May/June 2015 Newsletter by Maine Restaurant Association

The

MAINE INGREDIENT I

45 Melville St. • Augusta, ME 04330

May / June 2O15

207. 623 . 2178 mainerestaurant . com

info @ mainerestaurant . com

First Session of Maine's 127th Legislature Marches on Toward Summer

MAINE INGREDIENT I

The

p i T t Ho

Support MERA’s Golf Tournament Wednesday, September 9, 2015 /// Spring Meadows Golf Club 7:30 am – Registration & Breakfast /// 8:30 am – Shotgun Start

Held at the end of each summer, our annual golf tournament serves as a fundraiser for the Maine Restaurant Association as well as the National Restaurant Association Political Action Committee. Although we’re still in the fleeting days of spring, we encourage you to think about supporting this end-of-summer event in one of the following ways:

Golf with us!

We accept foursomes, twosomes and singles. Golfers enjoy: a pre-tournament breakfast; complimentary range balls; welcome bag stuffed with goodies; best-ball style competition among approximately 36 teams; posttournament reception; lobster & steak luncheon; three flights with prizes for 1st, 2nd and 3rd place teams in each flight; contests including hole-in-one ($10,000 grand prize), 50/50 raffle, closest-to-the-pin, longest drive, straightest drive and putting contest (winner takes half the pot); and door prizes (typically for every participant). Become a sponsor! Put your brand in front of the movers and shakers in Maine’s restaurant industry. We offer a variety of sponsorship opportunities to fit a range of marketing objectives and budgets ($3000 - $100). Donate a prize! Our tournament has a stellar reputation as one of the best golf events held in Maine each year. One of the reasons for this is the collection of prizes our members donate to the cause. In fact, we have a ten-year track record of giving a prize to each of our golfers. Please help us continue this tradition by donating a gift card(s)/ certificate(s) or merchandise. For a full list of opportunities and to register, see enclosed form or visit mainerestaurant.com.

The Maine Restaurant Association and Maine Innkeepers Association rallied dozens of restaurateurs and hoteliers to descend upon Augusta on Monday March 9, 2015 to provide verbal testimony before the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee against LD 403, An Act to Eliminate the Exception from Minimum Wage Laws for Workers Who Receive Tips. Another twenty, or so, submitted written testimony to the committee in opposition to the bill. The proposed legislation would have eliminated the tip credit in Maine requiring restaurateurs to pay the regular minimum wage to tipped employees without calculating their tips into the equation. The members of the legislative committee were obviously impressed by the sheer number of business people who attended the public hearing, and voted this bill out ought not to pass unanimously. Senator John Patrick (D-Rumford), the lead Democratic Senator on the committee, explained his vote by citing the fact that he had discussions with several tipped employees who liked the system the way it was and weren’t looking for any change. Had the legislation passed it would have added a cost of about $6,000 a year per tipped employee at the current minimum wage and could have been much more if paired with an overall minimum wage increase. In addition to the aforementioned bill to eliminate the tip credit, there were seven minimum wage bills introduced into this session. Those printed included increases to anywhere from $8.00 per hour to $12.00 per hour implemented in varying stages and some including a link to the Consumer Price Index (CPI) after the initial increas-

es. LD 843, the most onerous of the bills, would have raised the minimum wage in steps to $12.00 over five years and eliminate tip credit over a five year period. The bills were heard on March 23 and had work sessions on March 31. Work sessions on all seven of these minimum wage bills were held on Thursday, May 7 and the committee killed six of the seven and used LD 92 to vote the minimum wage initiative out of committee. LD 92 would raise the minimum wage to $8.00 per hour and not include an indexing factor. LD 92 was then amended by the sponsor, Representative Dillon Bates (D-Westbrook), to increase the minimum wage to $8.00 on October 1, 2015 and then to $8.50, $9.00 and $9.50 in subsequent years on the same date. The vote was 7-6 in favor of the motion along party lines. The six Republicans were split, three voted ought not to pass with an amendment for a different version that would raise the wage in three steps to $9.00, modify minor work rules and include preemption. The other three Republicans voted straight ought not to pass. The above scenario provides a backdrop to many other minimum wage initiatives occurring at the local level and through the referendum process. Portland has been considering a minimum wage ordinance for months and Mayor Michael Brennan’s proposal of $9.50 per hour on January 1, 2016, $10.10 in 2017, $10.68 in 2018 and then adjusted by CPI thereafter, was given final review by the Finance Committee on April 23. Though the committee agreed with the mayor that an ordinance was necessary,

