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RRF / Elections / Liquor Privatization...
Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) Senate Vote – Oregon Senators Voted Yes Yesterday, the U.S. Senate was unable to overcome a filibuster on a motion to begin debate on a $48 billion bill that would have replenished the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). The vote to invoke cloture and overcome the filibuster failed by a vote of 52-43 (60 votes were needed to prevail). Read the press release from the National Restaurant Association for more information. Highlights of the vote from yesterday:
Primary Election Roundup There has been an increase in the number of industry members who have expressed a willingness to run for office. ORLA members Cheri Helt (BOLI Commissioner candidate), Daniel Nguyen (State Rep Candidate), Janelle Bynum (Current State Rep), and former ORLA staff member Christine Drazan are all working to bring more industry expertise to our policy making decisions. Here are a few highlights from this week’s primary election on state races:
Portland Lodging Alliance (PLA) Statement on Portland City Budget ORLA was involved in group discussions on the City of Portland's budget earlier this week. Generally, the high level social service and public safety investments and content within the budget seem on point. What continues to plague Portland are the deficiencies in management and a desire by our members to see consistent progress on the streets. One of ORLA’s local groups is called the Portland Lodging Alliance and current ORLA Board Members George Schweitzer and Daryn White Cyrus sit on the PLA Steering Committee. Joining them in leadership are Brandon Carter of the Bidwell downtown and Martin McAllister who runs the waterfront Marriott Hotel. This coming week the Portland Lodging Alliance is submitting comments on Mayor Wheeler’s proposed budget to the City through their online public comment portal. Liquor Privatization Off the November Ballot There’s one less thing to worry about on the November ballot now that the Northwest Grocers Association have pulled their initiative petition from the signature gathering process to qualify as a state measure. Initiative Petition 35 would have opened the door to liquor sales in grocery stores here in Oregon. Although the convenience may seem enticing on its surface there are far ranging implications if the current alcohol system were to be disrupted with cost escalations on liquor inevitable for ORLA members. See the story summing it all up here on OPB. ORLA has been an active part of the opposition campaign to this effort ever since our Government Affairs Committee voted unanimously to oppose these efforts when this was attempted the last time. Have any questions? Feel free to reach out to us via email. Paid Family Leave / Governor's Race / 'Hospitality is Working'
Paid Family Leave Rulemaking Paid Family Leave passed in the long legislative session of 2019 before Covid and has been in a delayed planning state ever since. The law is now getting more attention as the Oregon Employment Department and their new Paid Family Medical Leave Insurance Division (PFMLI) work to launch the new program in 2023. The program is ambitious and requires a 60/40 percent employee/employer split in contributions to a new fund for specific family and medical leave needs. ORLA’s Director of Government Affairs serves on the rulemaking committee; we'll keep members informed of paid family leave updates. Governor’s Race & GOP Polling Recent polling for the Governor’s Race shows former Oregon Restaurant Association staffer Christine Drazan may have a good shot at securing the GOP nomination for Governor in the upcoming primary. Most political pundits continue to believe the Democrat primary win will go to Tina Kotek although Tobias Read has been making a considerable push to gain more favor within the party. Hospitality is Working Campaign The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) relaunched its Hospitality is Working campaign seeking to reignite travel nationwide and showcase the economic and community benefits hotels provide in neighborhoods across the country. Hospitality is Working showcases the broad range of benefits hotels provide the communities they serve while highlighting the industry’s strong commitment to investing in its workforce, providing quality career opportunities, and protecting employees and guests as more and more Americans begin to travel. The campaign will include television and digital advertising as well as AHLA events around the country alongside local hoteliers, economic development organizations and community groups. Have questions? Give us a call at 503.682.4422 or email us if you have any questions. Happy Friday! Local Lodging Tax Watchdog Work / The Fate of RRF / Workforce Storytelling / 77% of the Way
Yesterday, the House of Representatives approved a bill to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). Details on what to expect in DC as well as other updates from the week are below. Don’t forget to sign up and support our largest ORLAPAC fundraiser of the year, One Big Night. If you haven’t already, register to attend and/or consider donating an auction package and help us make a difference in the upcoming election cycle in support of our industry recovery efforts. Local Lodging Tax Watchdog Work ORLA’s successful win in court at both the Circuit Court and Oregon Court of Appeals level has helped usher in a new chapter of relevance for the association in ramping up our watchdog role for our lodging members and the broader tourism industry. As a reminder, ORLA won on all counts against the City of Bend which helped cement our legal standing in holding local governments accountable for how they expend local lodging tax dollars even though ORLA itself does not collect local lodging taxes directly. With the help of legal counsel, ORLA is actively seeking more transparency in the Cities of Gladstone, Gresham, Cannon Beach, and Albany. Watch ORLA's explanatory video as a refresher on how local lodging taxes are to be spent. This video has proven to be a helpful resource to help educate newly appointed local elected leaders or city administrative staff so please share with your contacts whenever helpful. The Fate of RRF Replenishment As anticipated, the U.S House of Representatives passed H.R. 3807 - replenishment of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The challenge of getting replenishment over the finish line continues to be in the Senate. On Tuesday, Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) introduced The Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022 (SBCRA) (S. 4008). The SBCRA would allocate $40 billion for RRF replenishment and $8 billion for other small businesses impacted by COVID. It would partially offset (pay for) the $48 billion through $5 billion in unspent Payroll Protection Program funds. In the interim, we will encourage Senate Republicans and Democrats to reach an agreement on replenishing the RRF. The largest hurdle remains overcoming vast differences between the parties on whether the spending must be paid for, and how. If you haven't already, tell Senators to replenish the RRF. A special thanks to a contingent of ORLA current and past board members for joining ORLA President & CEO Jason Brandt and ORLA Director of Government Affairs Greg Astley at the National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference coming up at the end of this month in Washington D.C. RRF, as well as several other key issues will be a part of our discussions as we meet with lawmakers. Workforce Storytelling We have a big challenge at our doorstep which revolves around reclaiming the narrative around jobs and careers in the hospitality industry. There are incredible stories all around us about the positive and lasting impact hospitality jobs have for Oregonians from all backgrounds. The Spring edition of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association magazine focuses in on the importance of mentors and the opportunities we all have to do more in sharing the