Letter from the President

Dear NHLRA community,

This week marks the one-year anniversary of the COVID-19 shutdown in New Hampshire. Like so many others, I find myself reflecting on what we ’ ve lost, what we ’ ve learned, and what remains in the period ahead.

For all of us in the hospitality community, the days were long and dark for much of last year. And yet, in the face of our industry ’ s greatest crisis, I witnessed the remarkable resiliency of New Hampshire ’ s hospitality operators and their staff. I know how difficult it was for you to adapt to new procedures and navigate an ever-changing landscape of restrictions, and I’ m grateful for the trust you put in our association to help lead you through them. I, along with so many others, remain inspired by your commitment to serve your communities.

In the face of these unprecedented challenges, I’ m also incredibly proud of what we accomplished as an association. These achievements include:

- Serving on the Governor ’ s Economic Reopening Task Force as a powerful advocate for the needs of the hospitality industry and playing a critical role in writing the state ’ s reopening guidelines.

- Acting as a central hub of information, providing personalized guidance, and communicating the latest updates through regular email blasts. Distributing over $200,000 in relief grants to hospitality workers.

- Collaborating with the National Restaurant Association to act as one voice on the federal level, accomplishing a Restaurant Revitalization Fund, securing PPP loans and closing the loophole to prevent surprise federal tax bills, and expanding the Employee Retention Tax Credits to support employment.

- Successfully lobbying for beer and wine delivery and takeout.

- Launching Rally for NH Restaurants, in partnership with Visit NH, to drive traffic through your doors.

- Together with the educators at the Community College System of NH, creating the free NH Promise certification course to increase consumer confidence.

- Strengthening our relationships with partners in the state, including NHSBDC, FEMA, BFA, and many more. Continuing to build exclusive cost-savings programs for our members with the launch of the Small Group Health Option and a Reopening Directory.

Where do we go from here? While we made extraordinary progress this year, our work continues, and our mission has never been more important. The NHLRA is committed to leading and driving the following changes during this crucial recovery period:

- Advocating to lift the remaining restrictions.

- Workforce development, recruiting back talent lost during the pandemic, and advocating to lift the cap on the J-1 and H2B visa programs.

- Protecting the tip credit and working on a wage solution that will support the recovery of our operators and our workforce.

I’ m confident that we ’ll achieve these goals and more. Thanks to your hard work and support, the association is well-positioned to continue helping our 800+ members weather the challenges that remain ahead. I’ m also thankful for the hard work of the team here at the NHLRA and its Board of Directors, who work tirelessly on your behalf. While the breadth of what we lost this year is impossible to comprehend, what remains is clear: the strength of our industry, our ability to unite, and our unwavering passion to serve.

Sincerely,

Mike Somers