Interested in Opening a New Restaurant? Let the LRA be your guide

There is so much to know and learn when opening a new restaurant and the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) has your guide to what you need to know. First up- you need to know if the value of LRA membership. We can assist you as you get your footing in the business through a number of programs and services designed especially for budding restaurateurs.

The LRA offers a number of benefits to members. The first is the LRA Self Insurer’s Fund for Workers’ Compensation program. In Louisiana, it is mandatory to have workers’ compensation for your business. Workers’ compensation protects employees who are injured on the job. It is the law that “all” Louisiana employers must maintain comp coverage. Those failing to meet this requirement are subject to individual fines per occurrence, with the potential total penalty reaching $10,000 per business.  To get a quote for your workers’ comp, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277.

A business must possess an alcoholic beverage permit to sell such beverages in Louisiana. The guide contains information for operators to obtain their liquor license from the Alcohol Tobacco Control and your local municipality. Also, it is also mandatory in Louisiana that anyone serving alcoholic beverage obtain a Responsible Vendor Permit. The LRA is the first and only provider in the state of these permits to offer the two-hour course online at www.laserverpermit.com.

Beyond these necessities, there’s your food permit required by the Louisiana State Sanitarian Code, through the Department of Health and Hospitals. The law requires all foodservice licensees must have a valid food safety certificate. The LRA is the largest provider of the required eight-hour course through the nationally-recognized ServSafe food safety and sanitation course. Click here for a complete schedule of classes offered statewide.

From the average wage for various restaurant positions, to wage and hour laws and overtime calculations, the LRA’s Opening a New Restaurant guide covers this and so much moe.  Other important information like copyright laws if you intend to play music – live or recorded; reporting newly-hired workers, opening checklists, dual membership in the National Restaurant Association and what you need to know about the Affordable Care Act are also included in the guide.

The LRA is your advocate on local, state and federal issues impacting the restaurant industry in Louisiana. For more information about the LRA’s suite of benefits available to members, visit www.lra.org today or call us at (504) 454-2277.

Reach the LRA’s membership with your company’s products & services

A La Carte is the official publication of the Louisiana Restaurant Association and is published quarterly for the membership. It is a four-color publication that features articles of interest concerning the foodservice and hospitality industries in Louisiana. It also show photo spreads of the various chapter events, programs and LRA activities held throughout the year.

Advertising in A La Carte gives you something that no other advertisement can give you in Louisiana—instant access to more than 4,000 decision makers in the Louisiana restaurant industry. It’s an opportunity to bring thousands of potential clients into your showroom.

Owners and managers of the top independent and chain restaurants in the state read A La Carte. The LRA membership is comprised of the leaders in the foodservice industry and your advertisement will be seen by these decision-makers. Reach all your potential customers quickly, efficiently and effectively with an ad in A La Carte. Our readers are your buyers.

Advertising with us is also your most cost-effective means of reaching these industry professionals. In addition to our reasonable rates, there’s never an additional charge for color printing. A 10 percent discount is offered to LRA members as well as standard industry discounts to recognized advertising agencies.

Our current advertisers are: Blue Williams, BMI, Borden/LaFleur Dairy, Brown’s and Barbe’s Dairy, Community Coffee, Fisher & Phillips LLP, Heartland Payment Systems, Hollis Companies, Johnson, Johnson, Barrios & Yacoubian, Louisiana Foodservice & Hospitality EXPO, Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission, LRA Self Insurer’s Fund for Workers’ Compensation, Performance Foodservice-Caro, Reinhart Food Service, ServSafe Alcohol Online, SYSCO Foodservice, Thompson Packers and U.S. Foodservice.

For more information, call Erica Burns at (800) 256-4572 or (504) 454-2277 or via email at eburns@lra.org.

Employee Notification Deadline Oct. 1

The phone is ringing off the hook at the Louisiana Restaurant Association with questions about the upcoming deadline to notify employees of the Health Care Marketplace/exchanges opening Oct. 1, 2013.

What does that mean for you as an employer? It means that first you need to determine if you are a large or small employer. To calculate your full-time equivalent employees, download the free National Restaurant Association Health Care Primer here.

Once you’ve determined your size (large or small) under the Affordable Care Act, then you will complete the notification form and distribute to your employees to read it and sign that they understand.