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Maine’s 2015 ProStart Champions Crowned The Maine Restaurant Association Education Foundation (MERAEF) hosted five culinary teams from across Maine for the fourth annual Maine ProStart Championship at the Portland Marriott at Sable Oaks on Saturday, March 21, 2015. Each team consisted of four to five culinary arts students representing technical centers from around the state. These schools are now among the 1,700 high schools nationwide that have adopted ProStart’s industrydriven curriculum reaching more than 118,000 students across 48 states, the Territory of Guam and at Department of Defense schools in Europe and the Pacific. Competitors in the Maine ProStart invitational were teams from: Northern Penobscot Tech – Region III Waldo County Technical Center St. Croix Regional Technical Center Lewiston Regional Technical Center Hancock County Technical Center

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Chairman’s Message

Upcoming Events

President’s Report

Awards Banquet Review

Expo Review

Golf Tournament

The

Maine

INGREDIENT I

Maine Restaurant Association

Chairman’s Message:

ProStart...

By Tina Hewett-Gordon: The Nonantum Resort - Kennebunkport

SUMMERTIME, SUMMERTIME, SUM..SUM...SUMMERTIME! The leaves are out, the flowers blooming, birds singing and all the snow and cold are now but a distant memory. Here in Kennebunkport the town is a bustle with activity - shops and restaurants reopening, tourists are wandering the streets, temperatures rising and so it begins - the start of summertime in Maine! This is a busy time of year for most of us from hiring and training new staff, developing and sourcing new menu items, enhancing dining space to the never ending to-do list. One challenge we all seem to be facing is finding enough quality staff. Changes to the H2B-visa and J1-visa rules governing access to foreign workers have left many in a lurch forcing restaurateurs to seek other hiring options. Employers who do not hire H2B workers are feeling the crunch too as the pool of potential employees is spread even thinner. In the past few weeks, I have received several emails from fellow board members asking for assistance in sourcing applicants. Local and organic food trends are in high demand! As restaurateurs we have a responsibility to our customers to provide the highest quality food options. Educating and informing customers is a vital component in this initiative. For instance, on our menu we state: We are proud to grow our own herbs in the resort’s organic gardens and use locallygrown produce whenever available. All of our meats are locally-sourced, antibiotic and GMO-free. We also use local cheeses and sustainable seafood whenever possible.

May / June 2015

Association Public Affairs Conference with Greg Dugal and my fellow board members. This year's conference was concurrent with the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Legislative Action Summit bringing together both sides of the country’s hospitality industry. I’ve always been proud to be a part of this industry but my attendance at the Public Affairs Conference truly affirmed and strengthened those feelings. The NRA awards banquet celebrates the accomplishments of restaurant professionals and rewards them for their above-and-beyond efforts to give back to their employees and communities. Truly inspiring! The next day’s agenda was filled with visits to the Capital and meeting with Maine’s congressional delegation during which we discussed issues facing our businesses and offered our perspective on how they can work to support Maine’s restaurant industry as a whole. Thank you for continuing to support this association through your membership. I encourage you to stay involved and take full advantage of the many opportunities and benefits your membership offers. I also encourage you to help increase the member rolls. Imagine if each current member recruited just one new member restaurant from their local community each year. The ways in which that could strengthen the association and restaurant industry would be a game-changer. I visit with my fellow restaurateurs in Kennebunkport and hope you’ll do the same in your hometown. We’re stronger together. 

The

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Maine Ingredient is published six times a year by the Maine Restaurant Association. 2015 © All Rights Reserved 45 Melville Street Augusta, Maine · 04330 Tel: 207.623.2178 · Fax: 866.711.5408 mainerestaurant.com info@mainerestaurant.com ../mainerestaurantassociation @mainerestaurant MAINE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION STAFF Greg Dugal

President & CEO greg@mainerestaurant.com

Chris Jones

Chief Operating Officer chris@mainerestaurant.com

Becky Jacobson

Operations Manager becky@mainerestaurant.com

Rebecca Dill

Marketing & Events Director rebeccad@mainerestaurant.com

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

In their third time competing, Lewiston Regional Technical Center’s “Green Ladle” team, under the guidance of Chef-Instructors Dan Caron and Brianne Doyle, earned the first place trophy for the second time having won their title first in 2013. Winning students included team captain Bronwyn Gray along with Stone Colby, Taylor Feehan, Megan Cullins and Gretchen Hudnor.

