Restaurateurs, chefs invited to learn more about the Share the Gulf coalition

This article ran in the Louisiana Restaurant Association Fall 2013 A La Carte magazine.

As a member organization of the recently created Share the Gulf coalition, the Louisiana Restaurant Association is advocating for maintaining the current allocation of red snapper (51 percent commercial and 49 percent recreational) for current and any future increase in total catch allowed. We invite you to visit the Share the Gulf coalition website to learn more.

The Louisiana restaurant industry depends on fair and sustainably managed fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico. This means equal consideration for restaurant and consumers as well as recreational fishermen. We recognize that recreational anglers currently face harsh rules on some favorites like red snapper, grouper and others. At the same time, fishermen, seafood providers, restaurant owners and chefs with Share the Gulf are asking: How does taking fish from consumers help solve the problems facing anglers?

The current red snapper catches have seen a 70 percent increase in the total catch allowed in just the past five years. Commercial fishermen, seafood businesses and the consumer are reaping benefits because the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council has considered stock assessments, NOAA data and public input in executing a management plan that has helped promote fish population recovery.

Unfortunately, angling seasons continue to shrink, regardless of the increased total catch, because the underlying recreational management plan remains broken. Anglers are understandably angry, but assigning them more fish (reallocation) won’t help. Instead, it hurts more people and our industry’s access to the highly desirable fish our restaurants love to offer their guests.

Many of us enjoy recreational fishing with our families and friends, and we want our families to experience catching their own dinner. We also know that many of our guests enjoy recreational fishing.

In our view, we should encourage an engaged discussion including recreational fishing, harvesting, distributors and restaurant interests.  Let’s talk about what everyone’s goals are and how we can achieve them together. Let’s stand up together and ask the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council to focus their attention on recreational management plans that will actually extend seasons over the long-term, improve data collection and reporting and enhance sustainability.

The commercial management through the Gulf Council is working. We hope that similar success can lead to addressing the concerns and fishery management challenges for recreational interests as well.

Famous for Hurricanes, Pat O'Brien's celebrates 80th Anniversary with block party

As Prohibition was ending, Pat O’Brien opened the doors to his neighborhood watering hole on Saint Peter Street on December 3, 1933.   A lot has changed in the last 80 years, but they still know how to throw a party on St. Peter Street in the Quarter.   Consider this your “Save the Date” for a block party on December 3, 2013 with live music by the local favorite band The Bucktown Allstars. 

The green jacket-clad bartenders will be serving up the famous Hurricanes for half-price and a special commemorative Hurricane glass will be on sale with proceeds going to a to be named local charity.   As always, the fountain will be burning strong and the piano players will be playing your napkin-scribbled requests.  Not many 80 year olds can throw a party like this, so mark your calendar now.

Shelly Oechsner Waguespack, President and 3^rd-generation owner of Pat O’Brien’s, had this to say about the party:  “Our first anniversary party was our 60^th and we’ve been doing this every 5 years since.  We felt strongly about giving back to our community that has supported us through the years.  We have the best customers in the world!   We are grateful that we can continue this incredible tradition of celebrating Pat O'Brien's, our customers and our incredible employees!”

For more information on this event visit www.patobriens.com or www.facebook.com/patobriens.

ProStart students take first prize in Men Who Cook quick-fire challenge

Salmen High School ProStart students win first prize in  Men Who Cook
quick-fire challenge with their Pumpkin Supreme Ice Cream Sundae.

ProStart students from St. Tammany Parish competed head-to-head October 26, 2013 at the first Men Who Cook quick-fire challenge to raise money for Children’s Advocacy Center—Hope House.

Competing alongside celebrity chefs including La. Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain and numerous others, ProStart teams competed in the ice cream sundae cooking challenge. Competitors were asked to prepare a crunchy topping, a sauce and a whipped topping. Salmen High School’s ProStart team, led by Instructor Allison Armand took home first prize with their Pumpkin Supreme Ice Cream Sundae.

ProStart is a dynamic, two-year, restaurant management and culinary arts curriculum offered in nearly 50 high schools across Louisiana. ProStart is administered by the Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation.

LRA Northshore Chapter wants you to Serve It Up for Education!

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Northshore Chapter will host its first-ever “Serve It Up for Education” Co-Ed Volleyball Tournament, Saturday, Nov. 16 at 11 a.m. at the new Digs Volleyball Complex, 700 Windward Drive in Covington.  Digs is the premier spot North of the Lake for beach volleyball leagues, tournaments and instruction. This is also the first event to be held at the new Complex.

The “Serve It Up for Education” tournament will have two divisions—Intermediate and Open. The Intermediate Division winner will receive prizes, while the Open Division winner will receive a $1,500 cash prize. Teams of four are $400 and teams must have at least one female player. There’s a $1500 cash prize for the Open Division winner. The proceeds benefit the LRA Education Foundation.

And no LRA event would be complete without a lineup of delicious cuisine from our generous members! You’ll enjoy tasty eats from Acme, Raisin’ Canes, Martin’s Seafood, Benedict’s, Zea and Chimes and libations from Crescent Crown, Southern Eagle, Bayou Rum and Coca-Cola products.

