News and Information
Stay informed and connected with the latest foodservice and lodging industry news.
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Latest ORLA Press Releases
The 2012 ORLA ProStart High School Culinary Championships held February 18 in Portland culminated with South Salem High School taking first place and Jordan Selby of North Eugene taking home Student of the Year honors.
ProStart students representing 23 high schools from around the state will compete at the Oregon ProStart High School Culinary Championships on February 18, 2012. The first place team earns a trip to the 11th Annual National ProStart Student Invitational® in Baltimore this spring and takes home the coveted Boyds Coffee® Culinary Cup.
ORLA has changed venues and cities for its annual Convention this year. Previously held in Bend, the annual event will take place at the Hilton Eugene & Conference Center on September 23-24, 2012 with expected attendance of over 400 industry members.
Industry News
The OLCC was going to consider the application from the owner of a food cart lot on 82nd Avenue, but Portland's City Council passed a resolution Wednesday asking the OLCC to postpone granting licenses to carts until clear definitions and rules can be made.
The DOJs clarification on ADA regulations seems to have muddied the water even more. The daunting deadline of March 15 is now less than six weeks away, and these new regulations provide guidance for recreational facilities at lodging properties for the first time.
Technology is finding its place at the restaurant table, according to the NRA's 2012 Restaurant Industry Forecast. Although high-tech items such as wireless payment and iPad menus aren’t commonplace just yet, there is strong consumer interest in such options.
To help hoteliers from all facets of the industry better understand the complexities of hotel room distribution, the AH&LA teamed with STR and HSMAI to publish a special report, “Distribution Channel Analysis; a Guide for Hotels.” The report discusses the effects of channel mix on profitability and what to expect.
Starbucks will expand its offer of beer, wine and an expanded food menu to a handful of stores before the end of 2012. Five to seven locations in Chicago were already scheduled to offer alcohol and the expanded menu this year in a move to build evening daypart traffic. Currently, Starbucks offers the options only at five locations in Seattle and one in Portland.
Under the corporate umbrella of Travel Lane County, Eugene, Cascades & Coast Sports will launch a new commission designed to attract even more sporting events to the region. The group will collectively work to pursue and secure a variety of sporting events while leveraging the area's facilities and expertise.
Following President Obama's Executive Order for a strategy on increasing international travel to the U.S., Travel Oregon CEO Todd Davidson was tapped as chair of the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board to help implement a National Travel & Tourism Strategy and take advantage of the booming travel market.
Two years after Portland Mayor Sam Adams and other civic leaders shelved plans for a 600-room, Westin-flagged hotel at the convention center, the Metro regional government is reopening talks. This time around more effort is on winning political support and a private developer.
Restaurant operators are looking to invest in remodels as well as equipment upgrades and additional marketing spending in 2012, according to the NRN Restaurant Operators Survey. Marketing took the top spot when the more than 150 respondents were asked where dollars will be allocated this year.
The National Labor Relations Board last month pushed the compliance deadline for businesses to post a new federal workplace poster regarding employees' union-organizing rights to April 30, 2012. NRA and AH&LA along with the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace continue efforts to block the regulation.
The tourism industry, led by the U.S. Travel Association, is lobbying for changes in the tourist-visa-application process that would shorten the waiting time for prospective visitors. This would remove the largest hurdle facing foreign tourists to the U.S. and help boost employment and tourism revenue.
Nation’s Restaurant News asked some of the industry’s top trend-watchers to discuss what they expect in the year ahead. Some of the top predictions include continually high food costs, fast casual popularity, and franchising growth in 2012.
The future of online distribution lies not through channels but through ecosystems, distribution experts report. Revenue managers need to reach guests at the “zero moment of truth” — the online information-gathering stage that precedes a purchase.
The key to growing a healthy business in a tough economy is to have a base of repeat customers providing a steady stream of revenues. And while many small businesses have sought new avenues of exposure through deal sites, some have found that such campaigns attract bargain-hungry consumers who use their coupons and never return. Good, old-fashioned customer service is what can differentiate your business from the big guys.
The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 100.0 in October, down 0.1 percent over September's 100.1 level. Restaurant operators’ outlook for capital spending rose for the third consecutive month.
The IRS recently posted a webinar for business owners on reporting employer healthcare coverage on Form W-2 (Affordable Care Act Provision 9002). The webinar illustrates what employers and employees need to know about the provision including changes and valuation methods.
Online travel agencies continued to chip away at total U.S. hotel demand during the first half of 2011. The property direct/other category, which includes everything from walk-ins to group business, still captured the largest share of hotel demand by total room nights at 49.1% through June 2011.
The NRA estimates that 14 million Americans will visit a restaurant for a Thanksgiving meal this year, and in addition, 32 million Americans are expected to dine out while shopping on Black Friday, according to new research by the Association.
Seven emerging trends could help shape restaurant strategies in 2012, according to the foodservice research firm Technomic. Amid an uncertain economy, restaurants are challenged on many levels, and these trends have the common theme of staying relevant to one’s customer.
The restaurant industry continued to show job growth during the month of October, according to the latest figures released by Bureau of Labor Statistics. Preliminary statistics found that 12,800 jobs were added during the month on a seasonally adjusted basis at eating and drinking places alone.
Red Lion Hotels Corporation completed a $37 million deal to purchase 10 hotels it formerly leased from a subsidiary of IStar Financial Inc. The transaction includes five Red Lion hotels in Oregon.