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 & R E S T A U R A N T A S S O C I A T I O N
Issue No. 4 •
April/May 2022
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Cover Photo: NHLRA Cornhole Tournament
Hops and Hospitality
Employment Bills
Empowerment Recap
An interview with NHLRA Events Manager, Aubrey Goodale.
The NH legislature dives into employment issues.
Take a look back at our Women in Hospitality & Tourism event.
page 7
page 9
page 15
Inside YOUR GUIDE TO ISSUE NO.4
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Members Around Town
Honors and recognitions, plus a notable retirement
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Interview with Aubrey Goodale
What you can expect at our first annual cornhole tournament
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NH Legislature Dives into Employment Matters
The bills that could impact employers in NH
11 National ProStart
Find out how two NH high school teams performed nationally
12 NHLRA Education
Heron Point Seafood makes a commitment to the next generation
14 HR Insights
Employee Recognition Programs
15 Women in
Highlights from our first event for women in the industry
16 HR Insights Part
Attracting and retaining employees during the great reshuffle
Competition Recap
Foundation Welcomes New Sponsor
Hospitality & Tourism
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Cover photo: a reminder to sign up for the 1st Annual NHLRA Cornhole Tournament!
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2022 Chair of the Board
John Dunn Michael Timothy's Dining Group 2022 VIce Chair of Lodging
Molly Rice-Norby
Emma and Zac enjoying 48 Main Cafe & Creperie's new location!
Woodstock Inn Station & Brewery 2022 Vice Chair of Restaurants
Nicole Barreira Great NH Restaurants NHLRA President and CEO
Mike Somers NHLRA Director of Education and Workforce Development
Amie Pariseau
Tango, Dos Amigos beloved behind-the-scenes "Mom".
NHLRA Membership & Business Development Director
Samantha MacDonald NHLRA Social Media and Marketing Manager
Pamela Baker NHLRA Office and Events Manager
AubreyLynn Goodale 815 raised $728 for the FMAS Animal Shelter at their “Down for Dogs” yoga and brunch.
The crew at Lou's celebrating 75 years!
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NHLRA
MEMBERS AROUND TOWN RED PARKA STEAKHOUSE AND PUB RAISES THOUSANDS FOR UKRAINE
HOSPITALITY INSURANCE GROUP COMMEMORATES FIRST BOP
C elebrating the first Businessowners
Policy (BOP) for commercial policyholders written by Hospitality Insurance Group are: (From Left to Right), Richard Welch (President & CEO, Hospitality Insurance Group), Mark Colantonio (Sales Executive, John M. Glover Insurance), and Sandra Haley (Senior VP of Underwriting & Marketing, Hospitality Insurance Group).
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ed Parka Steakhouse & Pub in Glen was one of dozens of NHLRA members who raised significant funds to support the people of Ukraine, highlighting the generous nature of NH's hospitality industry. The Common Man Family is currently matching up to $1 million in donations.
HONORED FOR SUPPORTING ARTS IN LAKE SUNAPEE
KIM ROY RETIRES AS GM OF DOUBLETREE BY HILTON MANCHESTER DOWNTOWN appy retirement to Kim Roy, H celebrated General Manager of the Doubletree by Hilton Manchester Downtown. Roy started her career as only the sixth employee of the Radisson Hotel in Manchester and worked her way up to General Manager in 2004. She has been with the hotel through 10 NH primaries, knew all 180+ hotel employees by name, and served on the board of the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.
