points days and double-points for online ordering. All of these initiatives drive business and increase customer loyalty. Susie McKinley, Editor of FR&L Magazine, explored some of the benefits of this program with Sandy Nelson, Director of Marketing for Duffy’s. Duffy’s MVP Card program is highly regarded by industry insiders. The Loyalty Program is extremely detailed and organized. Please explain to readers the effort and planning required to get a program such as Duffy’s MVP up and running. Since the program’s inception, the goal has remained the same — reward our loyal guests for dining at Duffy’s. When we launched the program in 2003, it was the most generous and

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straightforward program of its kind. We have kept the structure intact with providing 1 point per $1 spent, points add up quickly, and are automatically converted to rewards that guests can spend at any location. We have kept the core program the same while finding ways to add more value for those guests who visit the most. Do you believe the MVP Card drives business? If so, does this include not only returning customers, but also ﬁrst-time customers? Yes, Duffy’s MVPs are fanatical about earning their points and rewards. We put most of our marketing effort into cultivating the relationship with our MVPs as they are a very receptive audience. Our external strategy is to focus on our outstanding food and hospitality to attract new guests, and once they visit we know our team players will get them signed up into the MVP program because it’s so ingrained in our culture. Can you share some of the thought behind the rewards such as the Afternoon Break and the Complimentary Birthday Gift? Originally, we modeled our program after the airlines. When you look at our business volume, the time period between 2–4 p.m.

Do you think that your many rewards help to make the customer feel special? Yes, we put a lot of effort into using the data we have on our guests to be sure we are delivering relevant offers to them. We also monitor what offers they aren’t responding to, so we can continue to adjust to their preferences. Does feeling special encourage repeat visits? We have a tiered system that provides more points and additional perks for our very best guests. For example, all MVPs are eligible for the Afternoon Break discount, but less frequent guests get 20 percent off, while the guests who visit all the time can get up to 50 percent off. MVPs appreciate these differences and strive to get to the next level. To some, their status is a real badge of honor for them. Looks like the savings is pretty good as well! Can you share with readers the average savings for an MVP member per visit? A regular MVP member will see savings right around 15 percent, while a more frequent MVP that we call a “Gold,” “All Star” or “Hall of Fame” member will enjoy closer to 25 percent in savings. Is there anything else you’d like to say to readers about this effective marketing tool? I would caution readers that loyalty is not a quick fix. It’s not a tactic that you just drop in to move the needle. In order to be effective, there really must be buy-in at every level of the organization from the service team all the way up to the top. F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

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Duffy’s MVP Loyalty Program

is one of the slowest, so we added the Afternoon Break incentive to fill the seats. It worked, and some of our locations even go on a wait during this time of day. We are always looking for ways to reward our guests, to ensure they choose Duffy’s above the competition. In looking at other e-clubs or rewards programs, they typically offer some small perk that nobody really wants or that is only valid on their birthday. We give our MVPs reward dollars so they can choose how they celebrate their birthday with us, and we give them the whole month to use it. We think of our MVPs as part of the family; we want them to celebrate their favorite occasions with us.

Four ways to save with UnitedHealthcare. Exclusive discounts and solutions for FRLA member businesses.

1 New Association Health Plan for small hospitality employers.

2 Up to a 5 percent discount on fully insured medical rates for midsize employers.

3 Annual invoice credit of up to 5 percent on administrative fees for new self-funded medical products for large employers.

4 Up to a 5 percent discount on fully insured dental, vision, life, disability, accident and critical illness products for employers of all sizes.

Visit uhctogether.com/frla to learn more.

Some restrictions and exclusions apply. Discounts are available only to members of the National Restaurant Association and its state restaurant association partners; and may vary by location and group size. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, Inc. or their affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare of Florida, Inc. 19-19439-FL 1/19 ÂŠ2019 United HealthCare Services, Inc.