opportunities in our industry with both high school and community college students. On page 24 is our Industry Champions article, The Essential Role Of Industry Mentors For High School Culinary Classrooms, where four of our ProStart mentors were interviewed. They each had great stories to tell, worthy of a broader share than just in print, so we repurposed the article as a blog post as well. 77% of the Way Back The hardest hit sector, accommodation and food services, has regained 77% of the many jobs lost in the initial COVID crisis. In addition, the following article is featured on the Oregon Employment Department’s website regarding youth employment trends in our industry. It’s worth a read to learn about our history and our efforts to regain traction in employing high school youth over the course of the past decade. Oregon OSHA Fixes Workforce Housing Caps ORLA has been advocating for our hospitality businesses who provide housing for workers as a benefit of employment. This predominately impacts our resort members who leverage visas and provide work experience to citizens from other countries with those opportunities ramping up in the Spring and Summer seasons. Thankfully Oregon OSHA has answered the call to repeal the Covid rule that capped the amount of workers we were allowed to house in each dwelling unit due to concern over Covid spread. This will greatly assist members in controlling costs associated with the number of vacation homes/dwelling units that must be rented out for the purposes of workforce housing. Give us a call at 503.682.4422 or email us if you have any questions. | ORLA RRF Replenishment / OSHA Updates / H-2B Visas / US Labor Department Investments
We are seeing signs of sales getting close if not reaching pre-pandemic levels for some Oregon operators. Of course sales numbers don’t tell the whole story for our restaurants given the cost of goods and the ongoing impacts of a marketplace driven by historic leverage in the hands of employees. On the lodging side it continues to be a tale of two realities with operators seeming to do quite well in secondary markets with Portland still working to find its footing with the delay in corporate/conference travel. Spring/Summer live events and the return of the full fledged Rose Festival events for a month from late May through late June will certainly help Portland turn the page. RRF Replenishment Votes Possible in House, Senate The U.S. House of Representatives is expected to vote on legislation to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund as early as this Wednesday. Details on the size of the bill, and whether it is funded with new government spending or reallocating existing federal dollars remain unknown. Meanwhile, if the Senate is able to reach agreement on legislation to fund COVID treatment programs, Democrats are expected to offer an amendment to replenish the RRF. Senate Republicans have been clear in calling for any COVID spending to be fully offset by cuts in other government programs, and will vote against RRF replenishment if this condition is not met. ORLA has been working with the National Restaurant Association on your behalf to urge that Congress not treat the 177,000 restaurants waiting for COVID grants as hostages to battles over government spending. The National Restaurant Association sent a letter to the Hill this morning in support of RRF votes and posted a press release urging support from Congress. We will keep you informed if a vote occurs and when the next grassroots activation will launch. OSHA Update on Workforce Housing One of the many unintended consequences of agency rules during Covid was the impact of workforce housing restrictions on our resort communities around the state. Oregon OSHA was focused on preventing the spread of Covid in agricultural worker housing specifically, but their rules also prevented resorts around Oregon from housing hospitality employees within residential vacation homes. The Covid rule limited the number of workers who can be housed in resort vacation homes–and those limits did not exist for vacation travelers from different households using those same homes. ORLA pointed out this inequity over the course of the past week and thankfully Oregon OSHA responded. OSHA just released a Workplace Advisory Memo on April 1, 2022, that removes these workforce housing limitations in our industry. H-2B Visas American Hotel & Lodging Association President & CEO Chip Rogers (who will be joining us in person at September’s ORLA Hospitality Conference in Eugene) shared the following good news this week on H-2B Visas. A number of ORLA members utilize Visas for seasonal employment needs and expanding capacity has been a priority for the industry. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Labor (DOL) announced they would make available an additional 35,000 H-2B visas for the second half of fiscal year 2022 (FY22), which begins April 1. Of these, 23,500 visas will be available for returning workers, while 11,500 are reserved for nationals of Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. In December, for the first time ever the Departments released an additional 20,000 H-2B visas for the first half of the fiscal year. These additional visas will provide critical help to seasonal resorts as we enter the busy summer travel season, and they suggest that the Biden Administration recognizes the acute workforce shortage we are facing. AHLA will continue to push for legislation and policies that will help fill open jobs and keep us on the road to recovery. US Labor Department Investments This week the National Restaurant Association shared more details on President Biden’s federal budget proposal which includes an 18% increase in U.S. Department of Labor funding from 2022 levels ($2.2 billion more) with $400 million proposed to go towards the hiring of additional staff within the department’s workforce protection agencies. Here are the cliff notes from the administration's proposals that are more industry specific: Labor & Workforce
Food Supply Chain and Competition
Technology and Competition
Access to Credit
Healthcare
For more information: We look forward to sharing more about workforce development efforts in future reports. There is a lot of work going into improving connections between industry operators and high school/community college classrooms. Give us a call at 503.682.4422 if you have any questions. | ORLA  Food Scrap Policy, Customer Entitlement, and March Madness
Business Food Scraps Policy In Play – Implementation of a regional food scraps separation requirement went into effect March of this year and many businesses within the Portland Metro boundary will need to comply by 2023. Originally scheduled to begin in March 2020, the requirement was delayed by two years due to the impacts of COVID-19 on the region’s residents and businesses. The earliest any business must be in compliance is March 2023 and all businesses generating more than one 60-gallon roll cart of food scraps a week must be in compliance by September 30, 2024. View more information about the requirement and how to access resources for implementation on Metro’s website at Oregonmetro.gov/foodscraps. Multnomah County Candidates Forum April 20 – There continues to be a lot at stake in Portland with how we are managing safety and security issues as we start getting a taste for what Spring and Summer looks like in the Portland region with the activity surrounding March Madness. Some of you are seeing sales numbers returning to acceptable levels as of this month for the first time in a long time. One of our goals is to not let our elected leaders off the hook in understanding the significance of our debt loads just to get to the point where we could be open and start seeing customer demand improve again. ORLA is co-hosting along with several other business organizations an upcoming forum on April 20 focused on Multnomah County Commissioner candidates. Visit Portland Business Alliance's website for details. OTLA 3rd Year Class Launch – This past week the 3rd year class for the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy (OTLA) gathered in Sunriver immediately following the Oregon Governor's Tourism Conference. ORLA had the chance to sponsor one of the keynote sessions at the Conference and showcase a new promotional video to bring more awareness to the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy and opportunities for tourism professionals to get more involved in the program. Subscribe to updates on OTLA and view the new video. Customer Entitlement? – A 2022 pilot study from OSU Cascades Hospitality Management program shared by the program's director, Todd Montgomery, confirmed what they have been hearing during focus groups and personal interviews for years: entitled customer behavior is getting worse, and it is impacting the desire of hospitality workers to stay in the industry. OSU Cascades will present a white paper on all of their results in the coming months where they will address workers perceptions of what is driving these customer entitlement events. In the meantime, you can view their latest infographic. Learn more about how the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is protecting and promoting Oregon's hospitality industry at OregonRLA.org.  Press Release | Khan Properties Group