BERRY COMPANIES BRAND ANNOUNCED TO ENCOMPASS LOCAL FAMILY OF BUSINESSES
Congratulations to Scott and
Jen Reed, owners of The Inn at Pleasant Lake and the New London Inn, for being recognized for their support of arts in the Lake Sunapee Region by the New Hampshire Business Committee for the Arts.
long-time presence in NH's A hospitality industry recently
premiered a new brand identity for its businesses – the Berry Companies. The organization is comprised of several different businesses, including Attitash Mountain Village, Eastern Slope Inn, and Attitash Realty. Those entities will continue to operate but will now fall under the umbrella of the Berry Companies. Visit www.berry-cos.com to learn more. www.nhlra.com | 6
BRINGING NH'S HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY TOGETHER FOR BBQ, BEER, AND CORNHOLE On June 6, the NHLRA is bringing NH's hospitality industry together for its firstever cornhole tournament. We sat down with the NHLRA's Event Manager, Aubrey Goodale, to learn more about what the attendees can expect. (Hint: it involves bbq, drinks, and a chance to relax!)
drink, and have some fun. It has been created for your servers, cooks, front desk agents, housekeepers, banquet staff, etc. who can’t always attend our other events throughout the year. The purpose of this tournament is to simply have fun and raise money for charity while we’re at it!
Q: What's the goal behind the event/how did it come about?
Q: How many industry attendees are you expecting?
going to feel like a celebration and a sort of "hospitality family BBQ" in addition to the tournament.
It's no surprise that the hospitality industry went through an extremely tough time these past few years and the tough times are still happening. This industry can be so fast paced and the hours can be so long. It’s important to take a step back, take a breath, grab a
This event is a first for us, and we are hoping it sparks interest across the state. If your company registers a cornhole team, we encourage you to invite your staff to come to the event as there is no limit on nonplayer tickets. Even if your company isn’t playing, this is
Q: What food and drink can people expect?
Aubrey Goodale, the NHLRA's Events Manager.
This is by far our most casual event of the year and was designed that way to make sure everyone has a stress free relaxing evening. We will be serving hamburgers, black bean burgers, and hotdogs right off the grill! www.nhlra.com | 7
Q: Are dogs welcome?
Smuttynose allow dogs and we will too! I am a big dog lover myself as I have three Siberian Huskies. Please be aware that your dog may not be left unattended and if at any time your dog is showing aggression, we will ask you to remove the dog from the event. Q: What kind of cornhole rules are you following?
We will be following standard American Cornhole Association (ACA) rules for the event. No matter what rules you’re used to playing with, they are all pretty similar. Players of all skill sets are welcome and encouraged to play.
Q: Are you seeing any rivalries brewing?
Do you know that thrill you get when your team makes it to the championship game? That's the kind of energy we are expecting in this tournament. It's no secret that two of the biggest NH restaurant groups are Great NH Restaurants and Michael's Timothy Dining Group. We are all friends in this industry and support one another, but when it comes to some friendly competition, I'm interested to see who comes out on top. Q: Anything I missed that you want to make sure people know about!
If you think we should host
"This industry can be so fast paced and the hours can be so long. It’s important to take a step back, take a breath, grab a drink, and have some fun." more events such as this in your area, please don’t hesitate to reach out with a suggestion. If we know the demand is there, we can explore the possibility of hosting an event near your region. Registration for the NHLRA's First Annual Cornhole Tournament closes on May 31. Click here to get tickets today! www.nhlra.com | 8
NEW HAMPSHIRE LEGISLATURE DELVES INTO EMPLOYMENT MATTERS By Christopher T. Vrountas, Esquire and Allison C. Ayer, Esquire, Vrountas, Ayer & Chandler, P.C.
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uring the most recent session of the New Hampshire legislature, several bills were introduced that could impact New Hampshire employers. Senate Bill 400-FN concerning workforce and affordable housing development could help employers attract new workers by addressing the issue of high and increasing housing costs in New Hampshire. But some of the other bills, if passed, could create unforeseen challenges for employers operating in New Hampshire. Multiple bills seek to impose limitations on vaccine requirements, and another bill could impact New Hampshire employers’ right to a jury trial if they get sued for discrimination. To the extent each of these bills infringes on employer choice about how they operate their own businesses or how they manage legal complaints, they seem to conflict with New Hampshire’s Live Free or Die motto.