Upon accepting the 2015 Maine ProStart Championship trophy alongside the winning five-student team and Chef Caron, Chef Doyle noted that the student chefs prepared for the competition by arriving at school as early as 5:30 am to conduct double and triple practices in preparation for the competition prior to the start of their school day.

“Think about that - 26 out of 1700 ProStart schools nationwide. Not bad for a small state like ours whose ProStart program is still in its infancy” noted Carney. “All of us involved in Maine ProStart should be very proud! The possible dividends from this effort will be priceless and restaurateurs with an interest in the quality of their future workforce should get involved.”

The team and its instructors were feted as part of the Maine Restaurant Association Annual Awards Banquet proceedings on Tuesday, March 31. Mike Carney, president of the MERAEF which administers the ProStart program in Maine, recognized from the podium the contributions of two tireless ProStart volunteers. He noted that Chef Gary Sheldon of Sysco Northern New England, who serves as chair of the ProStart competition committee, “has demonstrated his commitment to Maine ProStart serving for the past five years, as an advisor, supporter, and a very sound leader in heading up our competition committee,” Carney continued, “This is, indeed, no small task.” Carney also recognized Chef Will Beriau, who earned the title of National Chef Educator of the Year in 2008 during his tenure as chair of the culinary arts department at Southern Maine Community College, as the chair of the ProStart curriculum committee.

Chef Doyle went on to thank local restaurants and chefs that have taken their Green Ladle program under their wings in terms of mentorship and leadership through the team's ProStart training and competition experience noting that most of the students on the championship team are working in Lewiston/Auburn-area restaurants doing real-life work with the support of their culinary community.

Mike Carney, in addition to his role as Chairman of the MERAEF, is a longtime MERA board member, current Director with the National Restaurant Association Board of Directors and Chief Operating Officer of Governor's Restaurant. “Mike has really been the driving force behind the ProStart effort here in Maine having founded the program with my predecessor, Dick Grotton,” commented MERA President & CEO Greg Dugal. “He has worked tirelessly to ensure that Maine’s youth have a clear and professional path toward careers in the foodservice industry and the importance of that premise cannot be understated,” Dugal continued. “For that, we all owe him a debt of gratitude.”

In preparation for the Maine ProStart competition, both chefs shared their time and talent, together visiting students at each of the participating schools. Beriau and Sheldon worked with the aspiring chefs to refine their culinary knowledge and skills in an effort to ready them for the competition and, more importantly, for careers in the restaurant industry.

Annual Golf Classic Spring Meadows Golf Club, Gray See insert for details

As a member of the Maine Restaurant Association, the networking opportunities available to us are vital. As I look through the materials brought back from the Maine Restaurant & Lodging Expo in April, I am thankful for the resources the show provides. Not only does it allow us to source new products, connect with vendors – most of which are loyal allied members of the association, but it facilitates excitement for the up coming season and offers a vehicle for each of us to ride as a new season gets underway.

1-800-323-7378

In mid-April, I had the privilege of travelling to Washington DC to the National Restaurant

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Thursday, October 1, 2015

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EMV "Chip & Pin" Standards: Implementation Date See Insert: "EMV Myths Debunked" Tuesday, October 20, 2015 Location: TBD

2 pm: Membership Meeting 4 pm: Membership Reception

Carney also recognized Chef Caron as the MERAEF Chef Educator of the Year who, upon accepting his award told the banquet audience that the most rewarding part of his job is dining at local restaurants such as Fish Bones American Grill or DaVinci’s Eatery or the Hilton Garden Inn - Riverwatch where his former students are now working chefs. The only downside, he joked, is that he and his wife never get to have dinner alone. Chef Caron went on to offer a bit of advice to Maine’s restaurant owners and chefs advising them to “find your local culinary program, reach out to them and support them”.

