The Dish | January 2021

The Dish A P U B L I C A T I O N O F T H E N E W H A M P S H I R E L O D G I N G A N D R E S T A U R A N T A S S O C I A T I O N

Issue No. 01

• January 2021 • Cover Photo: Hop + Grind

Pay as You Pour

Covid-19 Vaccinations

Ghost Kitchens

New liquor liability financing to help you save.

Legal considerations for mandatory programs .

page 5

What do you need to know to stay compliant?

page 7

page 12

Inside YOUR GUIDE TO ISSUE NO.1

Fresh ingredients delivery at Granita Enoteca.

5

Pay as You Pour

Announcing a new liquor liability financing program

7

COVID-19 Vaccines

Legal considerations for mandating vaccines

11 Small Business Day

An online webinar to help you thrive in the current climate

12 Ghost Kitchens

What you need to know to stay compliant

13 The Common Man

Over 50 pizza meals delivered to essential workers

15 Cleaning the Air That

Indoor air quality considerations

18 Don't Dump That Joe

Getting creative with coffee

19 Old Man Oatmeal

A mouth-watering recipe from Woodstock Inn Brewery

Roadside Does Good

Smiling servers at Margarita's.

We Share

Stout Chocolate Bread Pudding

Cover Photo by Jimmy Cook of Hop + Grind in Durham, NH.

Bundled up at Iron Furnace Brewing.

www.nhlra.com  | 2

www.nhlra.com  | 3

2020 Chair of the Board

Gail Batstone Owl's Nest Resort & Golf Club 2020 VIce Chair of Lodging

Molly Rice-Norby Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery 2020 VIce Chair of Restaurants

John Dunn Michael Timothy's Dining Group NHLRA President and CEO

Mike Somers NHLRA Director of Education and Workforce Development

Amie Pariseau NHLRA Membership Manager and Director of Workers' Compensation Trust

Samantha MacDonald NHLRA Social Media and Marketing Manager

Pamela Baker Ad rates and submission guidelines: nhlra.com www.nhlra.com  | 4

INSURANCE

HOSPITALITY INSURANCE GROUP LAUNCHES ‘PAY AS YOU POUR’ PROGRAM

"Especially with the COVID slowdowns, people simply don’t have as much cash in their pocket.

It’s a benefit for them to be able to finance the premium with only 10% down."

New Liquor Liability Financing Will Help Seasonal Businesses with Cash Flow Hospitality Insurance Group is launching a new program that will give bars, restaurants, and

any

other

eligible

liquor

liability

by

basing

their

bimonthly

premium

policyholders more flexibility in how they

payments on how much liquor they sell.

pay their insurance premiums.

Premium payments will be lower when sales are

down

and,

conversely,

when

sales

The Pay as You Pour program, offered in

volume

partnership with First Insurance Funding,

contributing more to premium payments.

will help businesses improve their cash flow

The program comes as many in the

is

higher,

businesses

will

be

www.nhlra.com | 5

hospitality industry face a winter slowdown

effortless since last year’s sales information

in business, particularly amid the ongoing

will already have been recorded as part of

COVID-19 pandemic.

the program.

The program was developed to assist our

In

policyholders not only during the COVID-19

policies with Hospitality may include those

pandemic but for those customers who have

premiums at the same 10% deposit with 26

seasonal businesses and find it challenging

fixed installments.

addition,

businesses

who

have

other

to keep up with their payment installments during their slow times.

The bimonthly premium payments for the liquor liability will be calculated by taking

“This program will alleviate the financial

the average liquor liability rate which will

burden that occurs when insureds have slow

then be multiplied by how much a bar,

months and money is tight, when sales are

restaurant, or other business sells in liquor

good, they will pay a higher premium and

each month.

will be in a better position to make those payments.” said Sandra Haley, Senior Vice

“At the end of the year, it all settles out and

President of Underwriting and Marketing at

they only pay for what they actually sold

Hospitality Insurance Group.

during the year,” Haley said.

To participate, businesses must make a

Pay as You Pour is available to Hospitality

down payment of 10 percent, which is

Insurance Group’s directly appointed agents.

significantly less than the usual 20 to 25

Other

percent

through

deposits

required

to

finance

agents the

can

access

Group’s

the

program

wholesale

partners.

premiums. The lower down payment will aid

Businesses who want to participate should

businesses short on cash due to the COVID-

contact their insurance agent.

19 pandemic.

For more information, email info@hmic.com “Especially

with

the

COVID

slowdowns,

or visit https://hmic.com/.

people simply don’t have as much cash in their pocket. It’s a benefit for them to be able to finance the premium with only 10% down.”

said

Mark

Trombly,

Marketing

Manager at Hospitality Insurance Group.