After 13 years of dedicated service, Masudur Khan, has withdrawn as a member of Seaside Lodging Hospitality LLC, Doel Hospitality LLC, and City Center Hospitality LLC, which operate the Inn at Seaside, River Inn, and the SaltLine Hotel. Khan will be focusing on new business ventures in real estate development and hospitality as the Founder and CEO of Khan Properties Group. An award-winning hotelier and developer specializing in the hospitality and multifamily industries since 2009, Khan has grown his portfolio through dedication to providing the highest quality service to the hotel’s guests and developing properties to meet the current and future demands of the hospitality and housing markets. "We are deeply grateful for his skill, heart, and soul that he has put into developing and transforming our Seaside community. Now it's time for him to lead the way with his new ventures" says his current team at Khan Properties Group. About Khan Properties Group: Formed in 2020, Khan leads a team of industry experts he has formed to expand into the multifamily development and hospitality markets across the Pacific NW. Khan Properties focuses on a hybrid model of housing and hospitality specializing in renovation and expansion of existing properties as well as new construction projects. Additionally, Khan Properties Group has expanded its real estate portfolio into retail and food & beverage. Khan and his group are exploring partnerships with nationwide companies to further innovate and expand the residential and hospitality offerings in the area. Current projects and ventures include Ocean Crest Resort (Moclips, WA), Gilbert Block (Seaside, OR), and three multifamily developments in Seaside. The Ocean Crest Resort acquisition in Moclips, WA was awarded as a top three finalist for Acquisition of the Year by AHLA at the 2021 American Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS).
NOTE: ORLA's blog will be going offline for upgrades the last week in October.
[October 22, 2021] - Meals Tax Fight | Free Training | Continued Push for RRF Local Meals Tax Fights Continue - We are neck deep in local opposition campaigns in both Cannon Beach and Newport in support of our local restaurants doing business in those communities. As you’ve heard before, we’ll most likely know later in the evening on November 2 whether either of these proposed 5% meals tax proposals pass by will of the voters. Here’s the latest media coverage from earlier this week. Free Covid Online Training Extended – We have made the decision to extend access to the free online training we created at the association to assist restaurant and lodging operators and their staff with the challenging customer service dynamics when dealing with mask mandates across the state. We will keep these Guest Service Safety trainings (restaurant and lodging versions in both English and Spanish) available online for free through at least the end of the calendar year. Make sure to take advantage for your own operation and feel free to spread the word and share the following link so others in our industry can access this free resource thanks to a sponsorship from Anheuser Busch. ORLA Media Event – Your state association in conjunction with several other state associations around the nation will be holding media events to continue pressing the need for restaurant revitalization funding for all eligible applicants. We want to thank Gabriel Pascuzzi, Chef & Owner of Mama Bird for stepping up and representing 2,592 restaurant businesses like his who remain out in the cold with no restaurant revitalization funding after applying for federal financial relief. We’ll do our best to make an impression in the media this coming week and keep the chorus going as we press federal elected leaders to make good on their promise. Here for Oregon Partnership – The Oregonian is our latest sponsor of the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy program and we want to thank Oregonian Media Group President John Maher and their Vice President of Brand and Strategic Partnerships Amy Lewin for thinking big and launching their “Here for Oregon” initiative. The Oregonian is launching this new effort to help share the good across our great state. Powered by the incredible teams and tools of The Oregonian/OregonLive, they are taking the stories created every day and building a new place dedicated to lifting and celebrating Oregon. This multi-media approach offers a custom blend of community-driven content that is distinctly Oregon. It's an extraordinary aggregate for joy, awareness, and connection across the state. Whether you live in Pendleton, Pleasant Hill or Portland, there’s a place for you here and we want to help celebrate what the Oregonian is working to accomplish. As they begin to roll out their efforts, John and Amy are inviting their community partners to join them in building, from the ground up, stories of the people, the places, the experiences and the diversity of culture and skills that inspire innovation and community. Share Oregon. “Like” and “Follow” @HereisOregon on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube Get the good stuff. Subscribe to Here is Oregon weekly e-newsletter. Show you’re here and tag good news in your community with #HereisOregon.
[October 4, 2021] - Foundation Updates | Industry Recovery Trends | OTLA
Oregon Hospitality Foundation Updates - This past week, ORLA’s Executive Director of the Oregon Hospitality Foundation Wendy Popkin announced she has accepted a new role with the Washington County Visitors Association as Vice President of Destination Sales. We hope you all join us in celebrating Wendy’s contributions to the Foundation over the past nine years. In conversations with Wendy and Foundation Board members, we are moving forward with a plan to hire two new full time positions in support of the hospitality foundation. One position will be an executive coordinator for foundation governance while also serving as our ProStart Liaison for Oregon’s 40 participating high schools. The other position will be a Workforce Development Coordinator focused on creating stronger connections between industry leaders and high school and community college classrooms – think guest speaking opportunities, job shadow coordination, career/job fair involvement, and experiential field trips. Reach out to ORLA if you know someone interested in these positions. National Restaurant Trends - The latest economic trends in the restaurant survey based on a feedback from 4,000 restaurants across the nation. The NRA's infographic and associated letter sent to DC leadership focus on the importance of preventing new taxes on small businesses as our industry continues to grapple with the impacts of the enduring pandemic. Activity in DC continues to be touch and go and our Government Affairs team will continue keeping all lines of communication open with our partners at AAHOA, AHLA, and NRA as developments unfold.