Northern Penobscot Tech – Region III, whose team was the inaugural champions at the first Maine ProStart competition four years ago, placed second in the March competition and Hancock County Technical Center finished third. Maine ProStart efforts are made possible through generous sponsors from local companies including: Performance Foodservice – NorthCenter, Sysco Northern New England, Sea Dog Brewing Company, Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Northern New England, Pine Tree Food Equipment, Dennis Paper & Food Service, Governor’s Restaurants, David’s Restaurant, Dimillo’s On the Water, Ground Round Restaurants, Pat’s Pizza – Yarmouth, Dysart’s Restaurant, US Foods, Whole Foods Market, R.M. Flagg Company, Stone Cove Catering and Gifford’s Famous Ice Cream. Additional donations were made by Victorinox, TimberlandPro, Carlisle and Ecolab. Through the generosity of the aforementioned companies, the students and chefinstructors from Lewiston Regional Technical Center traveled – all expenses paid – to Disneyland in Anaheim, California for the National ProStart Invitational on April 18-20, 2015, a mere four weeks after their victory in Maine. In only the third-ever national competition in which Maine was represented, the Green Ladle team placed in the middle of the pack – 26 out of 46 competing teams.

For information about how you and your company can become a supporter of the ProStart program in Maine, please call 207.623.2178 or email prostart@maine restaurant.com. For more details about the national ProStart program, visit nraef. org/prostart. 

www.DennisExpress.com

800-439-2727 Serving Maine Since 1908 P 207-947-0321 F 207-947-0323

Info@DennisExpress.com

The

Maine Maine Restaurant Association

Legislature...

President’s Report:

INGREDIENT

...continued from page 1 they scaled it back to $8.75 on January 1, 2016, $9.25 in 2018 and $9.75 in 2020 and removed the CPI adjustment. The measure now goes to city council where it is believed that the mayor has the votes to pass his version of this ordinance. Bangor also had a forum on minimum wage hosted by Councilor Joseph Baldacci on April 9. He is proposing an ordinance to create a minimum wage as well. Augusta and South Portland city councils are considering similar action. In the midst of all this, the Green Party in Portland has had a referendum question certified in Portland to raise the minimum wage in steps to $15 per hour and freeze the tip credit at $3.75 so that the tipped wage, given a $15 minimum wage, would ultimately be $11.25. Their hope is to have this measure on the November ballot. The Maine People’s Alliance has also taken a referendum question to the Secretary of State’s office to use the aforementioned mentioned bill, LD 843, An Act To Raise the Minimum Wage and Index It to the National Average Wage, as the language for the question. It had not been approved as of press time. Their goal is to have their initiative placed on the November 2016 statewide ballot. It was expected that sales, and meals and lodging taxes would be a serious topic of discussion during this session because the increases to 5.5% on sales and 8% on both meals and lodging enacted two years ago during the budgeting process are due to sunset on June 30, 2015. While the likelihood that the meals and lodging taxes will revert back to 7% is slim, the restaurant industry is poised to fare well if Governor LePage’s budget is adopted. LePage has offered a budget containing tax reform proposals that look eerily similar to those put forth by previous legislatures. He is suggesting a shift from income taxes to consumption taxes and also ultimately saving the state approximately $300 million in expenditures mostly derived from the elimination of revenue sharing provided by the state to the municipalities. The Governor’s proposal changes the graded tiers in the state’s current income tax structure and lowers the percentages assigned to each. In turn the Governor raises the sales tax to 6.5% and broadens it to more than 200 new items, to include some services and items like movie tickets, ski lift tickets and rentals and rounds of golf. If there truly is income tax reform with a re-

duction in the top marginal income tax rate from 7.95% to 5.75% by 2019 and a reduction in the meals tax on January 1, 2016, from 8% to 6.5%, it would be a pretty good outcome for Maine restaurateurs (and their diners), but the chances of that occurring are pretty slim. The lodging industry did not fare as well with the Governor proposing an 8% tax leaving it at its current level. Since then, the Taxation Committee has suggested to the Appropriations Committee an 8% meals tax and 9% lodging tax and the Democrats counter proposal to the Governor’s package is at 8% for both. The association definitely could have a fight on its hands with this proposal and needs to be vigilant in the last days of the legislative session, as it was during the final hours of the previous legislature that the budget was approved implementing the current 8% meals and lodging tax rate. Recently, Republican leadership introduced a plan that would have a 9% meals and lodging tax. Some additional victories for the restaurant industry this session include: •