Individual tickets to the tournament are $35 per person and includes food and beverage and must be purchased at the door. 

To register your team, please visit www.digsvb.net. If you have any questions, the contact for the event is Jodi Williams at jwilliams@lra.org or 504-454-2277.

Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses accepting applications for 2014 classes

Updated programming offered for early-stage business owners

 

Delgado Community College chancellor Dr. Monty Sullivan announced today that applications are now being accepted for all cohorts of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program scheduled for 2014. The three cohorts (or classes) are scheduled to begin in February, June and September, 2014. The program, aimed at helping existing companies grow revenues and create jobs, is funded through a grant to Delgado Community College through the Goldman Sach Foundation and is no-cost to selected participants.

 

As part of the 2014 schedule, Delgado 10,000 Small Businesses will offer classes designed specifically for business owners who have successfully launched scalable businesses, but who do not yet meet the criteria for the traditional 10,000 Small Businesses program. This session begins in February.
 

Louisiana Restaurant Association member Phil de Gruy, owner of Phil's Grill in Metairie, knew that participating in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program would be an investment in his business's future. He was right! The knowledge de Gruy gained from the intensive business program has helped him maximize his restaurant's position in the market, manage his finances for greater profitability, and develop a more accountable and customer-focused workforce. 

 

 

Last year Delgado Community College and the Goldman Sachs Foundation partnered with The Idea Village to pilot a program geared toward early-stage businesses in the Greater New Orleans area.

 

“Based on the success of this class and a noticeable demand from the local entrepreneurial community, a second cohort for early-stage businesses will be launched in February 2014,” said Carla Coury, 10,000 Small Businesses executive director.

 

Small business owners who demonstrate a commitment to growing their businesses and have been in operation for at least one year, generate revenues in excess of $25,000, and employ at least one person in addition to the owner are encouraged to apply to the early-stage cohort that begins in February.

 

"Being able to identify areas I needed to work on and take steps to put my business on track for growth was an invaluable product of my participation in the program," said de Gruy. "I learned the difference between running a restaurant and running a business."

 

Small business owners who have been in business for two or more years, earn annual revenues in excess of $150,000, and employ four or more employees (including the owner) should apply for the traditional cohorts scheduled to begin in June and September 2014.
 

Since launching the program in 2011, Delgado Community College has served 174 small business owners in the New Orleans/Gulf South region.

 

 

With education programs at community colleges in 10 cities and capital-only programs in 6 states nationwide, the program boasts more than 1700 alumni and a 99 percent graduation rate. Approximately 63 percent of graduates report that they have increased revenues just six months after graduating and 47 percent have created new jobs in the same period. Over 75 percent of all graduates report doing business with one another.

 

 

Delgado Community College works with community-based partners and national business organizations to encourage small businesses to apply for the program and to provide business advice, technical assistance, and networking to program participants. Local partners include Hope Enterprise Corporation, Greater New Orleans Inc., The Idea Village, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center and area chambers of commerce.
 

Participation is free to business owners who are accepted through a competitive application process. 

To download an application or learn more about the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in New Orleans, visit www.dcc.edu/10ksb or call 504-671-5555.

ASCAP bill for music licensing fees not a scam

In the last few weeks, the Louisiana Restaurant Association Communications staff has fielded a number of calls from members who received bills from ASCAP for playing music.

The most common questions are if they have to pay to “license” the music they play. They ask, “Do I really have to pay license fees on the music I am playing in my establishment?” Typically, the answer is “yes.” The following will help put the issue into perspective.

Q. Why should I pay for playing music to the public? Legally, a piece of music belongs to the composer who created it and to the music publisher who markets it. When you use other people’s property, you have to ask their permission to do so.

Q. What is a “public performance” of music and what is the “performing right?” A “public performance” is a performance that occurs in a public place or in any other place where people gather (other than a small circle of a family or acquaintances). A public performance is also one that is transmitted to the public; for example, radio or television broadcasts, music-on-hold, cable television or by the internet. Generally, those who publicly perform music must obtain permission to do so from either the owner of the music or his or her representative.

Q. If musicians are playing live music, aren’t they responsible for paying the public performance fees? People mistakenly assume that musicians and entertainers must obtain licenses to perform copyrighted music or that the business where the music is performed can shift that responsibility to the performers. The law says that all of those who participate in, or are responsible for, the performance are legally responsible. Since it is the business owner who obtains ultimate benefit from a performance, it is the business owner who must obtain the license.  Music license fees are just one of the many costs of doing business.

Q. I’m interested in having music played in my restaurant. Do I need permission if I am only using CDs, records, tapes, radio or TV? Yes, you need permission to play CDs, records, or tapes in your establishment. Permission for radio or television transmissions in your business is not needed if the performance is by means of public presentation of TV or radio transmissions. Eating, drinking, retail and certain other establishments of a certain size may play public radio and TV signals over a limited number of speakers or TVs if the reception is not further transmitted (from one room to another, for example) from the place in which it is received. No admission fee can be charged.