The

program

is

a

permanent

financing

option that will continue to be available to businesses after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Participating businesses must also have an acceptable

sales

verification

system

to

upload. For those who participate in the program the renewal process will be

www.nhlra.com | 6

LEGAL UPDATE

EEOC Issues Guidance on Legally Compliant COVID-19 Vaccinations Programs

By Christopher T. Vrountas, Esq. and Allison C. Ayer, Esquire, Vrountas, Ayer & Chandler, P.C.

On December 16, 2020, the Equal

Employment

Commission

proof of a COVID-19 vaccine without running

(“EEOC”) once again updated its guidance

afoul of EEO law. But that does not mean all

concerning COVID-19, this time to address

required vaccination program comply with

vaccinations. Just as with past guidance, the

EEOC laws.

new

Opportunity

vaccine and/or to ask their employees for

information

regarding

vaccinations

comes in the form of questions and answers

In short, there is no easy bright line rules for

that show up in the last section of the

COVID vaccine protocols.

EEOC’s

lawfully

COVID-19

publication.

These

technical are

assistance

some

of

the

highlights:

implement

requirements.

But

automatically

firing

Employers can COVID

they an

vaccine

should

avoid

employee

or

excluding him/her from a worksite only on The EEOC has taken the position that the

the

ADA, GINA, and Title VII do not prohibit

obtained the vaccine.

employers from requiring their workforces to

made clear that even in the context of the

be vaccinated against COVID.

coronavirus

In other

basis

that

the

employee

pandemic,

has

not

The EEOC has now employers

must

words, employers are generally permitted to

make efforts to ensure they attempt to

require employees to get the COVID

accommodate employees who have cannot

www.nhlra.com | 7

be vaccinated for legally protected reasons, such as disabilities and/or religious belief.

Here are some considerations for employers set forth in the EEOC guidance to help employers evaluate how to lawfully require their employees to be vaccinated for COVID. Requiring employees to take a vaccine and/or asking for proof of vaccination is permissible. But, an employer cannot ask additional

questions

about

why

the

employee did or did not receive the vaccination unless the questions are jobrelated

and

consistent

with

business

necessity. Best practice is to avoid asking questions concerning vaccinations and/or have

independent

pharmacies

or

third

health

parties

care

like

providers

administer the vaccines. Otherwise, if the employer

administers

a

vaccination

program , screening or other questions

must be job-related and consistent with business necessity in order to be lawful under the ADA. ¡If an employer requires proof of COVID vaccination, it should warn employees in advance not to provide other medical information with the proof of vaccination, i.e.,

leave

screening

out

information

answers,

diagnosis,

condition(s),

prescription

about medical

information,

etc.

An employer cannot automatically fire or restrict from the workplace an employee who does not get the COVID vaccine because of a disability or sincerely-held religious belief.

Instead, the employer

must conduct additional

analysis before deciding how best to handle an employee who has not complied with the employer’s COVID-19 vaccine requirements.

Specifically: If

an

employee

vaccinated

who

because

of

cannot a

get

disability,

before restricting him/her from the job site, the employer must assess if the employee poses a direct threat (i.e., significant risk of substantial harm) to the health or safety of him/herself or others.

In the context of COVID, this

requires the employer to determine, among other things, that the employee will expose others to the virus.

If an employee cannot get vaccinated for COVID because of a disability or a sincerely-held

religious

belief,

the

employer must assess whether there exists a reasonable accommodation for the disability/religious belief to permit the employee to do his/her job without causing

undue

hardship

(significant

difficulty or expense) to the employer.

www.nhlra.com  | 8

Employers are advised to consult CDC

Managers and supervisors should be

recommendations, OSHA guidance, and

trained to recognize when statements

Job Accommodation Network and other

by employees may constitute requests

COVID resources when assessing whether

for accommodations to a vaccination

there exists an effective accommodation

requirement.

to

Employers and employees should be

the

vaccination

requirement

that

would not pose an undue hardship.

flexible and cooperative to try to

Before terminating an employee for not

identify

being

accommodation exists to exempt the

vaccinated,

there

must

be

an

whether

assessment of the existence of a direct

employee

threat/reasonable

requirement.

accommodation

a

from

reasonable vaccination

assessment distinct from the one done to

As always, employers must maintain the

determine

privacy and confidentiality of any medical

if

the

employer

can

be

excluding from the workplace.

According

to

employee

the

cannot

information the employee obtains during

EEOC, get

the

if

an

COVID

the course of a vaccination program.

Employers

cannot

retaliate

against

vaccine because of a disability or

employees who asks for or receives an

religious

accommodation

belief,

and

there

is

no

reasonable accommodation to reduce

to

a

vaccination

requirement.

a direct threat to other employees, then it likely would be lawful to exclude

the

workplace.

employee

from

the

BUT

does

not

this

necessarily mean the employee can be fired.