[September 24, 2021] - Fight Against Meals Taxes / Chair's Getaway / Conference Program
Fights Against Meal Taxes Continue - The ORLA professional team led by Steve Scardina and Terry Hopkins in their regions of the state and supported by Greg Astley, Tom Perrick, and Glenda Hamstreet in our Government Affairs Department are working hard to defeat meals taxes appearing on the November ballot in the cities of Cannon Beach and Newport. Our websites for the campaigns are up and running and our success in defeating both proposals is largely dependent on our ability to keep local restaurants in both communities engaged and in the forefront. It is critical that ORLA take a back seat to the local names and faces that make up a local restaurant industry while fully leveraging ORLA’s association structure to assist our local members in fighting effectively against tax proposals when they are opposed by members in cases like this. In the past 4 years, we have successfully defeated two other restaurant tax proposals – one in Jacksonville and one in Hood River County. We hope to defeat these two tax proposals and should have results to share on November 2 or 3. Vote No Sales Tax on Meals! ORLA Hospitality Conference Success - Earlier this week ORLA held a 2-day in-person conference for industry members at the Riverhouse in Bend. Feedback so far has been very positive, citing keynote and breakout session messages on target and insightful for the hard-hit hospitality industry. ORLA members also had the opportunity to vote in several new members of the Board of Directors. Save the date for next year's event on Sunday & Monday, September 11 and 12 at the Graduate hotel in Eugene. Chair’s Getaway - We are off and running in creating a great experience on Oregon’s north coast for our Chair’s Getaway event on Sunday, November 7 which will be co-hosted by Incoming Chair John Barofsky and Outgoing Chair Masudur Khan. We want to take a moment to thank Shannon McMenamin and her team at the Gearhart location for working with us to put together the Reception and Multi-Course Dinner on site. Also, a big thanks to Outgoing ORLA Chair Masudur Khan for making the SaltLine Hotel available for overnight stays and our sponsors at US Foods (thanks Randy) and Pacific Seafood for their food donations. We also have America’s Hub World Tours joining us as a Transportation Sponsor this year for those who prefer a shuttle bus between the hotel and the restaurant. The Chair’s Getaway event has 50-60 people in attendance and is an opportunity to raise funds for ORLAPAC under the direction of Greg Astley, ORLA’s Director of Government Affairs. I hope you consider making a donation to ORLAPAC and join us for this great reception, dinner, and overnight stay following on November 7. Register here to reserve your seats – we expect this will sell out so act soon.
[September 17, 2021] - Win for Lottery Retailers / Vaccine Mandates / EIDL Updates
Win for Lottery Retailers – ORLA’s membership includes a segment that cares deeply about the association’s advocacy for lottery retailer issues. ORLA in partnership with many other stakeholders was able to secure a win with the Governor committing in writing to prohibit any expansion of state sponsored gambling on mobile devices with an exception for the options already available on cell phones. The following two letters spell out the request made by us and our partners to legislative leadership and the Governor’s response essentially putting a moratorium on any gambling expansions on cell phones for the duration of her term in office. Vaccine Mandates – We expect to have our hands full in the coming months as the potential for emerging vaccine mandates continues to be debated primarily at the local levels of government outside of President Biden’s announcement this past week. We have been made aware that King County in Washington State will move forward with a vaccine mandate but has decided to again target specific businesses with the mandate as opposed to all businesses. It remains unclear how the new vaccine mandate will be enforced and how the role of restaurant and other industry operators will be defined for those industries impacted. The King County mandate will go into effect in late October. Our reports show the NYC mandate has a vaccine verification compliance rate of less than 30% meaning as many as 70% of operations were not verifying vaccine status at the door. In one of ORLA’s recent surveys we asked operators what types of mandates they would proactively comply with. Under 40% said they would comply with vaccine verification and we suspect the reason is driven by the challenges posed by putting our frontline staff in the position of asking for those verifications universally to dine indoors and the uncertainty of what happens when customers are denied indoor dining service due to a mandate. As a reminder, we openly shared our survey results and our deep concerns about compliance rates with Multnomah County Chair Kafoury and the Governor’s Office. We’re hoping that step keeps the industry from being targeted while we continue our advocacy and support for vaccines and their importance. EIDL Program Updates – The Small Business Administration’s Deputy District Director for Portland Sam Goldstein provided us at ORLA with the latest updates on EIDL. The SBA's COVID EIDL Program Summary serves as a review of where we are to date on EIDL expansion. Another webinar presentation is coming up on September 23; register here. The SBA is continuing to accept loans and modification to existing loans. New applications and increases in existing loans resulting in total amounts to be approved >$500K can be submitted immediately. Decisions on requests >$500K will begin October 8, 2021. Main Update: Increase in maximum loan amount from $500,000 to $2,000,000 (policy) Key Changes in Effect as of September 8, 2021:
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National Restaurant Association Releases 2021 Mid-Year State of the Restaurant Industry Update8/31/2021
Positive trends improve industry outlook; uncertainty and waning consumer confidence could impact long-term rebuilding
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Vanessa Sink, Media Relations Director, National Restaurant Association Washington, D.C. (August 31, 2021) – Today, the National Restaurant Association released a mid-year supplement to the 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Report, which illustrates the continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the restaurant industry. The report provides an updated look at key indicators and trends influencing the industry’s recovery as of June/July 2021, including the current state of the economy, workforce, and food and beverage sales. Key findings include:
“Faced with one of the most devastating and disruptive events of our lifetime, the restaurant industry has taken significant strides toward rebuilding over the first half of 2021,” said Tom Bené, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Consumer expectations around dining out have changed, and the industry is continually adapting to not only meet, but exceed, these expectations. Restaurant operators, along with their partners throughout the supply and distribution chain, remain focused on providing diners with a safe and enjoyable experience, amid rising food and labor costs and challenges related to the pandemic. Given these factors, our outlook through the end of the year is one of cautious optimism.” Labor and Food Costs Remain Top Challenges July marked the seventh consecutive month of staffing growth, translating to a net increase of 1.3 million jobs in the first half of 2021. Despite these increases, eating and drinking places remain nearly 1 million jobs or 8% below pre-pandemic employment levels. Operators also continue to grapple with higher input costs, with wholesale food prices increasing at their fastest rate in seven years.
Technology, Outdoor Dining, and Alcohol To-Go Are Here to Stay The pandemic catalyzed many changes in the restaurant industry including the rapid consumer adoption of technology for online ordering, electronic payment, and order pickup. Consumers want to see restaurants continue incorporating technology and are keen to continue using outdoor dining. In 31 jurisdictions, thanks to approved legislation, consumers will be able to continue ordering alcoholic beverages with their takeout.