What individuals need to know? If you work for a small company and are not eligible for coverage through your employer, you must obtain coverage on the Health Care Marketplace beginning October 1, 2013 to February 28, 2014. Based on your annual salary, you may be eligible for government subsidies through the marketplace at healthcare.gov.

 

To view the previous blog post about the Employee Notification Tool from the National Restaurant Association and the Restaurant Health Care Alliance, click here.

If you have questions, please call the LRA at (504) 454-2277 today and we’ll be happy to help.

Need funding for your restaurant? Economic development low interest loans available

The South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC) has three low interest loan programs designed to assist those business owners who’ve been declined by a bank for a loan. Each loan program corresponds to a specific map indicating which parishes are eligible.

The Innovations Loan ($50,000 to $500,000) is available at 1 percent interest. This is program expires Jan. 31, 2014. The initial requirements include:

·         Declined letter from bank*
·         A signed copy of your last 3 years personal and business (if established business) taxes
·         Business Plan
·         Last three years of financial statements (if established business)
·         Proof of business ownership structure
·         Resumes of company owner/partner
·         With new jobs created
·         Minimum $75,000 annual gross revenue.
Applications for equipment should be submitted by November 2013 for the best chance of funding.

The Revolving Capital Fund ($10,000 to $250,000) is available at 4 percent interest. The initial requirements are:

·         Declined letter from bank*
·         A signed copy of your last 3 years personal and business (if established business) taxes
·         Business Plan
·         Last three years of financial statements (if established business)
·         Proof of business ownership structure
·         Resumes of company owner/partner

The Revolving Loan Fund ($10,000 to $250,000) is available at 4 percent interest. The initial requirements are:

·         Declined letter from bank*
·         A signed copy of your last 3 years personal and business (if established business) taxes
·         Business Plan
·         Last three years of financial statements (if established business)
·         Proof of business ownership structure
·         Resumes of company owner/partner

*A decline letter can be in the form of a total decline, or a statement that they would only fund a portion of the project.

In all programs, funding is limited. For more information, call the SCPDC at (985) 655-1051 today or download the loan application here.

 

Purchasing and transportation focus of National Food Safety Month Week 4

Part of the ServSafe Allergens training and the National Food Safety Month: Week 4 Activity covers the role purchasing and transportation plays in serving guests with food allergies safely. Special care should be taken to read the labels and prevent cross-contact when purchasing and transporting food.

Not all brands are the same. The same product can be made with very different ingredients by different companies. Additionally, food vendors can change the recipes of their items without notice. Therefore, it is always important to read labels when purchasing food. Some operations even use specialty suppliers to provide food without certain allergens.

Regarding transportation, it’s also important to ensure that there was no cross-contact when the food was being transported. Food items containing any of the Big 8 allergens should be packed separately from other food. For example, if a carton of eggs breaks and leaks onto a bag of lettuce below them, the lettuce will be contaminated by the eggs. Packages should be checked to ensure there was no damage or leakage during transport. Items showing damage or evidence of cross-contact should be rejected.

ServSafe Allergens is a 90-minute interactive, online course designed to educate front of the house and back of the house staff on the various techniques and actions to take when serving a guest with food allergies. For the $22 cost of ServSafe Allergens, you and your staff could prevent illness, even death and potentially negative publicity for your establishment.

LRA Baton Rouge Chapter hosts its 11th Annual Silent Auction

If you’re looking for a great event filled with the Baton Rouge area’s hottest restaurants, the Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) Greater Baton Rouge Chapter’s 11^th Annual Silent Auction is where it’s at! Join the fun Thursday, Oct. 3, 2013 at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel for unique silent auction items and celebrity bartenders. 

A new component of this year’s event is the crowning of a LRA Greater Baton Rouge Top Tailgating Chef. Participating restaurants, Ruffino’s, Walk On’s, Mestizo’s, Bistro Byronz, Little Village, Le Creole, Stab’s, Tallulah, Don’s Seafood Hut and L’Auberge Baton Rouge, will serve their tailgate specialties and vie for the crown. Event attendees will vote on their favorite restaurant which will determine the winner.

