Study finds cutting debit fees put $86 billion in La consumer's hands in 2012; $38 billion in merchant savings

A new economic report released today by the Merchants Payments Coalition shows that debit card swipe fee reform saved consumers and merchants billions of dollars in 2012, as anticipated by Congress when it passed debit reform legislation in 2010.

According to the study the result of the debit form legislation was $86 billion in Louisiana consumer savings and $38 billion in savings for Louisiana merchants. The study estimates that 551 jobs were created in Louisiana as a result of the debit card swipe fee reduction.

Reducing the cost for merchants to swipe debit cards put $5.8 billion back into the hands of consumers through lower prices, which led to sufficient increased spending to support 37,501 new jobs, the report finds.

"The facts are in and the numbers don't lie. Debit reform is helping consumers, and both consumers and the economy are big winners," said MPC Chairman Mallory Duncan, senior vice president and general counsel of the National Retail Federation. "Debit card swipe fees are eating up less of consumers' purchasing power, and that has yielded significant savings. These are long-term benefits that will steadily boost the U.S. economy."

NRA introduces new Affordable Care Act Toolkit, complimentary for members

The National Restaurant Association's Health Care Knowledge Center has been the go-to source on how a restaurant or business should prepare for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. The Toolkit builds and expands on the NRA’s Health Care Law Primer and is the most comprehensive resource on the health care law for restaurant operators.

The 56-page Toolkit—a benefit of NRA & LRA membership –offers  a chapter-by-chapter guide to the law's impact on restaurant employers. It walks operators through the data they need to track in 2014 in order to calculate whether they will be considered a large employer for 2015, and details the proposed information-reporting requirements for large employers and businesses that offer self-insured plans.

The Toolkit covers a lot of additional vital information and includes expanded graphics, frequently asked employee questions, checklists and a glossary of key terms under the ACA. The Toolkit will be updated as regulatory guidance evolves. We believe it will be invaluable for operators nationwide.

 

Members can call the Louisiana Restaurant Association to receive their complimentary copy at (504) 454-2277.

GSI testifies before Senate subcommittee on role of certification in sustainable fishing

A strong voice for the Gulf seafood communities in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida has presented written testimony to the Senate Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmosphere, Fisheries and Coast Guard on the topic of third-party sustainability certification of U.S. seafood, as well as its impact on the seafood community, consumers and the marketplace.

The Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) has testified the U.S. Department of Commerce and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) should be held responsible for maintaining the strongest, clearest voices and maintaining final authority in determining the sustainability of fisheries, as well as the responsibility in communicating that message to consumers.

With a mission to protect the Gulf’s unique culture and environment, GSI is working to elevate the Gulf seafood brand with consumers, customers and policy leaders through advocacy, education and science.

The Institute represents every Gulf state, as well as every aspect of the industry – both commercial and recreational – and has become one of the leading voices on key issues including sustainability, seafood safety, disaster mitigation and recovery, and data collection.

One of its main missions is to bolster fisheries science and research helping to preserve the Gulf seafood resource and contribute to the longevity of the industry. Formed in July 2013, it is currently organizing under the laws of the state of Louisiana, and seeking approval of the Internal Revenue Service for 501(c)(6) status.

“When it comes to ensuring the sustainability of our nation’s fisheries, GSI supports the process outlined under the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act because it is working,” said Harlon Pearce, who was instrumental in bringing together seafood leaders to form GSI, and owner of Harlon’s LA Fish in New Orleans. “The Department of Commerce, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the eight Regional Fishery Management Councils work together to monitor, manage and enforce a program that has led the United States to its position as a global leader in responsibly managed fisheries and sustainable seafood.”

Standards of Sustainability
Currently the federal agencies overseeing fisheries are guided by Ten National standards of sustainability. Together these agencies monitor, manage and legally enforce all marine fisheries in the United States under the most restrictive regulations in the world.

NRA Manage My Restaurant: Prepare your restaurant for natural disasters

This past weekend, Southeast Louisianans held their collective breath as Tropical Storm Karen staggered in the Gulf. Just a little more than a year prior, massive power outages due to Hurricane Isaac, a storm that camped out over us and rained relentlessly, was still close to home. Overheard more than once, “Please just don’t let the power go out.”



But Karen gave us at the Louisiana Restaurant Association a great practice run for our emergency operations plan. The team met on Friday morning before an anticipated weekend landfall, reviewed the plan and the weather projections and determined that this would likely be a less than eventful storm for the New Orleans area. However, before the staff departed for the weekend, the building was secured, the flag taken from the pole and the contact lists and methods of communication were updated.

Beyond the emergency plan for you and your team, there’s often a community need that restaurants can fill. When hurricanes, tornados, snowstorms or other natural disasters occur, restaurants can help bring a sense of normalcy to their communities. Establishing a disaster communication plan establishes you as a good corporate citizen and secures brand equity.