Here are the details: New Hampshire House Bill 1210 places limits on employers’ ability to implement vaccine mandates in their workplaces. More specifically, the bill requires employers to accept an employee’s request for a medical, religious, or personal conscience exemption to any vaccine mandate if the employer receives any public funding. According to the bill, an employee needs to simply state in writing: “I, (employee name), hereby submit a request for a medical, religious, or right of conscience exemption from the mandated vaccination or inoculation. [employee signature and date].” When the employee makes this request, the employer MUST grant it, according to the bill. Public funding is defined broadly as “any form of payment for contractual services, grants, or in any other form however denominated.” www.nhlra.com | 9
New Hampshire House Bill 1089 seeks to change RSA 275:70, the New Hampshire statute governing non-compete agreements by rendering unenforceable, agreements which restrict an employee from working for another employer for a specific time period or geographic area, if there is any material change to the conditions of employment. While the bill does not define the term “material change” (an omission some argued during hearings create significant ambiguity and confusion in the proposed legislation), the bill is clear that mandating vaccines or medical testing of any kind, or the termination based on a refusal to participate in such mandates, would constitute a material change in employment which would render a covenant not to compete unenforceable. This would mean that a covenant not to compete that an employer had with any employee would become invalid if the employer imposes a vaccine mandate. Another bill affecting employers, New Hampshire Senate Bill 296, seeks to amend the procedures employees undertake to file complaints of discrimination with the New Hampshire Commission for Human Rights. Specifically, the bill seeks to eliminate the right of an employer accused of discrimination to remove the case to Superior Court after a finding of probable cause. The complaining employee would retain the right to file a civil action in court, but the responding employer would lose that right under the proposed legislation.
It is important to note that none of these bills have become law. House Bill 1089 was sent to interim study on May 5, 2022, as was House Bill 1210. Senate Bill 296 was sent to interim study on May 4, 2022. In many cases, bills sent to interim study end up dying before they are ever passed into law. But there are still reasons to have concerns about the direction of these bills. All 3 present the apparent willingness of some legislators to limit what New Hampshire employers can and cannot do with regard to their employees. The first two bills, in particular, limit employers’ ability to operate their business how they choose, at least with regard to vaccines.While many may well decide that they do not need them in their particular workplace, there may be others who appropriately decide that a vaccine mandate is necessary to protect their employees or customers because of the nature of the business. Even New Hampshire employers who theoretically oppose vaccine mandates may still not want the government dictating what they can or cannot do this this regard. As for the bill seeking to limit the employers’ right to remove an administrative complaint of discrimination to court, it arguably infringes on an employer’s right to try claims of discrimination to a jury. For these reasons, while these bills have gone to interim study for the time being, New Hampshire employers should keep an eye on their status, and monitor whether in the next or some other legislative session, they, or some amended version, move closer to becoming law.
250 Commercial Street, Suite 4004 Manchester, NH 03101 (603) 782-8444 www.vaclegal.com
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PROSTART NATIONAL INVITATIONAL RECAP By Amie Pariseau, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation
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fter a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, New Hampshire was back to compete at the ProStart National Invitational on May 7-8 in Washington, D.C. Pinkerton Academy fielded a fierce five-person culinary team. Andrew, CJ, John, Nick, and Veronica were a beautiful team to watch both on and off the competition floor. With a menu of Seared Foie Gras, Seared Venison Loin, and Spiced Poached Pear, they placed 10th out of 42 teams.
White Mountains Regional High School presented their restaurant concept, Uprooted Eats. Hannah and Jaylin have been friends their entire lives, and the judges quickly picked up on the ease they had working off each other. The dynamic duo placed 13th out of 40 teams.
We’re so proud of all of their hard work and preparation. Pinkerton Academy graduates their whole team, but Hannah and Jaylin are juniors and said they will be back next year to fight to be on the stage at the awards ceremony. A big thank you to all of our ProStart sponsors and judges. Many of whom not only give their time the day of the state competition, but work one-onone with the teams who compete at Nationals. Your guidance and mentorship is key to building their confidence and success.