Working

remotely

or

taking

leave

under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, the FMLA and/or the employer’s policies may be reasonable accommodations for a person who cannot get vaccinated because of a disability or religious belief.

Remember, employees are not lawyers

250 Commercial Street, Suite 4004 Manchester, NH 03101

and they need not refer to any law, use legal terms or otherwise use any magic words to trigger the employer’s duty to accommodate a disability or religious belief, even in the context of vaccine requirements.

www.nhlra.com | 9

www.nhlra.com  | 11

GHOST KITCHENS WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW? By the NH Department of Health and Human Services, Food Protection Section Ghost kitchens (sometimes called virtual or dark kitchens) are foodservice facilities set up for delivery-only or carryout meals. It’s not a traditional dine-in space, but an invisible hub for using a virtual brand.

With the increase demand for take-out and delivery foods due to the COVID 19 pandemic, this a new concept that some restaurants are starting to use in New Hampshire.

The state and local health departments advise of considerations that you should take to ensure compliance with local or state regulations if opening ghost kitchen. These include: Will you be installing new equipment that would require inspections by local fire, code enforcement or plumbing inspectors? · ·

Do you have adequate dry or temperature controlled storage to accommodate new ingredients and supplies for the ghost kitchen menu?

Have you trained food employees in safe food preparation of new menu items?

Please consult with your local or state food inspector in advance of starting your ghost kitchen to ensure there are no additional requirements for the ghost kitchen. The State of New Hampshire Food Protection Section can be reached at 603-271-4589 or dhhs.foodprotection@dhhs.nh.gov.

If your business is located in one of the 15 selfinspecting cities or towns, the local contact information can be accessed by clicking here.

www.nhlra.com | 12

MEMBER UPDATE

COMMON MAN ROADSIDE

DONATES 50 “DO GOOD” PIZZA MEALS TO ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN 2020

By Common Man Roadside It began with the onset of a pandemic in March of 2020.

The desire to do something positive amongst all the negatives prompted The Common Man Roadside to reach out to first responders and medical professionals across New Hampshire with donated pizza lunches.

Initially, “Do Good Tuesdays” offered 50% discounts on meals and the opportunity to nominate a deserving "crew” for a free pizza meal. That drew many suggestions for worthy groups and the “Do Good” meals began, occurring as often as three times a week.

Complete with drinks and deserts, the “Do Good” pizza lunches continued throughout 2020, extending to staff at medical offices, senior citizens homes, daycares, and schools.

The 50th delivery of a “Do Good” pizza lunch in 2020 took place on the last day of the year, a New Year’s Eve treat for staff working at New Horizons homeless shelters in Manchester. In total, an estimated 750 donated pizzas helped make some challenging days a little brighter for essential workers in New Hampshire during a difficult year. www.nhlra.com | 13

The Response “I’m one of the respiratory therapists at Catholic Medical Center and because of you guys we all enjoyed an incredibly delicious lunch. You have no idea how much that brightened up my day. It really meant a lot to us, and you’ve made a lot of smiles and a lot of people happy.”“ - Exhausted medical workers on the front lines responding to the gesture.

What a great lunch. The Team was over the moon happy!” Carolyn Varin of Mid-State Health Center in Plymouth.

“Thanks so much again for the delicious pizzas, desserts and beverages! The staff LOVED and APPRECIATED everything!” – Ryan Lawrence, Parkland Medical Center in Derry.

www.nhlra.com | 14

PREFERRED VENDOR

CLEANING THE AIR THAT WE SHARE

By Air Cleaners Inc. The emergence of COVID-19 has forever

buildings, this is sometimes combined in one

changed the way we think about air quality.

unit. But until COVID-19 little, if any, attention

Air “Conditioning” was invented in 1902 by

has been paid to air cleanliness. Yet we havE

Willis Carrier and is primary associated with

known for many years that major pathogens

cooling. In fact, for the past 100 years, the

are transmitted through airborne aerosols that

building design community has focused on

can live in the air for many hours, long after

the temperature of indoor air. Many buildings

the infected person leaves the building.

use a separate heating and cooling system to manage indoor air temperature. In newer e www.nhlra.com | 15

The list of airborne pathogens not only .includes

outbreak, assurances will need to be made that

COVID-19, but also the flu, ChickenPox, Measles,

the air is clean. For most, the best way to do this is

Tuberculosis, Influenza, and the common cold.

