Bipartisanship may be rare in Washington, D.C., but
it’s alive and well in Louisiana. Two members of Congress, Rep. Steve Scalise
(R-La.) and Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), found they had a lot to agree about
on Dec. 6, when National Restaurant Association Director Tommy Cvitanovich
hosted the pair at his family’s famous Drago’s Seafood Restaurant in
Metairie, La. Scalise and Richmond got a glimpse of how a restaurant operates,
from vendor relations all the way to the dining room.
The congressmen were introduced to several
restaurant staff members and vendors, with Cvitanovich noting the important
role each plays in the success of Drago’s. He told the congressmen stories of
several staff members who have overcome adversity to become valuable,
contributing members of the Drago’s team.
Stan Harris, Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) President and CEO, pointed out that the personal stories of success within the
restaurant industry, at all levels, are a valuable tool in advocacy.
“Congressman Scalise and Congressman Richmond, when
we go talk to them, are always interested in the ‘people stories,’ of how our
industry connects to what’s going on,” Harris said. “We are the largest
employer in the state of Louisiana. [The restaurant industry] employs over 10
percent of the people here. It’s a good group of people, and when you work for
people who care about you, and know your story…that’s what helps us personalize
[the industry] for them.”
Scalise spoke of the importance of the restaurant
industry to New Orleans and how it teaches hard work and discipline for those
who enter and work up the ladder. The restaurant industry, he said, plays
a vital role in allowing leaders to see how their decisions in Washington
affect numerous stakeholders.
“This is the small business story that you always
hear about,” Scalise said. “Our restaurants are the classic, epitome of what a
small business is. When you look at our delegation…you hear a lot about the
partisanship in Washington, and it’s very real, unfortunately, there are a lot
of people who just don’t like working with someone who’s from a different
party…Cedric and I will vote differently on a whole lot of stuff, but when it
comes to things that are important to our restaurants here in New Orleans, the
policies and things that allow you to keep doing what you’re doing to serve us
great food, we love working together to get that done.”
The restaurant industry is a critical part of the
New Orleans culture, Richmond said. It’s the friendly culture of the
city, he said, that drives tourism. The opportunity for growth that small
businesses like Drago’s provide is a main reason why people who grow up in New
Orleans choose to stay there, he said.
“The fact that you all have the ability to come to
a place with great leadership, that gives you the chance to work hard and stay
here, you’re not looking for the next opportunity because you know if you stay
here and work hard, [Cvitanovich] and his family are going to nurture you,
watch you grow and watch you succeed. You can’t say that about a bunch of
places, but you can say that about Drago’s,” Richmond said.
The Drago’s Seafood Restaurant tour was organized
through the NRA’s Congressional Visit Program, a member advocacy initiative
that connects restaurateurs with their federal lawmakers. Helping
legislators understand the stories behind our industry is a powerful advocacy
tool and demonstrates how policies enacted in Washington can affect small
businesses in their home districts and states. For more information or to
host your own congressional visit, contact Jon Simons at jsimons@restaurant.org or 202-331-5907.
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