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New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation Welcomes New Sponsor The support from the industry of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation continues as we welcome a new sponsor, Heron Point Seafood. Heron Point will sponsor the 2022 ProStart and Pathways Boot Camp, has signed on to be our new National ProStart sponsor, and will provide an annual scholarship to a New Hampshire student who is continuing their education in hospitality. The Foundation’s Executive Director, Amie Pariseau, states, “Rick Spalding has been a longtime ally of our Education Foundation. He is a management judge at the state competition and the current Vice-President of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. Rick was also recognized in 2019 as the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association’s Allied Member of the Year for his service to the mission of the Foundation. His and Heron Point Seafood’s passion for the next generation is noteworthy.”
Heron Point Seafood is a top three importer of refrigerated/pasteurized blue (Portunus pelagicus) and red (Portunus haanii) crab meat. Selling under the Heron Point (blue) and Great Blue (red) brands, the company has national distribution servicing both the retail and foodservice channels. For the last 18 years, Heron Point has operated out of its corporate office in Newmarket, NH. “We are proud to be a corporate sponsor of the NHLRA, supporting the state hospitality industry. The great work done by the association in support of New Hampshire’s youth is of primary interest”, says Rick Spalding, director of business development at Heron Point. Look for Heron Point’s products at local retailers and restaurants across the state. For more information, go to www.heronpointseafood.com .
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INAUGURAL EVENT, WOMEN IN HOSPITALITY AND TOURISM, HOSTS 110 WOMEN OF INDUSTRY By Amie Pariseau, Executive Director of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation
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n Tuesday, May 17, the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation hosted Empowerment Through Connections at Church Landing in Meredith. The first of its kind, daylong event was intended to create an atmosphere to develop networks and mentorship opportunities as well as offer sessions on a variety of top-of-mind topics. We kicked off the day with our keynote speaker, Dr. Loretta Brady’s, “Bold,
Badass and Balanced: Loving Life After Challenging Times.” The group focused on five topics: tending your garden, building a legacy, nurturing others, personal development, and community and everyone noted what they could do or are doing in each category. We captured some powerful “building a legacy” quotes: “My legacy will be to empower all the people who follow in my path.” “I want my girls to know they can do anything.”
“I am more than me.” “Creating an easily travelled road for my daughters.”
Every attendee left with a copy of Dr. Brady’s planning tool, “Bad Ass & Bold, Life Lived Fully” to continue to develop their plan for their personal and professional life. The morning also included an overview of the New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation, and how industry members can become involved with the next generation of the www.nhlra.com | 15
industry and their communities. Sharron McCarthy, ceo, Girls Inc. of New Hampshire spoke about her community-based organization and how the women of industry could make a difference in the lives of New Hampshire girls. Sharron wrapped up with one of the favorite quotes of the day, '"There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women,” Madeleine Albright, first woman to be Secretary of the State. Finally, the morning wrapped up with a presentation on “Simplify Your Spending,” which concentrated on budgeting and saving for the future. It was quite eye opening for the attendees to learn about the percentage one should be saving for retirement.
The plan was to enjoy a long lunch out on the lake to network and take in the fresh air. The sun was shining, but the wind was a bit crisp, so we moved into our afternoon session early. The afternoon featured a panel on Creating Meaningful Connections, which focused on building and maintaining mentorship relationships. When asked what encouragement she would give to others to become a mentor, Sherri Ferns, regional director of sales and marketing, Duprey Hospitality said, "You, as you are right now, have the power to change the world. Be bold enough to use your voice and watch the path unfold." Just one more amazing moment that was part of the empowering day. To end the sessions, Kim Wallace, director of operations, 110 Grill spoke eloquently and strongly about work/ life balance. Her speech and the panel discussion really resonated with the attendees. They were honest and open about how they manage daytoday personal and professional life. That they don’t get it right every day, and plain and simple, that is okay. Nicole Barreira, director of marketing and menu development, Great New Hampshire Restaurants, spoke about her barrier in the workforce and how it is her greatest strength and greatest weakness. Leaning in to yourself was a common thread with this panel. Recognize who you are, and lean in to your team when you need to.