with high levels of air filtration. The COVID-19

The last major outbreak of Influenza occurred in

vaccine will not be enough. We need to consider

1918 and was responsible for the death of 50

indoor air quality as an important way to

million people. Influenza outbreaks are cyclical

proactively reduce the risk of disease transmission

and some epidemiologists are predicting we are

– for all airborne pathogens to insure the health

due

death

and safety of our employees and customers. The

expectations in the millions. To reduce this

technology to do this is well understood and can

transmission, we must reduce the concentration

be delivered at a reasonable cost. Air Cleanser Inc

of pathogens within indoors spaces, and dilute

is a new company based in Bristol committed to

the polluted stale air with clean air.

delivering a solution to the transmission of

for

another

outbreak

with

airborne pathogens in the places we eat, drink,

The Issue for NH's Restaurants and Hotels

work, play, and pray. If you are interested in learning more about what we can do for your school or business, please visit our website at

COVID-19 has been a wakeup call to Americans.

www.aircleanersinc.com or contact me, Paul

For people to be comfortable staying in hotels

Bemis, at paul@aircleanersinc.com .

and eating in restaurants as the did prior to the

www.nhlra.com  | 16

BUSINESS MEMBER

DON’T DUMP THE JOE Waste not, want not. Get creative with coffee and recoup cash by sending less excess brew down the drain.

By Chef Tim, Dennis Paper & Food Service For many food service operations coffee is hands down one of the highest food cost items that we consistently waste on a daily basis. Even though each brew comes at a premium it tends to be the item that usually gets poured down the drain at the end of every service; to be replaced by a fresh pot for the next shift. When it comes to serving fresh coffee “out with the old & in with the new” is necessary. As business operators it is also necessary to think creatively to recoup otherwise wasted product.

In this case the excess pour off that subsequently costs you money.

Do the math: If you pay $50.00 per case of coffee (which is a very low estimate – I’ve paid upwards of $150.00+ per case of coffee) and your drain pour is 10%, your essentially pouring $5.00 down the drain. If you use 4 cases of coffee per week your drain pour could be as high as $1040.00 per year! Yes, some operations use far less coffee while others use far more; the point is that reinventing an already prepared product is reinvesting in your business. Plus! It’s a chance for you to show your foodie prowess!

Being crafty with Joe:

1 gal coffee + 2 cups sugar + 1 cinnamon stick + low and slow reduction = coffee syrup Use coffee syrup in desserts, or as a dessert garnish Use coffee syrup in a cocktail…coffee martini with rosemary ash on the rim of the glass Marinate beef in a mixture of leftover coffee (chilled coffee) + garlic + herbs + balsamic + S&P Add coffee to your pork belly brine Transform into a JoeBQ sauce (bbq sauce with coffee)

May your life and stomach always be full, Chef Tim Dennis Paper and Food Service

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MEMBER RECIPE

OLD MAN OATMEAL STOUT CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

By Arthur Chase Beer and food combine with Woodstock's newest make-at-home recipe. This delicious, chocolate bread pudding is made with Old Man Oatmeal Stout or Kanc Country Maple Porter. Make this for the holidays, close your eyes and it will be like you’re here with us.

FOR BREAD PUDDING:

1 1/2 Baguettes, chopped into bite-sized pieces 4 eggs 1/2 cup white sugar 2 cups Old Man Stout or Maple Porter (if using Maple Porter, substitute all chocolate, for white chocolate) 1 cup milk 1 cup heavy cream 1 stick melted butter (cooled enough to not scramble the eggs) 1 pack instant hot chocolate (Irish Cream flavor is preferred) 1 cup milk chocolate morsels 1 cup dark chocolate morsels 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional) FOR SAUCE:

1 cup Old Man Stout or Maple Porter (whichever you are using) 1/2 stick butter 2 tablespoons heavy cream 1 cup dark chocolate morsel

Click here for more recipes from Woodstock Inn Brewery.

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, sugar, milk, heavy cream, melted butter and packet of hot chocolate.

3. Once combined, add in the baguettes. Let sit in liquid to absorb for 20 minutes.

4. When the bread is good and soggy, move to an 8Ă—11 baking pan.

5. Once in the baking pan, add the dark and milk chocolate morsels and nuts.

6. Bake at 325 for 40 minutes or until firm.

While the pudding is baking, start your sauce.

1. Bring 1 cup of stout (or porter) to a boil.

2. Boil until the liquid reduces by half.

3. Once liquid is reduced, remove from heat.

Whisk in 1/2 stick of butter, heavy cream and dark chocolate morsels until smooth.

Remove the pudding from the oven, scoop some into a bowl, spoon some of the chocolate beer sauce over the pudding and top off with some whipped cream or vanilla ice cream . Enjoy!!!!!!

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February

Upcoming ServSafe Classes 2/8

Concord

2/9

North Conway

2/16

Manchester

2/22

Nashua

2/23

Portsmouth

Get certified with us!

www.nhlra.com  | 22

16 Centre Street Concord, NH 03301 | (603) 228 - 9585 | nhlra.com