Hospitality suite fundraiser for NRA PAC successful

A new venture to raise funds for the National Restaurant Association Political Action Committee (NRA PAC) in 2012 proved to be a good idea. Former dinners and brunches to raise funds for political advocacy at the federal level had been done several years in a row. This year, several key members of the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) leadership decided it was time for a change. Thus, PAC the Bus was born.

“We wanted to do something other than a dinner this year to meet Louisiana’s fundraising goal for the NRA PAC,” said NRA Board Member Dickie Brennan. “PAC the Bus was developed to be a benefit for those attending the EXPO who wanted to support the advocacy of our industry in Washington and take a reprieve from the bustling activities of the EXPO Show Floor.”

PAC the Bus, a fundraiser for the NRA PAC, generated 103 percent of the LRA’s fundraising goal for 2012. During the three days of the Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO, members were invited to enjoy, in exchange for their contribution, a hospitality suite with a twist—on a luxury Prevost tour bus, parked right on the show floor. Located between the LRA booth and the Great American Seafood Cook-Off, contributors enjoyed libations, cuisine courtesy of Centerplate and chair massages.

“The PAC the Bus idea was so fun and innovative,” said Caitlin Donahue, Director of the NRA PAC. “I attend fundraisers all over the country and this was one of the best I’ve seen. I really liked the fact that it was right there on the show floor so everyone potentially had the chance to participate.”

A special thank you goes to those Host Committee members who made PAC the Bus a success: Past NRA Chairman Ralph Brennan, NRA Emertis Board Member Greg Hamer, Brennan, and NRA Board Member Tommy Cvitanovich and 2012 LRA Chairman Melvin Rodrigue.

Sponsors of PAC the Bus included: Tony Abadie, Rob Antoon, Bruce Attinger, Jim Besselman, Katy Casbarian, Phil Faul, Stan Harris, Octavio Mantilla, Greg Reggio, Paul Rotner, Rob King, Randy Stein, Tina and Ernest Palmisano and Jim Urdiales.

 

The NRA PAC is a voluntary, non-partisan political action committee formed in 1977 to support and elect pro-industry and pro-business congressional candidates for federal office.

Your keys to VIP Status during the Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO

Enjoy the good things in life by taking a trip on the National Restaurant Association Political Action Committee (NRA PAC) Bus, during the Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO, August 11-13 at the New Orleans Morial Convention Center.

NRA Board Member
Dickie Brennan wants your
support to PAC the Bus!

PAC the Bus, a hospitality suite with a twist, is a luxury tour vehicle to be located right on the EXPO show floor between the Louisiana Restaurant Association’s booth and the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. Complete with cuisine, courtesy of Centerplate, and libations, courtesy of Champagne Beverage, a trip on the Bus will include relaxing chair massages for those who make an NRA PAC contribution.

“We wanted to do something other than a dinner this year to meet Louisiana’s fundraising goal for the NRA PAC,” said NRA Board Member Dickie Brennan. “PAC the Bus was developed to be a benefit for those attending the EXPO who may want to support the advocacy of our industry in Washington and take a reprieve from the bustling activities of the EXPO Show Floor.”

On Saturday, 2012 NRA Chairwoman Roz Mallet will board the Bus to meet PAC donors and thank them for their contributions to support the ever growing need for political advocacy for the nation’s restaurant industry.

Want to be a VIP?

To Board the Bus—First Class, you are invited to make a $500 NRA PAC contribution. You and a guest will experience the amenities of the Bus for the entire three-day EXPO. At this level, you will be recognized as an NRA PAC the Bus Sponsor in all remaining materials. Sponsorships are non-transferrable.

Five hundred bucks a little too rich for your blood? You’re in luck. Become a Prestigious Passenger and you will enjoy the exclusivity of the NRA PAC Bus for a $150 contribution during the three-day EXPO. At this level, you will partake in the amenities of the Bus to benefit the advocacy of our industry in the U.S. Congress.