Such a plan helped Waffle House earn a 2012 National Restaurant Association Operator Innovations Award. The plan, “Keeping Food Safe during Natural Disasters & Proactive Outreach to States,” is part of the company’s “Always Open” culture across its 1,700 locations in 25 states. Waffle House created relationships with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

 

After a storm, FEMA surveys the community using a “Waffle House index” as a way to measure devastated areas. Stores closed because of the storm are designated ground zero or red alert; those with a limited menu because of power and food shortages are considered yellow alert; and those with minimal damage and the ability to operate fully are designated green alert.

"After a storm, FEMA surveys the community using a “Waffle House index”

as a way to measure devastated areas."

Here are five tips to help you plan ahead:

·         Connect with public officials when developing your disaster-preparedness plan. Waffle House executives reached out to regulatory and safety agencies in hurricane-prone states, including municipal and county officials. 

·         Create a planning matrix. Waffle House created logistical tactics for various scenarios, such as three to five days before a hurricane, 48 hours out, 24 hours out and after landfall. For each stage, the plan identified store managers, operations executives, food safety/security teams and other stakeholders.
·         Create and distribute practical toolkits. Each Waffle House store manager receives a “storm playbook” that includes lessons learned and best practices, a unit-opening checklist, FDA food safety guidelines for re-opening after a storm, a service interruption and emergency checklist, and more.
·         Establish procedures for before and after the disaster. When a hurricane is imminent, Waffle House executives contact public health and safety officials in areas likely to be affected to resolve access issues. After a storm makes landfall, store managers must be available at all times to ensure food safety compliance and work with health inspectors before reopening.
·         Create a sound risk-based protocol. Your protocol should include preparation and mobilization tactics. Remember: Controlling risk should be your priority.

For more best practices for your operation, visit the National Restaurant Association's Manage My Restaurant Online Resource Center here.  

Employers still obligated to notify employees despite missed deadline

Although the October 1 deadline has passed for employers to notify employees of the Health Care Marketplaces, it is still necessary for employers to do so. The reasoning for notification is two-fold—to inform employees that they need to obtain coverage on the exchange if they are not covered; and to protect you should an employee have an unpaid medical bill and a creditor is seeking payment.

The Health Care Marketplaces opened last week across the country. Despite the government shutdown, the Affordable Care Act is still in effect.

The National Restaurant Association launched its Online Notification Tool to assist employers in informing their employees about the ACA requirement. The individual mandate means that uncovered employees will need to obtain coverage on the Health Care Marketplace between Oct. 1, 2013 and Feb. 28, 2014.

For more information about the NRA’s Online Notification Tool and to review the Health Care Primer, visit www.restaurant.org/healthcare.  

NRA releases industry sustainability report

Report offers insight into sustainability initiatives throughout the restaurant industry

The National Restaurant Association released its first-ever sustainability report, which looks at environmentally stable trends and initiatives within the restaurant industry, such as food waste reduction, composting, recycling and cost-efficient energy solutions.

“Sustainability and waste reduction are increasingly important issues across the restaurant and foodservice industry,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, National Restaurant Association. “We have seen incorporation of eco-friendly business practices from large chains to independent operators, as well as manufacturers and other supply chain partners. The National Restaurant Association is working to ensure operators have access to the education, tools and training needed to adopt successful and cost-effective sustainability best practices into their business models.”

“This is the first sustainability report the Association has ever produced,” said Clarice Turner, senior vice president of U.S. Business for Starbucks Coffee Co. and chair of the NRA’s Sustainability and Social Responsibility Committee. “It is a landmark document and we’re very proud of the work that went into it. It definitely outlines the Association’s sustainability goals nicely, and from a strategic standpoint, allows us to continue to tell this complex and important story. The report is a key piece of a comprehensive effort to demonstrate the ways in which NRA is being proactive and leading as a trade association on sustainability issues.”

As part of the restaurant industry’s commitment to environmental sustainability, the NRA is now offering its Conserve Sustainability Education Program (CSEP) as a member benefit. The program – designed by the restaurant industry for the restaurant industry – provides online tools and resources to successfully implement environmental practices, as well as a roadmap to help navigate toward reducing carbon footprints.

“With the help and support of some key leaders in our industry, we’ve created the Conserve Sustainability Education Program, which emphasizes education and makes the business case for sustainability,” DeFife said. “Understanding what goes on in the back of the house – from the appliances you cook with to your energy and water use, packaging, management process and even organics collection techniques – has a big potential positive impact on the average restaurant’s budget.”

CSEP includes industry-tried best practices, educational videos by industry experts, money-saving techniques and a personalized action plan for operators.

The sustainability report comes on the heels of the NRA’s just-announced Conserve Sustainability Advisory Council, which brings together some of today’s top corporate sustainability leaders as part of the Conserve Initiative.

According to the NRA’s 2013 Restaurant Industry Forecast, consumers find sustainability efforts important when it comes to choosing a restaurant, adding the incentive to restaurateurs’ of increasing guest satisfaction and attracting sustainability-minded diners. In fact, nearly half of consumers say they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on its energy and water conservation practices.