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

MARKETING

5 Easy Ways to Get More Reviews for Your Restaurant

Go The Extra Mile Unfortunately, getting a review requires more than just good food and good service. Getting a review requires you to do something that makes customers think to themselves: “Wow, that was really cool … Maybe I should leave a review!” You see, once the customer checks out, they’ve already paid for your services. The transaction between restaurant and customer is complete. They don’t feel like they owe you anything anymore. Why should they take their time to post a review? The key lies in the psychological concept of reciprocity. As defined by Dr. Robert Cialdini, in his book, Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion, reciprocity is the mental pull that we feel to reciprocate when something is given. Establish something unexpected that you’ll do for customers. Whether it’s free bread for the table, a complementary dessert, chocolates or mints with the receipt, or even all of the above, it’s often the little things that influence people. 40

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Find Out Which Review Platform To Cater To Knowing which review sites your audience seem to favor will help you in encouraging them to post reviews about you. Here’s a helpful trick. First, run through the top review sites. We’ve listed a few of them here for your convenience. • Yelp • Zomato • OpenTable • Foursquare • Google • TripAdvisor Check your local competitors on each of them. Analyze who’s getting reviews and on which sites. It’s important to understand what type of audience each site attracts and how your restaurant can leverage customers to gain positive reviews. Hopefully, your competitors can provide some of that insight. Also, (this should really go without saying) make sure that your restaurant is listed to begin with! Social Media Social media, much more so than targeted review sites, is a little bit easier to get recommendations on. The likelihood that customers might post something positive about your restaurant, especially in the heat of the moment, following an excellent night out is substantially higher. Whereas posting on targeted review sites might be a hobby for some customers, posting recommendations and reviews via social media tends to be more well, social. Doubling down on your social media marketing is an awesome way to promote these types of reviews.

by addressing each complaint with diligence and concern. Respond to reviews so that these customers know that you’re listening. You won’t be able to erase a negative review, but you can counteract it with future positive reviews. For example, let’s say I’m researching a restaurant I’m considering to eat at. I go to my review site of choice and being scrolling. I notice that the most recent bad review is from a few years ago, and that since then, the majority of reviews have been fairly positive. In fact, one of the more recent reviews even mentions how much the restaurant has improved in the last couple years! Get Better Reviews With CoGoBuzz Do you need more reviews in your restaurant? Get better reviews easily and automatically with CoGoBuzz, our incredible state-of-theart marketing service. Leveraging powerful WiFi, SMS, and Email solutions, CoGoBuzz connects directly to your customers’ mobile devices — heightening engagement both in-store and out. Featuring a built-in custom landing page (tailored to your restaurant), accessed automatically through a one-time connection to the HotSpot, you can promote and incentivize customers to provide feedback. CoGoBuzz comes with a fully-digital, text-based loyalty program, allowing you to connect with your loyal customers wherever they go. Engage and reward them to help promote more positive reviews! To learn more about CoGoBuzz, visitcogo.buzz.

Be Constructive It’s hard to avoid the occasional negative review. Whether justified or not, for one reason or another, there’s always something to be gained from such criticism. Be constructive F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

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etting great reviews. That should be the goal of any restaurant, shouldn’t it? To have your restaurant praised for what it does best, and shouted out to the world; that’s what any restaurant owner truly desires. Reviews aren’t just marketing. Their core component is that they’re authentic. People trust reviews more than anything you could possibly tell them from an oﬃcial channel. The diﬃcult part, of course, isn’t getting people to enjoy the experience of dining out. (Your restaurant is great already, right?) It’s getting people to actually go through with the review. Read ahead for five easy ways to get more reviews in your restaurant.

2019

SAVE THE DATE Mar. 11–12 AAHOA Spring National Advocacy Conference Washington, DC

Mar. 12 Florida Town Hall Meeting Tallahassee

Apr. 7–10

Apr. 24 –27

Restaurant Leadership Conference

AAHOA 2019 Convention & Trade Show

Phoenix

San Diego

Aug. 4 –8

Aug. 13 –14

American Culinary Federation National Convention

FRLA Marketing + Operations Summit

Orlando

Tampa

Sept. 8 –10 FSTECH Dallas

Sept. 15 –16 Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show and Healthy Food Expo Orlando

Oct. 16–17 NRA/FRLA Bob Leonard Golf Classic and Reception Orlando

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Don’t miss out on these great opportunities to network and increase your knowledge about the dynamic hospitality industry!