•

LD 1295 would have moved the current health inspections regime from the Department of Health & Human Services’ Health Inspection Program (HIP) to the Department of Agriculture, an effort undertaken many times before. The Association maintains that HIP belongs with the Centers for Disease Control due to the nature of foodborne illness outbreaks and restaurant inspections are unique. Thankfully the sponsor withdrew the bill based on the opposition mounted by this association and other groups. LD 715 was a resolve to force the Health Inspections Program (HIP) to hire more inspectors and to pay for it with increased licensing fees. Some could have doubled. The association fought to stop these increases and the committee voted 7-6 ought to pass, but amended the bill to have the funding for inspectors come from the General Fund, most certainly killing the bill through the appropriations process. Two other bills heard recently would have created a Retail Workers Bill of Rights. One, LD 1217 would have required predictive scheduling for employers of 50 employees or more four weeks in advance. The other, LD 1101 targeted employers of ten or more workers and would have codified the

following:

By Greg Dugal: President & CEO, Maine Restaurant Association

Grassroots Initiatives Gaining Ground Across Maine

1. Two weeks' prior notice of work schedules to employees, with compensation owed for schedule changes under certain circumstances 2. Paying part-time employees the same wage as full-time employees; 3. Providing part-time employees the same paid or unpaid time off as fulltime employees; 4. Providing part-time employees the same eligibility for promotions as fulltime employees; and 5. Offering additional work to parttime employees before hiring new employees or using contractors or temporary staffing services under certain circumstances. Both of these bills were unanimously killed by the Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development Committee. LD 1326 would have required restaurants to label their menus if Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMO’s, are present in any processed or prepared foods they serve. Your association made the case that restaurant professionals have no idea what is genetically modified when food products are received from a distributor and that no other state has required such labeling within restaurant establishments. In early May, the committee voted this bill out ought not to pass with an 11-1 margin. 

“All politics is local” is a popular political saying most often associated with Tip O'Neill who served as Speaker of the US House from 1977 -1987. O'Neill used the saying in his first political campaign in 1935. And, of course, Speaker O’Neill was a Massachusetts resident - so pretty much our neighbor and very astute in the ways of local politics in the City of Boston. Some things really never change and the resurgence of local initiatives has come front and center due to the inability to craft legislation at the federal or state level here in Maine. The City of Portland has recently imposed its own polystyrene ban and disposable bag fee ordinance, all the while debating a first in the state and New England, city minimum wage ordinance. This trend of locally engendered initiatives is gaining traction nationally and throughout our state and it doesn’t look like it is going to slow down any time soon. State restaurant associations like ours have traditionally been structured to represent their members at the state level and, in

D e d i c a te d p e o p l e br i n g i n g re s t a u r a n t s a n d f o o ds e r v i c e operations the brand names, l o c a l s u p p l i e r s a n d qu a l i t y p ro d u c ts th e y w a n t .

www.Sysconne.com 1-800-632-4446 20 Dalton Road • Augusta, ME 04330

www.northcenter.com

May / June 2015

877. 564 . 8081

partnership with the National Restaurant Association, at the federal level. With nearly 500 municipalities in Maine, it’s unmanageable for small associations like ours to keep up with even a fraction of these emerging local political initiatives. We’re trying but we need your help! It’s grassroots time and we need to enlist our membership to be the “boots on the ground”. It is important that restaurateurs get involved at the local level, to monitor such activity. If you become aware of an initiative in your community that, if successful, would negatively impact the restaurant industry, bring it to the attention of the association then make your voice heard by attending public meetings and forums and encourage other restaurant entrepreneurs in your city or town to join you. We’re here to support your efforts in every way we can. As I write, the City of Portland is in the process of adding rules to its fats, oils and greases ordinance which they passed three years ago. We’ve been monitoring the progress of these new rules since 2012. The initial ordinance rules defined requirements for new restaurants opening in the city. The new rules are expected to establish similar requirements for existing foodservice businesses. This is not an attempt to create a new ordinance but rather a process whereby a city appointed committee is putting more flesh on an already existing law. It’s legislation through rulemaking and will need continued monitoring. For the association staff, this means attending another set of meetings which will lead to a public hearing that we’ll not only need to attend but also rally our Portland membership to attend along with us. Once you accept that premise that all politics is local, you understand how impactful it is for elected officials to hear from their constituents. The public hearing will ultimately lead to a review of the new rules by the council before their eventual adoption. This one example illustrates the time and resources needed to monitor just one initiative in one municipality which has huge implications for restaurants within the city limits. One can see how quickly this new paradigm can snowball. I was so proud on March 9 when we recruited more than 50 restaurateurs and hoteliers to appear before the state legislature’s Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic De-