“With the excitement in the Capitol Region surrounding LSU Football, it was a natural progression to award this unique new title to one of our participating restaurants,” said LRA Greater Baton Rouge Chapter President Ryan Nizzo.

In addition, celebrity bartenders, Todd Graves, Founder of Raising Cane’s; Matt Saurage, President of Community Coffee; and Brandon Landry and Jack Warner, owners of Last In Concepts, will be serving up their specialty one-of-a-kind libations.

Attendees will have the chance to bid on outstanding items such as: A crawfish or shrimp boil for 20 of you closest friends at your home donated by Don’s Seafood Hut in Gonzales; a progressive wine dinner for 8 or 10 of your nearest and dearest with stops at Ruffino’s, Juban’s and Beausoilel, including transportation; a private dinner for 10 at Eighteen Steakhouse at L’Auberge Baton Rouge; LSU Baseball suite tickets; artwork; wine baskets; tailgating gear and the list goes on.

“The Silent Auction benefits the LRA Education Foundation, which is doing fantastic work through its statewide ProStart program, which trains students for careers in the restaurant industry,” said Nizzo. “This is one of two fundraisers our chapter hosts annually to support our charitable foundation.”

The event also features a Cork Pull for wine, spirits and gift certificates to various area restaurants. One pull is $20 and you’re guaranteed an item valued at $25 or more.

The VIP Preview Party starts at 5:30 p.m. at Tallulah in the Renaissance Hotel and tickets are $70. General admission tickets are $50 and the event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Hotel. For more information, or to purchase your tickets, call Courtney Waguespack at (225) 328-2163 or email cwaguespack@lra.org.

Oct. 2 premiere of Top Chef New Orleans

City of New Orleans and state of Louisiana are stars of Bravo's 'Top Chef' season 11 as the popular food show locates in the Crescent City

The stars have aligned for New Orleans and Bravo's Emmy and James Beard Award-winning series 'Top Chef' as it prepares to launch season 11 of the culinary competition series, and locals are being asked to tune in to help create a ratings bonanza. The New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC) is requesting that every business with a television and every person at home tune into the show on Bravo at 9:00 p.m. Central on October 2, and then throughout the season.

After bringing the show to New Orleans for its finale in 2008, NOTMC was instrumental in bringing the show back for season 11 in 2013. The show premieres on Bravo on Wednesday, October 2.

"New Orleans has always been proud of the fact that the Top Chef finale episode  in 2008 garnered the best ratings the show had ever received," said Mark Romig, President and CEO of NOTMC. "Now we have an opportunity to best ourselves and help make sure this entire season has the best ratings ever. We are urging everyone in the city to tune in all season."

Chef Michael Sichel

Fifty-three locations were filmed in New Orleans throughout the season, along with segments in nine Louisiana cities including Baton Rouge, Lafitte, Chalmette, Gretna, Harahan, Husser, Lacombe, Metairie and Slidell.

Two local chefs, Michael Sichel of Galatoire's and Justin Devillier of La Petite Grocery, were chosen to compete in a pre-premiere digital video series, "Padma's Picks," sponsored by Cigna and Available on BravoTV.com. "Padma's Picks" gives New Orleans most talented chefs the opportunity to cook their way on to the actual show. Host and Judge Padma Lakshmi visits some of the Big Easy's most celebrated establishments to find ten of the best and brightest chefs from New Orleans.

Chef Justin Devillier

"I ask every citizen of our fine city to show your pride and love of New Orleans by gathering with family and friends and tuning in to Bravo's 'Top Chef' at 9 p.m. on October 2," said Mitch Landrieu, Mayor of New Orleans. "By doing so, we will help show the nation and the world that our first-class city supports this exciting program which showcases our uniquely wonderful way of life."

Many famous national and international chefs will be spotted during the season including New Orleans locals Emeril Lagasse, John Besh, Leah Chase, John Folse, Susan Spicer and others.

The show is a love story to New Orleans and gives nods and bouquets to many of the city's neighborhoods, as well as its food, architecture, music, art, and nightlife.

'Top Chef' will feature returning host and judge Lakshmi, alongside lead judge, Tom Colicchio, and series judges Gail Simmons, Hugh Acheson, and New Orleans' own Lagasse. So where will 'Top Chef' go from New Orleans for this season's finale show? Stay tuned and don't forget to watch!