Mar. 13 Florida Tourism Day Tallahassee

Mar. 27–28 NRA 2019 Public Affairs Conference Washington, DC

May 18–21

June 10–12

National Restaurant Show

FRLA Summer Board Meeting

Chicago

Hawks Cay Resort

Aug. 25–28 AHLEF Golf Classic Newport Beach, CA

Sept. 15 –16 FRLA Fall Board Meeting Orlando

Oct. 4–16

Nov. 20–22

MUFSO

FloridaEncounter

Denver

Panama City Beach

Sept. 4 –6 Governor’s Conference on Tourism Boca Raton

Sept. 15 FRLA Hospitality Stars of the Industry Celebration Orlando

Mar. 30– Apr. 3, 2020 Conference for Food Protection Denver

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

ADVERTORIAL

Glenn Jergensen EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY TOURIST DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL The Tourist Development Council provides contractual oversight of marketing, promotion and destination development for one of the largest industries in Palm Beach County, tourism. His leadership, through management and oversight of County contractor agreements with Discover The Palm Beaches, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, and contracted operations oversight with Spectra Venue Management for the Palm Beach County Convention Center has resulted in collaborative marketing programs for the County. With tourism tax investments in two MLB Spring Training facilities and our Convention Center Campus, visitation to The Palm Beaches continues to increase. The latest marketing tool for tourism is The Palm Beaches TV, an online, 24/7 high-quality family-friendly entertainment channel that offers a view into the best experiences The Palm Beaches has to offer. What led to the creation of The Palm Beaches TV? With 2,300 square miles of theme park-like adventures that include cultural venues, life style sports, dining, shopping, beaches, outdoor recreation and so much more, there are millions of stories to tell! The Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission was approached by Olympusat, a global media company headquartered in West Palm Beach, to produce a tourism TV channel for the area. Given their expertise in distribution and high-quality programing, we knew a television channel was the best and most unique way to market The Palm Beaches as a must-see travel destination. From a budgeting standpoint, how were you able to implement and approve a budget for a program like this? The mission of the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission, using its assigned marketing budget, is to sponsor tourism related programming that attracts visitors to the area, while using local media production companies as much as possible. We use a sponsorship investment for the tourism-related production toward distribution of the program outside the County, while retaining rights to air for The Palm Beaches TV hotel channels and internet viewing audiences. Other destinations produce similar tourism channels, yet your vision is a bit different. Explain how this channel stands out. The vision for the channel is modeled after what Disney does on its hotel properties. We have seen other destination channels that offer user-generated content strung together to create experiences and the difference is that The Palm Beaches TV content is produced by professional production partners who also have experience in the field of distribution. In addition, the production investment approval process ensures the tourism story quality gives the viewer the best destination experience. 42 S P R I N G

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What is your favorite program on the channel? One of our signature series is in partnership with public television, South Florida PBS, is titled On the Town in The Palm Beaches. This series takes viewers on a high-spirited journey to visit the cities and towns that make the Palm Beaches so special. The show airs on South Florida PBS and The Palm Beaches TV. Where does the channel play? The Palm Beaches TV is available online at ThePalmBeaches.TV and on Roku, it can also be seen in over 2,500 hotel guest rooms across the County, at the Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa, the PGA National Resort & Spa, the Best Western West Palm Beach, the DoubleTree by Hilton Palm Beach Gardens, The Boca Raton Resort & Club and at the Palm Beach International Airport in the baggage claim area. The channel is also available in the customer lounge area of the Palm Beach Convention Center, the Cultural Council visitor center, the lobby of the Brazilian Court Hotel Palm Beach and has a designated channel aboard the Bahamas Paradise Grand Classica cruise ship. What kind of growth do you anticipate for the channel? We are continuing to concentrate on expanding distribution and viewership and creating new content. Future plans include distributing the channel to more hotels, more county locations, places of public viewing, such as restaurants, doctors’ offices and so much more. App development is underway to make the channel more accessible across all mobile platforms. Content remains a primary focus including live streaming of sporting events and family entertainment shows. We want to provide our viewers with exciting programming where they can be inspired to experience The Palm Beaches themselves.

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WATCH IT!

LIVE IT!

SHARE IT!

Tourist Development Council

• High Quality Family Programming available 24/7 • Watch on ROKU, Online or On Demand at ThePalmBeaches.TV • Tune in for Culture, Eco Tourism, Sports, Leisure, Fun, Business, Dining, Shopping, and the Arts.