velopment Committee for the hearing on eliminating the tip credit in Maine. That proposed bill surely hit home with our members as it would have cost most restaurant operations tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Fortunately, with such an impressive showing from the restaurant community, the bill was defeated in committee but, that was only one of several bills introduced this session affecting restaurants and the turn-out at the other hearings was sparse at best. I recently returned from Washington, DC where I attended the National Restaurant Association Public Affairs Conference and visited with our congressional delegation along with members of our board of directors. As is the case here in Maine, rulemaking is the new way to overcome gridlock in the nation’s capital too. The H2B visa procurement process has never been so complicated and new rules to administer the program are more onerous than they have ever been. And that’s just one example. Add a third tier of government – local – to the monitoring of federal and state legislation that has long been the bailiwick of associations and then introduce a flurry of law and rulemaking at all three of these levels and the amount of activity quickly overwhelms resources. I don’t mean to appear alarmist but with all sincerity, our only recourse is you. Restaurateurs must become more involved or risk losing everything. Portland is certainly setting the example as multiple communities are looking into polystyrene bans (Brunswick and Topsham) or plastic bag fees (Freeport, Brunswick, Topsham and Kennebunk) and ordinances to establish local minimum wage rates (Bangor, South Portland and Augusta). As you can see, these efforts are being generated at the grassroots level and any opposition to them will have to be approached in the same manner with, at a minimum, restaurant owners providing intel to the association for further action. We must be vigilant. As this trend continues, restaurateurs need to become involved and inform the association on these local undertakings or they will be lost in the sheer magnitude of the number and level of frequency of these initiatives and all of the good work being done in Augusta and in our Nation’s capital. We’re all in this together. 

The

Maine

INGREDIENT I

Maine Restaurant Association

Maine Restaurant & Lodging Expo: Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Annual Awards Banquet - Tuesday, March 31, 2015

May / June 2015

(01) 2015 Chef of the Year, Chef Christopher Bassett (right) of Azure CafĂŠ in Freeport with 2012 Chef of the Year, Chef David Turin (left) of David's Restaurants Portland, South Portland and Kennebunkport. (02) Bruce Micucci (left) of Allied Member of the Year - Micucci Wholesale Foods - pictured with Jack Crawford (right), National Restaurant Association Chairman who offered the keynote address at the awards banquet. (03) Inaugural recipient of MERA's new Rising Star award, Chris Tyll - owner of Pat's Pizza - Old Port and Easy Day American Food & Fun in South Portland. (04) Oyster hors d'oeuvre offered by DiMillo's On the Water to banquet guests during the reception hour. (05) Chef Melissa Bouchard (left) of DiMillo's On the Water pictured with her Sous Chef Katerina Kartuchevick (right). (06) Skewered hors d'eouvre presented by Sea Dog Brewing Company during the banquet reception. (07) Immediate Past Chairman of the MERA Board, Todd Maurer of King Eider's Pub in Damariscotta pictured with Michele Pelletier of Performance Foodservice NorthCenter - premier sponsor of the Awards Banquet. (08) Lifetime Achievement honorees Scott & Claudia Cunningham of Warren's Lobster House in Kittery. (09) Richard Pfeffer (left) of Gritty McDuff's pictured with Tom Radomski (center) of Margaritas Mexican Restaurants and Fred Joncas (right) of Performance Foodservice NorthCenter. (10) Restaurateurs of the year Kai Adams (left), Tim Haines (center) and Brad Monarch (right) - owners of Sebago Brewing Company with restaurants in Portland, Scarborough, Gorham and Kennebunk.

