The Oregon Restaurant and Lodging Association (ORLA) invites all Oregonians to join it in celebrating National Park Week, which runs through Sunday, April 29.

The week was designed to celebrate the important role played by national parks in our state and country.
Oregon’s national park sites offer some of the best-in-class experiences for all visitors. From the stunning beauty of Crater Lake, the John Day Fossil Beds, and Oregon Caves, to the cultural significance of Lewis and Clark National Historical Park and Old Chief Joseph’s Grave Site, national parks in Oregon entertain, educate, and enrich visitors from around the world.

Those visitors are important to the state and Oregon restaurant and lodging establishments.

In 2016, more than 1 million people visited national park sites in Oregon. The National Park Service (NPS) estimates that those visitors spent $97.5 million in communities with proximity to national parks. That spending supported 1,640 jobs and added a cumulative benefit of $138.4 million to the state economy – money that helps ORLA members and our overall economy.

Our organization supports more than 9,900 foodservice locations and 2,200 lodging establishments in Oregon. The foodservice and lodging industry is responsible for 173,700 jobs, and brings in more than $10.8 billion in annual sales and generates more than 54 percent of the annual tourism dollars spent in Oregon.

We know how important national park visitors are to those numbers, which is why we are taking the opportunity during National Park Week to encourage Congress to give the parks service the funds it needs to address critical infrastructure repairs.

Nationwide, the National Park Service (NPS)has maintenance needs totaling $11.6 billion, largely due to aging infrastructure and inconsistent federal funding. These needs  include impassable trails, deteriorating historic buildings, crumbling roads, and degraded water and electrical systems. The estimated price tag to address repairs within park sites in Oregon is more than $105 million and growing. This backlog impedes NPS’ ability to keep its sites safe and accessible for visitors.

It is in the best interest of Oregon’s tourism economy to keep our tourist draws open for business, and our parks are no exception. If national parks are closed and/or if the visitor experience is subpar, repeat visitors are less likely.

The good news is that our Oregon congressional delegation understands that protecting national parks is important to our economy as well as to our culture and history. Oregon Reps. Kurt Schrader and Suzanne Bonamici and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley all are supporting bills designed to create dedicated funds for NPS to draw down its deferred maintenance backlog.

Oregon's congressional delegation’s commitment to restore our parks will preserve these national treasures for generations to come, create jobs, and protect local and state economies that depend on parks for their livelihood. 

We thank them for their leadership.

Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association’s Tradeshow Offers Attendees Exclusive Experience with a New Virtual Sales Tool
 
The Northwest Food Show, April 22-23 at the Portland Expo Center, will premiere the exclusive Virtual Reality Dome by Visiting Media, demonstrating how some Oregon businesses are already using immersive content to promote their businesses. This incredible interactive technology will help restaurants reach a customer base that is driven by new experiences. 

This is the first time tradeshow attendees will experience immersive content like 360˚ video, aerial photography, virtual reality, and 3D-modeling via the TrueTour® platform in a life-sized, portable virtual reality dome. Visiting Media developed TrueTour®, a revolutionary visual sales and marketing tool, to help businesses connect with their guests and potential customers on a whole new level.  

“Virtual reality can be a stunningly effective storyteller, adding an immersive and emotional component that showcases what’s unique to Oregon,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO of Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA). “We are excited to partner with Visiting Media to provide this innovative solution to our hospitality members who are looking for more effective ways to reach their customers.” 

Visiting Media’s VR Dome is a 200° spherical projection dome with a built-in spherical 4K projector covering every inch of the dome’s interior with vivid lifelike imagery. TrueTour® projects 360° photography, 360° videography, 3D modeling and other virtual and augmented reality content, controlled and navigated with arm and hand gestures by the dome’s occupants. This creates a thrilling game-like immersive experience into any business presented upon the screen.  

The Northwest Food Show, presented by the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, is a two-day tradeshow held April 22-23, 2018, at the Portland Expo Center. Celebrity chef Rick Bayless, winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters, headlines the event with a chef demonstration. The Show will also have James Beard Award-winning chefs Andy Ricker from Pok Pok and Greg and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, the owners of Ox, on the Chef’s Stage on Monday. More information on the Show, including the schedule of cooking demonstrations, Tasting Pavilion, and educational sessions, can be found at www.nwfoodshow.com. 

This event is only accessible to restaurant and foodservice industry-related businesses and is not open to the public.  
 
Media passes for the show are available upon request; contact Trey Carscadon at 503.201.4669.  

SB 1528B negates state income tax relief for Oregon’s small businesses
  
The following business groups today expressed their disappointment in Gov. Kate Brown’s signing of Senate Bill 1528, which increases taxes on small business by more than $1 billion over six years. Statements follow.
 