The Threat of Delta In the first half of 2021 industry trends were positive, but there is still a long road ahead. A National Restaurant Association survey, conducted Aug. 13-15, found that the delta variant of COVID-19 threatens to reverse the gains made in the first six months of the year.
“The trends from the first half of the year are promising, but a lot of uncertainty remains in regard to the delta variant, consumer confidence, and ongoing labor challenges,” said Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of Research for the National Restaurant Association. “We expect restaurant pent-up demand will remain high in the coming months. However, in this state of flux, maintaining the availability of on-site dining with few capacity restrictions will be critical to keeping the overall sales momentum going forward, especially for full service operators.” The National Restaurant Association will continue to monitor the effect of COVID-19 on the industry in the coming months and plans a full State of the Restaurant Industry Report in early 2022. Click here to download the 2021 State of the Restaurant Industry Mid-Year Update, sponsored by Sage Intacct. ### About the National Restaurant Association Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.6 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube. Residents Should Have Say on Sales Tax on Meals
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 12, 2021 Contact: Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs, ORLA 503.851.1330 | astley@oregonrla.org Wilsonville, OR– The Cannon Beach City Council voted to approve a 5% sales tax on meals by a 3-2 vote, leading to a second reading on July 14th, 2021, to either ratify the sales tax or, if it fails, open the door for the City Council to place a measure on the ballot this November. The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA) opposes the sales tax on meals in Cannon Beach and believes the residents of Cannon Beach deserve to have their voices heard. “It’s unconscionable Cannon Beach City Council would even think about enacting a sales tax on restaurants after the last 16 months our industry has suffered through but it’s especially troubling they would choose to do so without asking for a vote of the people,” said Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs for ORLA. “The restaurants fortunate enough to survive the wildfires, ice storms and global pandemic we’ve been through are still struggling to hire enough people to fully re-open and try to recover from their significant financial losses.” Astley continued, “Although one City Councilor claimed residents would not be affected by the tax and therefore the sales tax on meals should not go to a vote of the people, nothing could be further from the truth. Residents will pay the sales tax on meals every time they go out to eat with friends and family unless they choose to stop patronizing local restaurants in favor of establishments outside the city limits.” Beyond the obvious unfairness of asking one industry to shoulder the burden of paying for services everyone will benefit from, ORLA has outlined several other reasons why voters should be allowed to weigh in on a sales tax on meals:
Astley concluded, “At the very least, the people of Cannon Beach deserve to vote up or down on this sales tax on meals. An even better solution for the City of Cannon Beach would be to consider an Economic Improvement District or similar mechanism where the burden of raising revenue falls more broadly than on just the struggling local restaurants.” ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians.  [update 7.1.21] 2021 Legislative Win for ORLA
SB 317A – Allows holder of full on-premises sales license to make retail sales of mixed drinks in sealed containers for off-premises consumption.
Restaurants and Bars Among Hardest Hit by COVID-19 Pandemic [July 20, 2020 - Wilsonville, OR] – The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association (ORLA), in partnership with the National Restaurant Association, recently completed a statistically significant survey around To-Go Cocktails, drinks made with distilled spirits for takeout, pickup or delivery to go along with meals purchased by guests. The survey, conducted July 3-6th, shows 72% or nearly three in four Oregonians, said they would favor a proposal allowing customers to purchase cocktails or mixed drinks (made with distilled spirits) with their takeout and delivery food orders from restaurants. This is in addition to beer and wine, which is currently allowed. Support is highest among those between the ages of 24-39 at 83%, with respondents between the ages of 58-74 showing the least support at 66%. Twenty-eight percent of adults said they strongly favor the proposal. Fifty-nine percent of Oregon adults said they purchased takeout or delivery food from a restaurant for dinner during the week before they were surveyed. ORLA President and CEO Jason Brandt said, “This is so encouraging for our members who have struggled just to stay open and keep people employed.” Brandt continued, “This has been an incredibly difficult time when restaurants and bars have struggled to deal with the challenges of being shut down, having to pivot to offer only takeout, pickup or delivery and then trying to invite guests back into dining rooms and make them feel safe and comfortable. Knowing almost three out of four Oregonians support the option to purchase cocktails or mixed drinks to go with their meals means some restaurants and bars who might have previously had to close down actually have a chance to make it now.” Allowing customers to purchase cocktails or mixed drinks (made with distilled spirits) for pickup, takeout or delivery requires a statutory change, meaning the Oregon Legislature would need to make the change to state law. Thirty other states currently offer To-Go Cocktails including Washington and California. “From a public safety perspective, if more businesses are able to offer the service of delivery of alcohol to their customers, the need for those customers to physically go into stores and businesses is reduced, thus reducing the risk of community spread of COVID-19,” said Brandt. Recognizing the need to help those who may have difficulty with alcohol addiction, ORLA’s website outlines a number of resources available to individuals, as well as training information to aid in prevention. More information on these resources and trainings can be found at OregonRLA.org/crisis-services-and-training. For more information please contact Greg Astley, ORLA Director of Government Affairs at 503.851.1330.  Effective today, June 30, face covering and distancing rules are eliminated in alignment with the full reopening of our economy. Governor Brown’s announcement last Friday was welcome news to Oregon's businesses ready to open back up at full capacity.