Only in town for a day? Take a Day Trip on the NRA PAC Bus! For only $75 per person, you will delight in the camaraderie, cuisine, libations and amenities. Rest in luxury and know that your time is well spent and for an excellent cause.

Your hosts for this exciting adventure are Past NRA Chairman Ralph Brennan, NRA Emertis Board Member Greg Hamer, Brennan, and NRA Board Member Tommy Cvitanovich and 2012 LRA Chairman Melvin Rodrigue.

A special thank you to the NRA PAC Sponsors (as of July 31): Tony Abadie, Rob Antoon, Bruce Attinger, Jim Besselman, Katy Casbarian, Phil Faul, Stan Harris, Octavio Mantilla, Greg Reggio, Paul Rotner and Jim Urdiales.

Payments to the NRA PAC must be in the form of a credit card or a check from individual and non-corporate business members of the National Restaurant Association or affiliated state restaurant associations. This can include, for example, businesses operating as sole proprietorships, businesses operating as partnerships, businesses operating as LLCs that are treated as partnerships under tax law.

To reserve your seat on the NRA PAC Bus, please call Wendy Waren at (504) 454-2277 or via e-mail at wendyw@lra.org. Please have your credit card ready or your check made out ready to mail!

Help us the PAC the Bus!

Ambassadors of Cocktails, yes, there's such a thing

Cure and Bellocq owners Kirk Estopinal
and Neal Bodenheimer are the 2012
Ambassadors of Tales of the Cocktail,
a five-day spirits festival in New Orleans
July 25-29.

Neal Bodenheimer and Kirk Estopinal, Louisiana Restaurant Association members, have been selected as co-ambassadors for Tales of the Cocktail, which celebrates its 10^th Anniversary July 25-29 in New Orleans. Bodenheimer and Estopinal own Cure and Bellocq and have developed a national reputation for creating world-class craft cocktails and are consistently mentioned as owning one of the country’s best bars.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by Tales as a co-ambassador,” said Bodenheimer. “It’s exciting for us to be at the center of the craft cocktail revitalization as natives of New Orleans.” 

Cure was one of the first businesses to invest in the now vibrant Freret Street corridor in New Orleans, which in a few short years, has become home to numerous restaurants and businesses. The duo’s success with Cure prompted them to open their second venture, Bellocq, located in the Hotel Modern in Lee Circle.

Inspired by the photographer’s
gripping images of a pre-prohibition
sexual revolution, Bellocq
is a new cocktail lounge
 located in
The Hotel Modern New Orleans.

“The making of a perfect cocktail for us is based on fresh ingredients, quality spirits and properly measured contents,” said Estopinal. “Having trained in Chicago and Neal in New York honing our craft, we are extremely proud of our city’s cocktail past, present and future.”

The pair’s cocktail philosophy can be explained in one word—balance. Consistently, the two explore new flavor combinations and with nearly 1,000 spirits on hand, they have a massive collection in which to experiment. When Estopinal’s grandfather passed a few years ago, he inherited his spirits collection which included liquors that are no longer available, some of which line the entrance to the former fire house they converted to Cure.

“I started my hospitality career on the culinary side and an opportunity presented itself to move to cocktails,” said Estopinal. “The culinary aspect of the cocktail craft is what I most enjoy. Being behind the bar, I have face time with the clientele which is important to me. I can see right away if I’ve made the patron happy.” 

Tales of the Cocktail presents a challenge in balancing work and pleasure. They look forward to hosting their industry friends and would like to catch a seminar or tasting event, but owning two establishments that cocktail enthusiasts and industry professionals will certainly stop in at during the five days will mean very little rest for them.

Kevin Brauch was the first ambassador
of Tales of the Cocktail

“We really look forward to Tales, although it is our busiest week of the year,” said Bodenheimer. “With two locations, we are going to be busier than in previous years.”

As Tales of the Cocktail Ambassadors, they join a class of industry professionals like Kevin Brauch of the Thirsty Traveler; Robert Hess, co-founder of the Museum of the American Cocktail; Wendy Waren, VP of Communications for the LRA; and LRA Past Chair Dickie Brennan and business partner Steve Pettus of Dickie Brennan & Co.