Associated Oregon Loggers
Oregon-Columbia Chapter of Associated General Contractors
Oregon Farm Bureau Federation
Oregonians for Food & Shelter
Oregon Power Sports Association
Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association
Oregon Seed Council
Oregon Small Woodlands Association
Oregon State Association of Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors
Oregon Vehicle Dealers Association
National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors-Oregon
NFIB/Oregon
Northwest Auto Trades Association
 
Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association:
“As Oregonians running restaurants and lodging establishments continue to assess their tax liability under the new federal reforms, one thing is painfully clear – there will be no state income tax relief for Oregon’s small businesses. Oregon had an opportunity to replicate and amplify the successes of federal tax reform by connecting to the new 20 percent deduction on pass-through business income – which would have happened automatically, without passing a single bill this year. This is a very unwelcome and disappointing development. Raising revenue should require a supermajority vote of Oregon’s legislature. ORLA will be actively involved in campaign activity this summer and fall to give Oregonians the opportunity to vote for an end to easy tax hikes.”
 
Anthony Smith, Oregon state director for the National Federation of Independent Business:
“Lower taxes mean more opportunities for entrepreneurs to make investments in their businesses, their communities, and their employees. NFIB remains committed to preserving every possible benefit from federal tax reform because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act has led to a significant surge in Small Business Optimism across the nation, reaching some of the highest levels on record. Unfortunately, Oregon has chosen a different path. Today’s signing of SB 1528 marks a significant step backwards for our state’s entrepreneurs.
 
Cathi Webb, Executive Director for the Northwest Auto Trades Association:
“It’s sad to see Oregon moving in the wrong direction. We were once a leader in recognizing the importance of providing tax relief to our homegrown, main street businesses. Now, Congress and the White House have raised the bar with an inclusive policy that lowers taxes for nearly every S-corp, partnership, LLC, and sole proprietorship. We could have done the same. We didn’t.”
 
Jonathan Sandau, State Government Affairs for the Oregon Farm Bureau Federation:
“The state’s decision to decouple from the federal tax code jeopardizes our local farmers’ economic competitiveness by blocking the full benefits that could have been realized from federal tax reform. By keeping those dollars on the farm, Oregon’s small farming and ranching families had an opportunity to engage on a level playing field to provide healthy, responsibly grown food to our local markets.”
 
Jim Geisinger, Executive Vice President for Associated Oregon Loggers:
“The state asks small businesses to pay more and more of the state’s obligations while making it more and more difficult to make a buck to tax! They can’t have it both ways!”
 
Roger Beyer, Executive Director for the Oregon Seed Council:
“For Oregon’s family owned farms this is a real blow. Unlike many other businesses, farms cannot pick up and leave the state if it is unprofitable to continue doing business. The state has increased the cost of producing seed significantly in recent years and today, the Governor showed us where her loyalties lie. This was a missed opportunity for Oregon.”
 
Background
According to the non-partisan Legislative Revenue Office, SB 1528B raises $244.4 million in 2017-19, $376.7 million in 2019-21, & $427.4 million in 2021-23, a total of more than $1 billion in additional revenue that was not part of the most recent state revenue forecast.
 
The U.S. Small Business Administration reports that Oregon has over 350,000 small businesses, accounting for 99.4 percent of all businesses in the state and employing more than half of the state’s private sector workforce. The median income for individuals self-employed at their own incorporated businesses was $44,147 in 2015. For individuals self-employed at their own unincorporated firms, this figure was $20,672, including all income sources.

About the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association
The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association serves to protect and promote Oregon’s hospitality industry, representing approximately 2,500 members, and advocating for over 9,900 foodservice locations and 2,200 lodging establishments across the state. The foodservice and lodging industry is responsible for 173,700 jobs bringing in over $10.8 billion in annual sales and generates over 54% of the annual tourism dollars spent in Oregon.

About the National Federation of Independent Business
Celebrating its 75th anniversary, the National Federation of Independent Business has taken the message from Main Street to the halls of Congress and all 50 state legislatures since 1943. NFIB annually surveys its members on state and federal issues vital to their survival as America's economic engine and biggest creator of jobs. NFIB’s educational mission is to remind policymakers that small businesses are not smaller versions of bigger businesses; they have very different challenges and priorities. 

If you have questions or concerns, contact Jason Brandt, President and CEO, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association, 503.682.4422, JBrandt@OregonRLA.org.

UPDATE April 10, 2018 - A federal spending bill passed March 23rd abolished a 2011 federal regulation that prohibited tip pooling in all circumstances with non-customarily tipped employees. Employers are once again allowed to expand tip pools and share the tips among a broader range of employees in states where employers don’t take a tip credit. This change now allows tip sharing among both customarily and non-customarily tipped employees, including dishwashers and cooks.