Earlier this week we received confirmation from OR-OSHA Director Michael Wood that mask and distancing mandates will be eliminated (with certain exceptions, including health care, public transit, and airports). However, not all of Oregon OSHA’s COVID-19 requirements are going away immediately. "For the rule addressing all workplaces, examples of measures that will remain in place longer include optimization of ventilation, notification of a positive case in the workplace, and proper steps to take if an employee must quarantine." Here's more information to pass along: ORLA has received several questions from members regarding rule updates. Here are a few FAQs that were confirmed:
ORLA will continue to work with Oregon OSHA as part of their rules committee to continue addressing the details involved with unraveling the remainder of the COVID-19 directives. As always, you can reach out to your ORLA Regional Representative for questions. There is no light switch. It will take years to build back what was lost.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 25, 2021 Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | jbrandt@oregonrla.org Wilsonville, OR– Today’s announcement from Governor Kate Brown announcing a full reopening of Oregon’s economy no later than Wednesday, June 30 is welcome news. Our state’s restaurant and lodging establishments have a long road ahead as small businesses continue the hard work of regaining their footing after 15 months and 13 days of historic and over-reaching government regulation. Permanent closures, workforce access issues, partial re-openings, and ever-changing administrative rules and emergency orders have left a permanent mark on the approach to doing business in Oregon. “We never could have imagined the gravity and depth to which government regulations would dictate how we live in a free society when industry shutdowns and capacity restrictions first went into effect on Tuesday, March 17 of 2020,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “Here we are 15 months later picking up the pieces and doing whatever we can to help Oregon’s extraordinary hospitality industry find its identity once again and it will take time. From a workforce access crisis and supply chain constraints to debt accumulation and back rents and mortgages coming due, historic industry challenges remain and will persist in the years ahead.” To date, Oregon has permanently lost over 1,400 foodservice locations statewide and some lodging establishments remain closed. Both restaurant and lodging operators continue to face wide ranging marketplace dynamics resulting in different realities in different regions of the state. As a rule of thumb, the more reliant a region is on business travel, the harder the economic hit. “The Portland Metro region in particular will need ongoing support to bring back the top tier hospitality experiences our overnight guests have come to expect in our state’s largest city,” said Brandt. “Our hats are off to our partners at Travel Portland, the Portland Business Alliance, and officials at the City of Portland who are inspiring Portlanders to usher in a new transformative chapter with their ‘Here for Portland’ campaign. Ongoing cleanups, increased office worker mobility, and cultural activities can and will make a big difference. As Mayor Wheeler has said, do not bet against Portland or its people.” One challenge remains clear statewide – no matter the region, the workforce access crisis is deep and relentless. Restaurants and lodging establishments in all regions of the state are currently forced to reduce operating hours, minimize menu options and cordon off available rooms respectively. “To put it plainly, there are too many Oregonians on the sidelines,” said Brandt. “And this reality has opened up a new frontline of advocacy activity for ORLA – we must be at the table in assisting our state in addressing the child care deserts that exist in all 36 counties in Oregon, we must address the extension of unemployment benefits to those who are not making a concerted effort to find their next job, and we must protect the rights of our frontline workers who choose to wear a face covering at work and respect that choice and embrace it.” For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. The latest available data for May of 2021 from the Oregon Employment Department shows current employment levels in the accommodations and foodservice industry totaling 153,200 people.  Guest Blog | Portland General Electric This past year has rocked all of us, but it’s been particularly rough for small business customers. From a world-wide pandemic, a summer of social unrest, wildfires that hit too close to home, and a historical ice storm, small businesses, and especially restaurants, have endured more than their fair share of challenges. I watched as businesses were forced to change and adapt at a moment’s notice. Many were forced to lay off their staff and face an uncertain future. But even while overcoming these challenges, I was inspired by the creativity and resiliency so many demonstrated – businesses continued to serve their communities and show compassion for their neighbors with an Oregon kind of energy that’s resilient, innovative, and rooted in care for the communities they are in. It’s the kind of energy we celebrate at PGE. Hospitality, that friendly welcoming nature that we’re so proud of, is the heart of Oregon. We love where we’re from and we all are excited to share our favorite local eats and hot spots. I’ve been touched by the stories of restaurants caring for those most in need and the way that communities have stepped up to support their favorite local joints. I recently had the opportunity to sit down and visit with four local restaurants throughout the region. During our conversations, I was inspired by the stories these restaurants shared. Despite the numerous challenges, they have come to work every day and continue to be agents for positive change in their communities. To show appreciation for these restaurants and yours, we’re hosting a restaurant week on PGE’s Instagram the week of July 5. We’ll be sharing the stories of these restaurants and asking our followers to share their favorite local restaurants. Want to get in on this social boost? Share your favorite local restaurant (yours included!) on your Instagram story and tag @PortlandGeneral with the hashtag #RestaurantWeek. Thank you, ORLA, for being a great resource and unifying force for Oregon’s hospitality industry. As we continue to invest in the future of Oregon, we’re proud to make a $5,000 donation to the Oregon Hospitality Foundation. Keep up the great work! For more information on resources available for your restaurant, please visit us at portlandgeneral.com/smallbiz. | Warren Parker III, PGE Senior Marketing Strategist SMB This guest blog was submitted by Portland General Electric. For more information about ORLA and guest blog opportunities, contact Marla McColly, Business Development Director, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association.
June 15-16 2021, Travel Oregon will virtually host the 36th annual Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism. The Oregon tourism economy has been devastated by the coronavirus pandemic. In 2020, of the 178,200 payroll jobs lost in Oregon, 81,600 of those (or 47%) were in the leisure and hospitality sector. And while visitors to Oregon spent $6.5 billion across the state in 2020, this was a 49.5% decline in visitor spending from 2019. The 2021 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism is an opportunity for approximately 500 travel, tourism, and economic development professionals to gather (virtually)to find new inspiration, dive deep into educational topics, and look ahead as we begin to rebuild the tourism industry and Oregon’s economy after a tumultuous year. Educational breakout session descriptions are now accessible on the conference website. Sessions include exciting speakers that will focus on destination stewardship, working with elected officials, amplifying your role with the local tourism ecosystem and more. Additional information will be added as it becomes available. We invite you to register for the 2021 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism here. Opening Session Keynote To kick off this year’s conference, Frank Cuypers, senior strategist at Destination Think, will unpack the future of travel and tourism after COVID-19, and the changes and opportunities that lie ahead. So many aspects of the tourism industry remain unknown: How will travel and tourism look after Covid? What changes will we see and what other challenges might the tourism industry face in the future? How do we lead destinations through and out the other side of the pandemic? This discussion will inspire destinations to think about ways they can evolve and build resilience. Reflecting on the past: Building