Q. My establishment is very small. Do I still need to pay for music licensing? You are required to get a music license if:

• You play video games with music tracks (such as Guitar Hero)
• Your establishment is 3,750 square feet or larger (foodservice or drinking establishment), plays the radio or TV, and (has at least one of the following)
• Has more than four TVs total, or more than four TVs in any one room
• Has any TV with a diagonal screen size greater than 55 inches
• Any of the audio portions of the audiovisual performance is communicated by means of more than six loudspeakers or there are four loudspeakers in any one room or adjoining outdoor space
• There is a cover charge
• You allow live music or open-mic performances
• You provide a deejay to play music
• You allow customers to play their own music devices (such as iPods) through your sound system

Q. I have one license. Doesn’t that cover all the music I play? You can—theoretically—license with just one of the three major companies (BMI, ASCAP and SESAC). But, doing so limits you to using only those titles to which that one company hold the copyrights. While each company has a repertoire of over a million pieces of music, it would be very difficult to play only the music controlled by any one of the music licensing companies. How would you even begin to keep track?

Q. Aren’t TV, cable and radio stations already licensed with BMI? The agreements for broadcasts apply to private use rather than public use. When you broadcast the radio or television in your establishment, it constitutes a “public broadcast” –a public use.

As a member of the LRA, you are eligible for a 20 percent discount on licensing services through BMI. LRA members get:

• 10 percent discount for being a member of the LRA.
• An additionally 10 percent discount if you pay for your music licensing through BMI’s website.

In addition to discounts on licensing by BMI, the LRA has other member value programs to help you save:

• Workers’ compensation program
• ServSafe food safety and sanitation courses
• ServSafe Alcohol server training for the first time in Louisiana, exclusively through the LRA.

For more information on the various member value programs, call the LRA at (504) 454-2277.

Pre-order "The Pot & The Palette" cookbook today!

The Louisiana Restaurant Association Education Foundation (LRAEF) in partnership with the George Rodrigue Foundation of the Arts (GRFA) is pleased to announce the release of The Pot & The Palette Cookbook (7 x 9 inches, 192 pages, ISBN 978-0-615-86341-2, $24.95) with foreword by Emeril Lagasse.

Pre-order your copy of The Pot & The Palette today and you'll receive a complimentary entry into a raffle to win an exclusive George Rodrigue print, "Heat in the Kitchen" signed by Louisiana's most notable chefs.

                 “Is there any state in the union more closely associated with good food than Louisiana?” says Blue Dog artist George Rodrigue. “From its abundant Gulf seafood to its Cajun and Creole traditions to its world-famous restaurants, residents of the Pelican State bring a lot to the table.  The Pot and the Palette is a dual celebration of all that Louisiana has to offer: more than 100 recipes from the state’s finest chefs accompanied by illustrations of its culinary heritage by its most talented student artists.”

                  “In Louisiana, we believe in supporting each other,” says Emeril Lagasse. “George has supported the Emeril Lagasse Foundation for 10 years, and I am so proud of the many chefs and restaurateurs who have contributed recipes to make this book a true reflection of today’s Louisiana cuisine.” 

                  According to Stan Harris, CEO of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, “the recipes in ‘The Pot & The Palette’ reflect the full bounty of the state, from Monroe to Metairie, Bossier City to Baton Rouge, Lake Charles to Lafayette, and of course, New Orleans.”

The book includes over 100 recipes from top LRA member chefs and restaurants, such as, Emeril’s New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp with Petite Rosemary Biscuits, Leah Chase’s Gumbo Z’Herbes, John Besh’s American Sector Chicken and Dumplings, Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Meatloaf, Commander’s Palace’s Commander’s Salad, Café B’s Crawfish Beignets, Susan Spicer’s Artichoke Dolmades, Blue Dog Café’s Cast-Iron Duck Breast with Fig and Root Beer Glaze, Ruffino’s Crawfish Mac & Cheese, Cotton’s Chicken Fried Rabbit Po’ Boy, Slap Ya Mamma’s Red Beans and Rice, Ruth’s Chris’ Sweet Potato Casserole and Galatoire’s Chicken Clemenceau and Donald Link’s Grilled Tuna and Olive Salad from Peche. 

Louisiana’s culinary heritage is brought to life through more than 50 stunning artworks created by Louisiana junior and senior high school students as entries to the annual GRFA Visual Arts Competition, through which GRFA awarded $45,000 in college scholarships in 2013.
               
The LRAEF administers the ProStart program in nearly 50 high schools statewide. ProStart is a two-year, dynamic and comprehensive culinary arts and restaurant management curriculum, also for juniors and seniors, designed to attract young people to rewarding and exciting careers in the Louisiana’s restaurant industry. Through fundraising and event sponsorships, the LRAEF has awarded more than $140,000 in scholarships to ProStart students and others wishing to pursue careers in the culinary arts, since the inception of its Scholarship Fund in 2009.