ThePalmBeaches .TV

EXPLORE THE PALM BEACHES ONLINE OR ON DEMAND

ENVIRONMENT

SECRETS OF SUCCESS

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa

au Palm Beach is a beautiful oceanfront retreat in Palm Beach. It has been named as a Forbes Five-Star resort, one of only eight in Florida. Eau is known for its fabulous accommodations and spa, not to mention all that Palm Beach has to offer. WHAT MAKES YOUR HOTEL UNIQUE? Located on seven acres of

magnificent oceanfront on the Atlantic Ocean, Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa is ideally situated so that the moment our guests arrive, they feel all their stress leave them. You are immediately greeted by the sight and sound of the Atlantic Ocean, which captures your attention from across the lobby. With only 309 guest rooms and suites, all designed by the iconic potter, author and designer Jonathan Adler, the resort feels intimate in size. What guests continue to tell us is that they return year after year because of our team of

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professional hoteliers who remember their name and treat them like a member of the family. Our F&B program is simply the best, from Temple Orange Mediterranean Bistro which offers three meals each day, to Breeze Ocean Kitchen where guests can dine oceanfront while enjoying a craft beer paired with our world famous mahi tacos! Stir Lounge is our social hub where guests can enjoy handcrafted cocktails and small plates, and Angle is our fine dining destination which features something to satisfy everyone’s palette. Another unique feature of our hotel is the spa. Eau Spa is unlike any other spa you may have visited. It’s 42,000 square feet and features 19 treatment rooms and a garden. For our younger guests, we offer AquaNuts and Coast. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL READERS ABOUT YOUR SIGNATURE AMENITIES? Our signature amenities

begin with check-in when our guests are F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

presented with a complimentary glass of champagne, and continue in the guest room where our guests receive an artist designed canvas tote bag that features a map of Palm Beach on the front of the bag. During our ‘lobby turndown’ on Fridays and Saturdays guests are offered a complimentary glass of champagne and in the spa the champagne and cupcakes continue to flow. EAU PALM BEACH RESORT & SPA HAS BEEN NAMED AS A FORBES FIVE-STAR RESORT. WHAT DO YOU THINK CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO RECEIVE THIS KIND OF RECOGNITION? Being named a Forbes Five-Star resort over the

past several years is like winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games. It is no easy task. The resort is reviewed annually by unannounced Forbes inspectors who review us on more than 800 items — from how we interact with guests to cleanliness, quality of food and beverage and much more. We attribute our success with the Forbes Travel Guide program to our internal training program which focuses on many things, including knowing and remembering guest names, their preferences, as well as thinking ahead for the guest while delivering thoughtful and intuitive service. WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU EMPHASIZE WITH STAFF ABOUT YOUR CUSTOMERS? To treat our guests

as you would want to be treated while delivering prompt and courteous service, and knowing and repeating the guest’s name when appropriate. WHAT CRITICAL OR PRIORITY AREAS DO YOU EMPHASIZE IN TRAINING YOUR STAFF AND HOW DO YOU MANAGE EMPLOYEE TURNOVER? We have a

comprehensive training program that begins on the first day of employment. In fact, before a new hire comes on board, he or she must attend the multi-day training which teaches our values as a hotel. As a result, our turnover rate continues to be one of the lowest in the industry. WHAT ARE EAU PALM BEACH RESORT & SPA'S SECRETS OF SUCCESS? Our training and culture that was created by our

ownership team. Our owners take great pride in ensuring that each of our hoteliers have the tools to be successful in their role at the resort. FRL A .org

F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G

REGIONAL DIRECTOR & CHAPTER MAP

GULF ISLAND COAST LEE PARADISE COAST

ROZETA MAHBOUBI

954.270.5814 | rmahboubi@frla.org

GUI CUNHA

FLORIDA INNS Statewide Chapter

407.613.9350 | gcunha@frla.org

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F LO R I DA R ESTAU R A N T & LO D G I N G A S SO CI AT I O N

GIVING BACK

CORE Partners with UberEats and Tito’s Handmade Vodka to Provide $18,000 in Support to Families Affected by Hurricane Michael