NRA research also shows that the majority of restaurant operators already have plans to increase their efforts on energy and water conservation this year; more than 6 out of 10 plan to purchase energy-saving kitchen equipment and light fixtures in 2013, and half plan to invest in water-saving equipment and/or fixtures.

“Shedding Light on Sustainability” can be downloaded for free here.

For more information on the report and Conserve, visit Restaurant.org/Conserve.

New Share the Gulf Coalition seeks fairness for Gulf commercial fisherman

More than 130 chefs, restaurant owners, fishermen, seafood industry leaders and conservationists have come together to form a coalition to raise awareness and support for fishermen, restaurants, retail, consumers and tourism depending on fair access to fresh Gulf seafood.

Share the Gulf is an effort initiated in part as a response to a proposal in front of regulators at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to take fresh Gulf fish away from seafood counters that are supplied by family-owned commercial fishing businesses that catch red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico.

“This is a coalition of people and groups from across the Gulf that care about making sure access to the Gulf’s resources are shared fairly and sustainably,” said Chef Stephen Stryjewski of New Orleans-based Cochon and Pêche Seafood Grill and founding chef chair of the coalition.

Red snapper is a shared fishery split almost evenly between commercial and recreational fishermen. Due to an outdated data collection system, the offshore recreational fishermen targeting red snapper are caught in a failed management system producing inaccurate data on the amount of fish caught, resulting in shortened seasons year after year.

Coalition to Bring Groups Together

“This coalition is a great opportunity to bring together fishermen, chefs and consumers to voice the importance of seafood to Texas and the rest of the Gulf,” said Jim Gossen, Chairman of Houston-based Sysco Louisiana Seafood and a Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI) board member. “Our goal is to make sure fishery managers continue the practice of fair regulations that sustain the resource for the people depending on it.”

While the vast majority of recreational and commercial fishermen believe in sharing the Gulf’s resources, a few groups have suggested taking fish from consumers and reserve it for offshore recreational fishing as a solution to the problem. Share the Gulf, whose goal is to ensure Gulf seafood continues to be shared fairly and sustainably to be enjoyed for generations to come, disagrees.

“We have worked to build a healthy and sustainable commercial fishery for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico,” said Bubba Cochrane a commercial fisherman from Galveston, TX and President of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance.  “The plans in front of the Council will hurt fishing businesses and consumers and set a dangerous precedent.”

In 2007, the Gulf’s commercial red snapper fishery implemented a self-management program helping the population recover from a long-standing depleted status.  The allocation system has allowed commercial fishermen to fish smarter, as well as continuously year round.

The change has been working.  Recently Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch, an internationally recognized sustainable seafood program rating the sustainability of fisheries, removed red snapper from its “Red List”.

If red snapper, grouper or other reef fish are taken away from commercial fishing businesses, seafood suppliers, restaurants and retailers that rely on them; the consequences could be devastating to the Gulf’s seafood industry.

“It’s not just fishermen who depend on red snapper, grouper and other Gulf fish,” said Chef Hugo Ortega of Houston’s Backstreet Cafe and Hugo’s and a coalition co-chair. “Being able to buy fresh Gulf seafood is important to my business and important to the customers I serve.

Gulf Seafood Needs to Align in Collaborative Way

Stan Harris
President/CEO
Louisiana Restaurant
Association

“The industry needs to align in a collaborative way so the Council can hear the challenges our chefs and owners face in today’s environment,” said Stan Harris, President/CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, and GSI Board Member. “Members of Congress, our Gulf state governors, the Gulf Council and the federal and state fishery agencies must hear from the chefs and restaurateurs about the need for fair allocations on behalf of the American consumer and the businesses our industry partners with for supply."

Efforts to reserve fish and limit consumer choice have happened before, with red drum and speckled trout in particular.  A number of interests have expressed concern that the elimination of commercial fishing for red snapper could lead to other Gulf fish, like grouper.

"The coalition will press decision-makers to keep sustainably caught Gulf seafood on the table for the millions of Americans who don’t fish or own their own boat," Harris added.

The removal from the “Red List” confirms fisheries like red snapper, as well as grouper, are being managed properly by commercial fisherman. Rather than penalizing chefs, restaurants, consumers and small fishing businesses responsible for managing the resources sustainably, Share the Gulf realizes the solution is not easy. It believes working together options are available to provide relief to the recreational fishermen from their outdated management plan.

As a first step to better management, technical solutions for recreational fishermen could be instituted; such as a phone application to collect data on fish harvested, documented with photos.

“The members of this coalition want to foster a reasonable debate that leads to fishery management that is fair to everyone and above all sustains the resource for all of its benefits to society and the environment,” said Pam Baker, Gulf of Mexico Director for Environmental Defense Fund. “We want to work with fishery leaders to explore options that provide the longer fishing seasons and long-term conservation anglers seek."

The Share the Gulf coalition is committed to a productive, fair and reasonable dialogue with regulators, elected leaders and others on how the Gulf’s resources fairly and sustainably can best be shared, now and for generations to come.