"A favorite feature among Tales of the Cocktail attendees is the highly-regarded Thursday night Spirited Dinner series," said Tales Founder Ann Tuennerman. "Leading New Orleans chefs design creative menus inspired by leading brands and the dinners include guest historians, brand owners, developers and mixologists which brings guests a truly one-of-a-kind experience centered around cocktails, cuisine and conversation."

Visually-impaired teen offers braille menu transcription

One of my former volunteer gigs was at the WRBH-Radio for the Blind on Magazine Street in Uptown New Orleans. On Sunday mornings, I would show up and grab a Spin or Time magazine or sometimes a kid's book and retreat to a soundproof booth and read to those across the region with vision impairments.

Mandeville High School teenager Sophie Trist offers menu
transcription into Braille as summer business.

I've since moved on to more interactive volunteer projects, but a recent email from past Louisiana Restaurant Association Chairman DickieBrennan made me realize again how truly fortunate we are to have the sense of sight. 

Brennan's cousin, Sophie Trist, is a 15-year-old blind student who is currently a rising sophomore at Mandeville High School. As she strives to learn the skills she will need to be a successful, independent adult, one hurdle she’s encountered is the lack of braille menus in restaurants.

“This can be a major problem for visually impaired individuals,” said Trist. “If a sighted person does not accompany me, the simple task of ordering off of a menu becomes a challenge.”

This prompted her to take action and start a summer business of providing as many local restaurants as possible with a braille menu. For a small fee of $20, she will take a copy of a restaurant menu and in return provide the restaurant with a braille copy.  Trist can be contacted via email at sweetpeareader@gmail.com. Include the name of the restaurant, contact information and any other specifics of your order.

An estimated 10 million American's have some sort of visual impairments and chances are your restaurant has fed a few of them. What do you do when this happens? Does your server offer to read the menu or does the visually impaired diner rely on their companion (if they have one)? 

Having a braille menu on hand provides restaurants with an efficient way to serve the visually-impaired diner. It also allows your customer to feel empowered and comfortable in your establishment and in turn, you could gain a repeat customer.

Although the American with Disabilities Act doesn’t require restaurants to offer blind patrons a braille menu if a staff member or server is available to read it to them, it’s still a great amenity to offer.

Do you have a braille menu on hand for your visually-impaired customers? How do you handle it if you do not?

Last day of EXPO features great Idea Zone line up!

The Idea Zone is a new feature of the Louisiana Foodservice and Hospitality EXPO—now celebrating its 59^th year. The Saturday and Sunday line-ups have been covered in previous weeks and boast a whole host of topics to inspire and inform you—to become more profitable.

Dig in to the final day at the EXPO by getting one of your LRA SIF Safety Dividend criteria met. “The Risk of Doing Business,” starts at 10:30 a.m. and LRA SIF VP of Loss Prevention Victor Balbuena will provide valuable perspective on the most common workers’ comp claims frequency and severity.  Members of the SIF attending this session will receive credit towards their Safety Dividend criteria. You must register in advance to attend this session.

Ned Fasullo of Transformyx follows with “Digital Interactive Signage Strategies for Restaurants” at noon. Fasullo will share facets of digital signage both in a static and interactive implementation for restaurants. Secrets will be revealed for selling advertising to other businesses to potentially cover the costs of this technology and perhaps deliver you a nice profit too!

Closing out the Idea Zone and the 59^th EXPO, legendary restaurateur Dickie Brennan will discuss the movement to rebuild the Louisiana farming business and share his knowledge and insight about working with local producers to deliver the best local ingredients to diners in your restaurant. Learn how you can connect to local farmers using Louisiana Market Maker, a resource of the Louisiana Dept. of Agriculture.

Registration to attend the EXPO is open. Restaurant members of the LRA receive four free passes if they register before July 15. Beginning July 16, LRA restaurant members will be charged $10 per person for admission to the EXPO.

Who’s ready to EXPO? Check out the video for a ton of reasons to attend the EXPO!