CORE

(Children of Restaurant Employees, Ltd.) is nationally recognized as an organization that grants support to children of food and beverage services navigating life-altering circumstances. A lesser known yet equally important CORE program is gaining recognition across the country as it provides Disaster Relief support to food and beverage service employees and their families after hurricanes, flood, fires, and more. In October 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall in Florida, causing over $5 billion in damage to homes and businesses throughout the Florida panhandle. As with many natural disasters, some of those hit hardest were food and beverage service employees and their children, who lost both homes and businesses after Hurricane Michael devastated the area. Within days of the hurricane, CORE’s Disaster Relief program was in full effect, ready to offer support to employees and employers alike. One such employer was Salina O’Brien, owner of Beef O’Brady’s in Marianna, Florida. O’Brien found herself with multiple employees who had lost their homes in the hurricane and now were losing income while they waited for Beef O’Brady’s to reopen. It was serendipitous, then, that O’Brien stumbled on

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CORE’s flyer in a shipment of inventory from Tito’s Handmade Vodka, a longtime CORE supporter who made a significant contribution to CORE’s 2018 Disaster Relief fund. That flyer prompted O’Brien to submit CORE applications for her employees with children who were struggling post-hurricane. Anna, an employee of O’Brien’s with three young children at home, was one of the employees referred. At a loss after her home was destroyed by Hurricane Michael, Anna had no idea how she and her husband would start rebuilding their life, let alone provide gifts for the fastapproaching holidays. Within days of application, Anna had been contacted by a CORE Ambassador and told that she was eligible for support through CORE’s Disaster Relief Program. By the end of that day she had been accepted into the Disaster Relief program and was on her way to receiving CORE support. The best part? With CORE’s support, Anna and her husband were able to buy holiday presents for their family. “We would not have had Christmas for our children if it wasn’t for CORE,” she told us recently. Now, Anna is back to work at Beef O’Bradys while she and her husband save up for a new home. CORE was honored to help 18 families affected by Hurricane Michael. We could

not have done it without the support of Uber Eats, who donated $10,000 to our Disaster Relief Program in 2017 and again in 2018, and we offer our sincere gratitude to Uber Eats for helping CORE support food and beverage service families in need. About CORE CORE is a 501c3 charitable organization founded in 2004. The organization grants support to children of food and beverage service employees navigating life-altering circumstances. Through the support of an active board, experienced leadership team and CORE ambassadors across the country, the nonproﬁt has been able to actualize their mission and grant support to these families during the worst moments of their lives. Over 500 families in more than 37 states and Puerto Rico have been helped to date, with nearly $4 million raised by the organization. To connect with CORE and stay up-to-date on happenings, follow them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Visit coregives. org for more information on CORE.

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E D U C AT I O N A L F O U N D AT I O N

Bay High School ProStart

n 2018, Hurricane Michael slammed into Florida’s Panhandle, devastating homes, businesses, and schools throughout the region. Greg Bailie, ProStart Culinary Director at Bay High School in Panama City, lost his home, and the school was unusable for weeks. One month after the storm hit, many Panhandle residents were still in need. Panama City’s hurricane shelter was still open, some who’d lost their homes were living in tents, and others had no idea how they would make a Thanksgiving meal happen. Bailie and his ProStart students went to work, using their skills to provide for their neighbors. Using the space at Jinks Middle School, more than 100 Bay High School culinary students prepared 5,000 pounds of turkey and 2,000 pounds of ham along with other traditional Thanksgiving food, including pies. Cooking began at 7 a.m. the Saturday before the holiday and continued late into the night. The Community Thanksgiving took place two days before the oﬃcial holiday and included music and art therapy. For the ProStart teacher, the event was cathartic.

“As bad as the situation may be for me or other people, there are others much worse off than I am. And if I can do anything to bring a little bit of peace and comfort and joy to them, that’s what’s important.” — Greg Bailie Good Morning America (GMA) aired a feature touting the work of Bailie and his students. During the segment, the Bay High School Foundation was presented with a $20,000 check from Nestle. The money will be used for repair and reconstruction of Bay High. 48

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Inspiration. Creativity. Passion. flrestaurantandlodgingshow.com

SAVE THE DATE SEPTEMBER 15 & 16, 2019 ORANGE COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER

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