However, there is one area still of great concern to our industry, the words “supervisor” and “manager” were not defined in this spending bill. A number of industry members have hybrid approaches to their service positions. Supervisors and managers in some of Oregon’s smallest restaurant operations commonly serve guests and have participated in front-of-the-house tip pools as a part of a team approach to foodservice.

The Department of Labor (DOL) is moving forward with the process to roll-back the Obama-era rule with its recent release of a Field Assistance Bulletin (FAB), which provides our industry with much needed clarity. The FAB instructs employers to use the “duties test” to determine who qualifies as a supervisor or manager, and establish tip pool eligibility. Essentially, if an employee earns most of their pay through tips, but also has a limited supervisory role, they are still allowed to participate in a tip pool. 

Given that announcement from DOL, tip pooling policies should be carefully reviewed with counsel before implementation to insure compliance with all applicable requirements.  

​News/Resources:

• Service Charge Guidance, ORLA 
• Tip Pooling Options to Consider, ORLA
• Tip Pooling With Back-Of-House Is IN (in Most States); Manager and Supervisor Tip-Sharing Is OUT, Davis Wright Tremaine, April 2018
• Tip Pool Victory Bridges Heart-Of-House Wage Gap in Restaurant Industry, ORLA, March 2018
• DOL Plans to Rescind the 2011 Restrictions, Jason Brandt, ORLA
• Tip-Pooling Restrictions Slated To Be Rescinded, Fisher Phillips
• NRA Law Center, Tip Pooling Lawsuit, National Restaurant Association
• Restaurant Law Center Takes the Fight to the Courts, The Hill, Jan. 2017
• Rehearing Denied on Challenge to DOL Tip-Pooling Rule, Bloomberg BNA, Sept. 2016

For additional questions, contact Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs, at 503.682.4422.

Rollout complete in approximately 8,500 restaurants, including Portland concluding with the rest of participating U.S. restaurants by May

Today, McDonald’s USA announced that fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, in all Quarter Pounder and Signature Crafted Recipe burgers is now available across approximately 8,000 restaurants in select markets including Portland and is on track for rollout to all participating restaurants in the contiguous U.S. by early May*.
 
The move to fresh beef quarter-pound burgers is the latest in McDonald’s food journey to build a better McDonald’s. It’s also one of the latest customer-led initiatives in the U.S. that builds on several other recent milestones, including All Day Breakfast, committing to only sourcing cage-free eggs by 2025 in the U.S. and serving chicken not treated with human antibiotics**.

“The switch to fresh beef quarter-pound burgers is the most significant change to our system and restaurant operations since All Day Breakfast,” said McDonald’s USA President Chris Kempczinski. “Over the past two years, we have been listening to our customers and evolving our business to build a better McDonald’s. We are proud to bring our customers a hotter and juicier quarter-pound burger at the speed and convenience they expect from us.”
 
In March 2017, McDonald’s USA announced the switch to fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, quarter-pound burgers as a part of a broader commitment to bring customers more craveable and delicious food offerings. Over the next month, the company will be rapidly completing the transition to fresh beef quarter-pound burgers, cooked right when ordered, with full rollout to participating restaurants by early May. 
 
The test markets in Dallas and Tulsa found customers love the hotter and juicier*** fresh beef quarter-pound burgers – the company saw 90 percent customer satisfaction from customers who order the burgers, and 90 percent intent to repurchase.
 
“We know our food is what matters most to customers, and we’re excited to serve fresh beef, cooked right when ordered, in our Quarter Pounder burgers at Northwest restaurants,” said Val Hadwin, McDonald’s Owner Operator. “Customers now have more reasons to enjoy their favorite burgers at the speed, value and convenience of McDonald’s.
 
All McDonald’s fresh beef quarter-pound burgers use 100 percent beef with absolutely no fillers, additives or preservatives. Quarter-pound burgers include the Quarter Pounder with Cheese®, Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese® and Signature Crafted Recipe® burgers.

* Not available in Alaska, Hawaii or US Territories.
** Farmers still use ionophores, a class of antibiotics that are not prescribed to people, to keep chickens healthy. 
*** Compared to prior ¼ lb. beef patty.
 
About McDonald's of Oregon and SW Washington
McDonald’s of Oregon and SW Washington is comprised of 183 franchised restaurants owned and operated by 35 local owner/operators. For more information visit www.mcdonalds.com, or follow us on Twitter (@McDonaldsNW) for updates on our business, promotions and products. Download our app at McD.to/GetApp.