Many Thanks to our Generous Sponsors!

(01) Chef Jeff Landry (left) with Dan Marchese (right) of Native Maine Produce & Specialty Foods (02) Ned Wight (left) of New England Distilling pictured at the Bow Street Distributing booth alongside Chris Dowe (right) of Maine Distilleries. (03) Phil Wilbur (far right) serving his Hurricane's Soup & Chowder to eager Expo attendees. (04) Julia Sway of OpenTable promoting their reservations system. (05) Expo-goer Kyle Hersey of Misto CafĂŠ Bistro in Kittery samples Joseph's Gourmet Pasta. (06) The team from Dennis Paper & Foodservice at the ready. (07) Rich Ellis of FairPoint Communications - premier sponsor of the Expo. (08) Maine Craft Distilling spirits on display at the Bow Street Distributing booth. (09) Michele Pelletier, VP of Sales & Marketing for Performance Foodservice NorthCenter - an Expo sponsor - pictured with the company's Corporate Chef, Anthony Bussiere. (10) Maine Restaurant Association Board Chair Tina Hewett-Gordon visiting with Ron Warner of General Linen Service.

Many Thanks to our Generous Sponsors!

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Maine's restaurant scene.

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Half Page

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Joe knows where to eat. And what to order. Elsmere BBQ & Wood Grill

Eat Feature May 2015

Bramhall Pub Eat Feature April 2015

Pig+Poet Eat Blog May 2015

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The

Maine

INGREDIENT I

Maine Restaurant Association

Maine Restaurant & Lodging Expo: Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Annual Awards Banquet - Tuesday, March 31, 2015

May / June 2015

Many Thanks to our Generous Sponsors!

The

Maine Maine Restaurant Association

Legislature...

President’s Report:

INGREDIENT

•

following:

By Greg Dugal: President & CEO, Maine Restaurant Association

Grassroots Initiatives Gaining Ground Across Maine

D e d i c a te d p e o p l e br i n g i n g re s t a u r a n t s a n d f o o ds e r v i c e operations the brand names, l o c a l s u p p l i e r s a n d qu a l i t y p ro d u c ts th e y w a n t .

www.Sysconne.com 1-800-632-4446 20 Dalton Road • Augusta, ME 04330

www.northcenter.com

May / June 2015

877. 564 . 8081

The

Maine

INGREDIENT I

Maine Restaurant Association

Chairman’s Message:

ProStart...

By Tina Hewett-Gordon: The Nonantum Resort - Kennebunkport

May / June 2015

The

...continued from page 1

President & CEO greg@mainerestaurant.com

Chris Jones

Chief Operating Officer chris@mainerestaurant.com

Becky Jacobson

Operations Manager becky@mainerestaurant.com

Rebecca Dill

Marketing & Events Director rebeccad@mainerestaurant.com

Upcoming Events

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Annual Golf Classic Spring Meadows Golf Club, Gray See insert for details

1-800-323-7378

In mid-April, I had the privilege of travelling to Washington DC to the National Restaurant

MODERNPEST.COM

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Proudly servicing Maine’s restaurants. Call today for a free evaluation.

EMV "Chip & Pin" Standards: Implementation Date See Insert: "EMV Myths Debunked" Tuesday, October 20, 2015 Location: TBD

2 pm: Membership Meeting 4 pm: Membership Reception

www.DennisExpress.com

800-439-2727 Serving Maine Since 1908 P 207-947-0321 F 207-947-0323

Info@DennisExpress.com

The

MAINE INGREDIENT I

45 Melville St. • Augusta, ME 04330

May / June 2O15

207. 623 . 2178 mainerestaurant . com

info @ mainerestaurant . com

First Session of Maine's 127th Legislature Marches on Toward Summer

MAINE INGREDIENT I

The

p i T t Ho

Support MERA’s Golf Tournament Wednesday, September 9, 2015 /// Spring Meadows Golf Club 7:30 am – Registration & Breakfast /// 8:30 am – Shotgun Start

Golf with us!

...continued on page 10

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IN THIS ISSUE:

Chairman’s Message

Upcoming Events

President’s Report

Awards Banquet Review

Expo Review

Golf Tournament