an equitable tourism economy for the future The conference will close with a session that showcases tourism industry leaders as they reflect not only on the impact the pandemic has had on their businesses but also how they have continued to be committed to diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in their work. Hear stories from our tourism leaders and partners who have both championed DEI for their work and their communities. Exciting partnership with Burgerville and DoorDash at conference Travel Oregon has partnered with Burgerville and DoorDash to support local restaurants and food suppliers during the Governor’s Conference. Burgerville’s suppliers include Oregon favorites like Alpenrose Dairy, Camas Country Mill, Carman Ranch, Champoeg Farm, Country Natural Beef, Face Rock Creamery, Jacobsen Salt, Liepold Farms, Our Table Cooperative, and Rogue Creamery. By registering for the conference by May 26, you will receive a $15 gift card to enjoy lunch on June 16 or as you’re able. We will miss you joining us in person, but we encourage you to continue to support the resiliency of our local restaurants, incremental efforts can go a long way. Stakeholder Workshop: A Transformational Strategy for Oregon Tourism Following the 2021 Oregon Governor’s Conference on Tourism, Travel Oregon invites you to join us for interactive workshop with our strategic planning firm, Destination Think, on June 16 from 3:30-5 p.m. As we launch into the development of Travel Oregon’s longer-range visioning and strategic planning effort, it is vital we hear from you: Oregon’s tourism industry. We would love to gain diverse perspectives that have the potential to drive change and help inform the foundation of our four-year transformational strategic plan. Your participation is crucial and valuable to help transform the future of tourism in Oregon. Register for the stakeholder workshop here. This guest blog was submitted by Travel Oregon and follows ORLA content submission guidelines. For more information, contact Marla McColly, Business Development Director, Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Hospitality Operators are Encouraged to Help Staff Get Vaccinated
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 11, 2021 Contact: Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs, ORLA 503.851.1330 | astley@oregonrla.org Wilsonville, OR– Governor Kate Brown’s announcement today that once 70% of the state’s residents 16 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine she’ll eliminate most statewide restrictions meant to thwart the spread of the disease, is welcome news to Oregon’s hospitality sector. “Oregon’s hospitality industry has been repeatedly hammered by the openings, closings, and changes to how we can operate over the last 13 months,” said Greg Astley, Director of Government Affairs for ORLA. “Hearing the plan for Oregon’s restaurants to be able to fully reopen and welcome back guests gives hope to those who have remained closed since the beginning of this pandemic and those who have struggled to remain open and keep people employed.” The Governor’s plan includes the lifting of limits on seating capacity for restaurants, bars, and other venues previously impacted by the risk levels. It also means no counties would remain under the current risk level tiers based on rates of infections. Physical distancing and face-covering mandates while indoors may still be in place for some time. The Governor has stated she will follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as to when face coverings may no longer be required. “ORLA is encouraging restaurants to help employees find vaccination sites for themselves and their families,” said Astley. “The sooner we can meet the goal of having 70% or more of Oregonians partially vaccinated, the sooner we can open back up our dining spaces and welcome guests back in to share food and make memories with their families and friends.” ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. The Governor’s announcement ending Extreme Risk in 15 counties will help restaurants at a critical time ahead of Mother’s Day – typically the top sales day of the year.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 5, 2021 Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | jbrandt@oregonrla.org Wilsonville, OR– Oregon restaurants struggling to survive welcome Gov. Kate Brown’s recent announcement ending the Extreme Risk category for 15 counties, allowing them to resume some indoor dining ahead of their busiest day of the year – Mother’s Day. On Tuesday, Gov. Brown stuck to her commitment to use statewide metrics announcing that because COVID-19 hospitalization rates have leveled, restaurants and their patrons can return to limited indoor dining starting Friday, May 7. “With Oregonians continuing to get vaccinated each week, my expectation is that we will not return to Extreme Risk again for the duration of this pandemic,” Brown said. This is welcome news to the thousands of local restaurants barely holding on during the pandemic recession.Oregon has seen more than 1,000 restaurants close in the past year. “With indoor dining coming back online across Oregon, ORLA’s focus now moves to two crucial fronts – supporting efforts to continue relaxing restrictions and finding solutions for lodging and restaurant employers struggling to get their employees back on the schedule,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “The workforce shortage crisis is the challenge of our day outside government restrictions and it’s a national crisis. We look forward to working with our national partners on legislation to turn extended unemployment benefits through September into upfront cash bonuses to accelerate the industry’s recovery.” Restaurant and lodging operations continue to take all necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their employees and customers. Oregon public health officials have confirmed only 3% of the new COVID-19 cases were traced back to restaurants and bars while most of the new cases are attributed to schools. “Now that everyone older than 16 is eligible, help us move away from future government restrictions by getting vaccinated. And please continue to support local restaurants this Mother’s Day by celebrating at your mom’s favorite place,” said Brandt. For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. National Restaurant Association Statement on the Opening of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund5/4/2021
Contact: Vanessa Sink
National Restaurant Association vsink@restaurant.org FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Washington, D.C. (May 3, 2021) – Today, the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) began accepting grant applications. Tom Bené, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association released the following statement about the launch of the federal relief program: “Today’s launch of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund provides long-awaited hope for tens of thousands of restaurants who are on a long path to recovery. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has done admirable work in creating a totally new relief program in just two months, and we appreciate our strong partnership with them. “The question on the minds of many is what happens when applications outpace the available funds. Restaurants are operating in an uncertain environment, with continued needs to restore customer confidence in their safety and to bring workers back into the economy. We will continue to work with policymakers to secure a comprehensive set of solutions, including additional funding for the RRF.” The restaurant industry has been the hardest hit during the pandemic. Between March 2020 and April 2021, restaurant and foodservice sales were down $280 billion from expected levels and 110,000 restaurants have closed permanently or long-term. For nearly 15 months, securing industry-specific recovery grants has been the primary goal of the National Restaurant Association. Because funds are limited, the Association encourages all eligible applicants to apply as soon as possible. While priority groups will have 21 days of priority access, applications from all eligible applicants will not be ruled ineligible if they apply during the prioritization period. The SBA will coordinate the time of submission to determine the order of grant distribution. Resources for operators:
### About the National Restaurant Association Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.6 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube. Restaurant Operators Remain Baffled by Disproportionate, Inequitable Restrictions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 3, 2021 Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | jbrandt@oregonrla.org Wilsonville, OR– This past week, Oregon State Epidemiologist Dr. Dean Sidelinger provided a COVID update to the Oregon Senate Committee on Health Care alongside Oregon Health Authority Director Patrick Allen. As part of the official testimony, Dr. Sidelinger and Director Allen were asked a series of questions by members of the State Senate serving on the committee. Of particular importance was the answer to a question about environments deemed responsible for increased case counts. Dr. Sidelinger referenced spread in multiple settings and cited 257 new outbreaks during the course of the past week. He said 30% of cases are attributed to single case outbreaks associated with schools, 12% are attributed to two or more case outbreaks associated with schools, 4.5% of cases are attributed to recreational sports and sports teams, and only 3% are traced back to restaurants and bars. Director Allen also shared 60% of cases are sporadic with no additional information about where they originated. Testimony continued including a summary statement from Director Allen who stated, “kids going back to school has led to more coronavirus, just not in school. It’s everything around it.” If restaurants are not a leading cause of spread, owners and operators across the state are baffled why thousands of restaurants in 15 counties have indoor dining bans. “It is clear from testimony that schools, not restaurants, are driving the overwhelming majority of new COVID cases,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “Nonetheless, restaurants, which are taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their employees and customers dining indoors, are shut down indoors at thousands of locations across 15 counties despite a lack of evidence to suggest they’re the source of spread. You can’t justify putting thousands of people out of work in an entire sector of the economy when there’s no evidence it’s contributing to the spike in cases. It makes no sense.” While the Restaurant Revitalization Fund will help some restaurants, the demand and urgency for aid far outpaces the amount of funding available. The Small Business Administration admitted they expect the federal funds to go quickly as restaurants across the country struggle. For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 27, 2021
Contact: Jason Brandt, President & CEO, ORLA 503.302.5060 | jbrandt@oregonrla.org Yet again, Oregon Governor Kate Brown punished local restaurants announcing another wave of indoor dining bans in 15 counties starting Friday, April 30. Current coronavirus outbreaks as reported by the Oregon Health Authority have been tied to education institutions, health care settings, private social gatherings and manufacturing facilities. However, Oregon’s plan and ongoing risk categories continue to target and penalize restaurants, gyms, and fitness centers as the predominant set of restrictions deemed necessary to mitigate virus spread. There have been no super spreader cases tied to these environments at any point in the over 13-month pandemic in Oregon. “Restaurants are taking the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of their employees and customers dining indoors,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “It is impossible to run a restaurant two weeks at a time let alone one week at a time which is now Governor Brown’s plan for the coming weeks. The move by the Governor’s Office is tone deaf and offensive to tens of thousands of Oregonians working in restaurants and bars across our state attempting to pay their bills. COVID-19 closures and restrictions on indoor dining are clobbering Oregon’s restaurants, bars and hospitality sector. We’ve seen more than 1,000 close because of the pandemic recession. The uncertainty and arbitrary nature of targeting restaurants has made it impossible for these local businesses to plan during a time when they’re already struggling to survive. The Governor should stop blaming restaurants as the source of COVID-19 spikes. It is blatant discrimination against our local businesses. Instead, we should focus on what we know will work – vaccinating all Oregonians.” Despite no evidence or correlation between COVID-19 case spikes and restaurants, Oregon’s new extreme risk category includes a new statewide metric: Covid-19 positive patients occupying 300 hospital beds or more, and a 15% increase in the seven-day average over the previous week. Meanwhile, more than 1 million Oregonians have been fully vaccinated. In addition, the Governor’s Office moved away from their normal practice of reviewing hospitalizations based on weekend data and instead used data from Monday which included over 300 hospitalizations in Oregon. “The field of play keeps changing. We were under 300 hospitalizations all weekend but apparently that doesn’t matter anymore. The constant yo-yoing of closures and restrictions in Oregon are driving people to have multi-family gatherings at home indoors. The level of ongoing suffering being experienced by the hospitality industry is hard to quantify with the constant myopic focus on restricting restaurants and gyms as a way to effectively manage our ongoing COVID crisis,” Brandt said. Restaurants have only three days to try to adjust their businesses, dispose of perishable food and reduce staffing again. In addition, restaurants will not be able to order food, schedule employees, or plan out their operating hours in advance as weekly changes are implemented by the Governor’s Office. While changing outdoor capacity from 50 to 100 people will help some restaurants, it won't provide much needed flexibility for most. “The industry desperately needs their #1 sales day coming up on Sunday, May 9. Indoor dining restrictions for a second Mother’s Day in a row would be the ultimate blow to our local restaurants struggling to survive,” Brandt said. For more information on the efforts of the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association please visit OregonRLA.org. ### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians. 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/20/21
Contact: Jason Brandt 503.302.5060 | JBrandt@OregonRLA.org [Wilsonville, OR] – The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association proudly announces the second-year launch of the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy (OTLA), developed in partnership with the Oregon Destination Association and Travel Oregon, and led by the industry’s top experts. The annual experiential learning program is targeted to public and private sector tourism professionals who are seeking to polish their leadership and professional skills, continue to grow their career accomplishments, and make positive and lasting contributions to the state’s tourism economy and its success. “Our vision is to bring together tourism professionals from all walks of life to strengthen the interconnectivity within the industry while elevating new leaders who will help move our state forward,” said Jason Brandt, President & CEO for the Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association. “The academy will continue to bring lasting personal and professional benefits to those who participate.” Tourism professionals currently participating in the first-year class continue to follow all health and safety guidelines as they approach program conclusion in September. The second-year class will launch in July and conclude in the Spring of 2022. View a roster for the second-year class below. Curriculum, field visits, and hands-on experiences are strategically designed to support and align with the state’s tourism goals and objectives which include four Strategic Imperatives:
The OTLA experience is designed for professionals currently serving Oregon’s tourism and hospitality industries. Interested program participants should have supervisory, managerial, or executive responsibilities in either the private or public sector. Applications from industry professionals who will soon be responsible for similar levels of responsibility are also encouraged to apply for the academy program. The strategic imperatives outlined above will serve as the program’s core themes each year. Each theme will receive focus as a part of four multi-day experiential learning programs designed to provide academy participants with comprehensive educational experiences. Each year, approximately 20 academy participants will immerse themselves in the academy’s professional development curriculum alongside industry experts and facilitators.
For more information on the Oregon Tourism Leadership Academy, visit OregonRLA.org/otla
### The Oregon Restaurant & Lodging Association is the leading business association for the foodservice and lodging industry in Oregon, which before COVID-19 provided over 180,000 paychecks to working Oregonians.
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8565 SW Salish Lane Suite 120 | Wilsonville, OR 97070-9633 | 503.682.4422 | 800.462.0619 | Info@OregonRLA.org
Site Map | Accessibility | Privacy Policy