HOTLINE

The trade show world came to a screeching halt when COVID-19 hit in early 2020, and some restaurant and hospitality shows remained closed in 2021. The National Restaurant Show, for example, has been canceled two years running. However, three restaurant shows with sizable Latin attendance are still planned for this year.

Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center San Antonio, Texas The association is expanding its educational offerings for the 2021 show, with a slate of pre-conference educational sessions including Digital Marketing, Digital Tools & Collaboration, and Leadership.

Anaheim Convention Center Anaheim, California Dubbed “A Reinvented Event for a Refocused Foodservice Industry,” this show—which will be co-located with Coffee Fest and Healthy Food Expo—will include five “educational summits” designed to help different types of businesses: Independent Restaurant; Small- to Mid-Size Chain; Business & Institutional Foodservice; Retail Operation; and Technology.

Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California This new Latin-focused show will feature exhibitors that “represent a wide range of companies, with products that include everything from tequila, chicharones, soda and juices, michelada and wine to hot sauces, tortillas, cheeses, bakery items, nuts and snacks, parchment paper and agave products,” says show director Eric Jurado. “In addition, we have received contracts for exhibit space from food truck manufacturers, retail services such as POS and insurance, as well as kitchen equipment businesses.”

Show organizers have developed an 8-step safety process to minimize COVID risk, Jurado stresses. The steps range from enhanced cleaning to non-contact registration to attendee screening. “We couldn’t be more excited to see again how quickly the Latin foodservice industry has embraced the 2021 show so far,” Jurado says. “We moved the 2021 CSTE to late fall to make sure this Expo has the greatest opportunity for success.” www.cocinaexpo.com

THE EXPERIENCE in many Mexican/Latin restaurants. A new contest co-sponsored by Jarritos and el Restaurante magazine is designed to encourage creativity among mixologists.

The top five finalists in the Jarritos/ el Restaurante Cocktail Contest will receive cash prizes of $3,000, $2,000, $1,000, $500 and $250 respectively; handsome trophies; recognition in el Restaurante and via Jarritos social media; and a supply of Jarritos soda.

To enter, mixologists may submit any original cocktail recipe they’ve created, as long as at least one ingredient is Jarritos soda (any flavor). The winning recipes will be published in el Restaurante’s print issue and online. There is no cost to enter.

“Jarritos plays a big role in Mexican/Latin bars, and we can’t wait to see the creative cocktails mixologists will develop using Jarritos as an ingredient,” says Eric Delamare, Jarritos marketing director.

The contest officially begins May 1 and winners will be announced in September. To submit your recipe, visit elrestaurante.com/ Cocktail-Recipe-Contest.

DOES YOUR RESTAURANT OFFERING CATERING? If not, it’s something you might want to consider, according to a new survey that shows pandemic-weary customers are planning events that will need catered food this summer.

According to data from the survey of 1,000 consumers by Tripleseat (a web-based sales and event management platform for restaurants, hotels, and unique venues) and SevenRooms (a data-driven guest experience platform for the hospitality industry), 72 percent of events planned for 2021 are expected to be held in person. Private restaurant space was one of the top venues respondents said they would consider for hosting their events—and just under 50 percent of those planning an event said they would host their event outside.

In addition, one in three respondents shared that they plan to host their event at home, and 51 percent said they will have those events catered at home, which presents another opportunity for restaurants to generate income.

That means restaurants “should begin promoting these offerings through their marketing and social channels,” a release about the survey said.

On March 11, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 created the $28.6 billion Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRFG) to provide grants for restaurants sustaining financial losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is administering the program, and will be issuing the necessary federal rules, regulations, and applications before grant funds are distributed. The National Restaurant Association has created a frequently asked questions (FAQ) resource, which will be updated as the SBA releases additional information on the RRFG program. Here are just a few of the questions and answers currently available:

Entities that own a place of business where the public or patrons assemble for the primary purpose of

being served food or drink can apply.

from RRFG eligibility? As of March 13, 2020, an entity that owns or operates (together with any affili-

ated business) more than 20 locations, regardless of whether those locations do business under the same or multiple names, would not be eligible for a grant.

an RRFG? Yes. However, the RRFG will be reduced by the total amount of

PPP loans.

RRFG? An application form and the IRS Form 4506-T, as well as gross receipts documentation.

involved in RRFG? No. The

RRFG program is administered through the SBA.

entity receive? An entity can receive a tax-free federal grant equal to the amount of its pandemicrelated revenue loss, subtracted by the total amount it received in all

PPP loans.

For more information visit sba.gov or restaurant.org.