The day finished with several exhibitors, cocktails, and conversation. Many attendees said it was a day they didn’t know they needed. The New Hampshire Lodging & Restaurant Association Education Foundation is so pleased to be able to offer this type of programming to our industry leaders in hospitality and tourism, and will work to develop these types of events in the future. One last shout out to all of our sponsors, exhibitors, panelists, presenters, attendees, and the committee of women leaders who helped develop the day. We appreciate all of your support.
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HAVE A QUESTION OR CONCERN? Membership in the NHLRA means being a part of the only organization in the state dedicated to protecting, promoting, and educating our hospitality industry. Contact us for questions or to share what issues are affecting your business. We're here for you.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS: Mike Somers msomers@nhlra.com MEMBERSHIP AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Samantha MacDonald smacdonald@nhlra.com EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT: Amie Pariseau apariseau@nhlra.com SOCIAL MEDIA AND MARKETING: Pamela Baker pbaker@nhlra.com OFFICE AND EVENTS: AubreyLynn Goodale apaquette@nhlra.com
MEMBER SOLUTIONS Save time and money with the NHLRA's endorsed service providers. MUSIC LICENSING Members save up to 20% off music licensing fees for BMI and 10% off SESAC. GROUP PURCHASING ORGANIZATION NHLRA members receive cash back on manufacturer rebates normally unavailable. COMPLIANCE PORTAL Including risk management and safety tools, compliance support, and templates for training and safety manuals. DENTAL & VISION INSURANCE Save up to 15% on dental and vision insurance rates through our group buying program. 401(k) PROGRAM Establish a 401(k) program with minimal overhead under a NHLRA umbrella plan. CREDIT CARD PROCESSING Receive a discount of up to 10% off of processing fees. LIQUOR LIABILITY INSURANCE Save up to 20% off your liquor liability insurance premium. PROPERTY INSURANCE You may be eligible for a 5% discount on property insurance. MUSIC LICENSING
NHLRA OFFICE: (603) 228 - 9585 info@nhlra.com
Members receive an exclusive 10% discount on the subscription price and a 30-day free trial. LEGAL SERVICES 30 minutes of free legal advice per incident, issue, or matter. Need to retain their services? Receive a discounted rate. WORKERS' COMP INSURANCE Our self-funded, not-for-profit, worker's compensation trust returns dividends (on average) of 20-35%.
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APRIL/MAY RENEWALS Thank you to these renewing members!
Brick Front Restaurant Bubba's Bar & Grille Carlson's Lodge Cosmos Pizza Dairy Queen Grill & Chill Derryfield Restaurant Dinnerhorn Restaurant Duprey Hospitality Giorgio's Ristorante & Meze Bar Golden Apple Inn Gordi's Fish and Steak House Hampton Beach Casino Horizon Beverage Company Ice House Restaurant Island Hospitality Management Jumpin' Jay's Fish Cafe Kittredge Equipment & Co. KLI Consulting Group LLC LaBelle Winery
Lakes Region Community College Lantern Resort Manchester Press Club Martha's Exchange Restaurant & Brewery Mittersill Apline Resort Mr. Mac's New England Hospitality Omni Mount Washington Resort Park View Inn Perfecta Wine Company Polish American Club Quality Inn & Suites Red Blazer Restaurant & Pub Santa's Village Shibley's At The Pier Snowvillage Inn The Maples at Warner The New England Inn Valley Inn Vintage Baking Company
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16 Centre Street Concord, NH 03301 | (603) 228 - 9585 | nhlra.com