Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine Winter 2022

2022 TECHNOLOGY ISSUE

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Path to Power:

The Motwani Family WINTER 2022 | FRLA.ORG

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contents W I N T E R 2 0 2 2 | F R L A .O R G

DEPARTMENTS

06 Leadership Reports Letters from CEO, Board Chair 08 Path to Power The Motwani Family 12 FRLA's 2022 Legislative Agenda Vacation Rentals and More 14 Government Relations Richard Turner Retires 20 The Palm Beaches Kenneth Spillias Talks 25 Fiberbuilt Tips From an Old Professional 47 Staffing Up Meet Workforce Needs Quickly 48 Boost Your Hiring Strategy 50 Gas South Be a Fuel for Good 52 A La Carte Polpo, Versailles, In Passing 54 Hospitality Happenings What's Happening in FRLA 60 Education Foundation Scholarship Announced

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SPECIAL FEATURES 18 22 24 26 44 46 53 58 59

MODSTREET Upgrade Your Outdoor Dining Executive Committee Meet Your 2022 Leadership Fuel Lighting The Latest in Outdoor Illumination FNGA Natural Gas Means Business FPL Energy Natural Gas Prices Rising Heartland Empowering Employees Unlock Potential Hall of Fame John Rivers, Peter Kacheris CORE A Resource for Serving Up Hope Jack and Jill Foundation Paying it Forward

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THE TECHNOLOGY ISSUE 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 39 40 42

Restaurant Robots The Newest in Restaurant Tech

The Digital World Protecting Information Sunday Pay That Tab Fast Ransomware Attack 6 Steps to Recovery Workers’ Comp Achieving the Best Outcomes with Tech From Zenith The Latest Advances Kiosks, Website Accessibility Combatting Ransomware Safeguarding Your Business Invest in the Future Embrace Technology Cyber Insurance Can You Afford to Be Without It? Chicken Sandwich Wars Competing Online

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For up-to-date FRLA event information, please be sure to visit FRLA.org.

Cover image courtesy of Bear Robotics FRL A .org

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2021 IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN

Jim Shirley

Chef Jim Shirley Enterprises, Santa Rosa Beach MANAGING EDITOR

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Florida Restaurant & Lodging Magazine is the official publication of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Inc. (FRLA). FRLA reserves the right to accept, modify or reject any and all content submitted for publication, whether paid or otherwise, solely at its discretion. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, FRLA does not endorse or warrant any products or services contained herein. In addition, unless otherwise expressly noted, the opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and not necessarily those of FRLA, its directors, officers, members or staff. Content submissions may be made to the Publisher’s Office by regular mail or by email. Please note that submitted materials will not be returned.

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FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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LEADERSHIP REPORTS

Message from Carol Dover As we start a new year hopeful and driven to continue on the recovery success of Florida’s hospitality industry, I’m thrilled to introduce the winter issue of Florida Restaurant & Lodging which brings you the latest in technology news, workforce updates and our government relations effort, including priorities for the next legislative session.

An exciting tech update from FRLA is the upcoming release of the FRLA Mobile App. We recently launched the app to our board and will soon be sharing it with all members, so you can stay engaged and informed on all of the issues affecting your business and your teams. Download the FRLA Mobile App today in the Apple Store or Google Play Store.

With the 2022 legislative session underway, we will continue to advocate for business and employee-friendly policies and the priorities that will help our industry continue its recovery and rebuild to be an even stronger one.

Some of the issues we are working on this year include vacation rental regulations, special restaurant and hotel liquor licenses, protecting tourist development tax revenues, ensuring that regulations are reasonable and compliance attainable for businesses when it comes to data privacy legislation, corporate income tax/ qualified improvement property, and the revision of existing Florida Statutes to clarify the distinction between guest and tenant under the law.

I also want to wish my good friend, Richard Turner, a very happy retirement. We will miss him both on a professional and personal level.

With more than 20 years on FRLA’s Governmental Relations team, we wish him well.

Carol B. Dover Carol B. Dover FRLA President & CEO

Message from the Chairman What a wild ride! Missing employees, skyrocketing food and labor costs, massive insurance increases and supply train nightmares — 2021 could have been grim. It was the year the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association really showed its mettle — its members and staff rallying to help us navigate our way to host a great resurgence in tourism; staff created a new statewide hiring platform from scratch; and they helped make alcohol-to-go permanent!

Most of us are still short staffed, so we’ve all looked to technology to help us do more with less. At the Marketing and Operations summit in August, there were great solutions to inventories, food and beverage costing, guest and server paging, robots that bring food from the 6

WINTER 2022

kitchen and vacuum your floors (some executive committee members have been singing the praises of theirs), scheduling and tableside payments, and the top priority: to-go ordering!

Look to FRLA’s magazine and webinars to keep you up to date on what’s in the pipeline.

The metaverse will be our next advertising frontier, and cryptocurrency could be the next step in payment evolution.

I’m signing off as Chairman now — it’s been a honor to serve our incredible industry!

Yours in Grits,

Jim Shirley

Jim Shirley 2021-22 Chairman of the Board FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

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Path to Power:

The Motwani Family Ramesh (Bob) and Ramola Motwani first moved to St. Charles, Missouri, from India and built an import business. When the Motwanis, including their young sons Nitin and Dev, decided to move to warmer climates due to Bob’s health condition, the Motwanis decided to become motel owners in Fort Lauderdale after hearing about the destination’s lucrative hospitality market. Without any experience in hospitality, they bought the 49-room Merrimac Beach Resort. However, shortly after the Motwanis opened their hotel, the city cracked down on spring break crowds, enforcing a new ban on open containers and arresting thousands during spring break 1986. The next year, occupancy levels were slashed by more than 50%, and some operators lost their properties. The Motwanis hunkered down and kept the family business running while enlisting their two young boys to help wherever help was needed.

Doubling down in the face of adversity, the Motwanis completed acquiring the balance of the block as properties were being foreclosed and shut down. These were the very early stages of the transformation we see today in the region.

Q: Early in your careers, what were the most valuable lessons that you learned?

A: DEV: Expect the unexpected. Changes in the market will come from where you least expect it, both good and bad. So you have to always be prepared for a downturn even while being aggressive and growing.

Also being nice to people, treating them right and having a good reputation can help your success more than you might realize.

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A: NITIN: We learned early on to

never give up. It will have taken 35 years from the time our family bought its first property to the time we open the Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale Beach. There were numerous victories along the way, but more importantly, there were far more challenges.

My brother and I watched our parents persevere against all odds. Upon our return from college and starting careers outside of Florida, we tried to carry the torch. In that same spirit of never giving up, I have

been working to help bolster downtown Miami’s economic landscape for 15 years developing Miami Worldcenter, and also through my work at the Miami Downtown Development Authority. This can-do spirit is something I work very hard to instill in my own children.

A: RAMOLA: Never give up. Challenges will always be there in everyone’s life, whether it is work-related, family, financial, etc. We have to believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel. We have to continue working toward that light, but it takes positivity and courage.

When things are most difficult, that is when it is most important to stay positive.

Q: Do you have any mentors who were instrumental in helping you achieve your goals?

A: DEV: Yes. Maybe not a mentor in the traditional sense, but a few people who were always generous to me with their time and advice. Phil Smith was a great friend and mentor, not so much in real estate development as he was primarily in the car business, but with life and business in general. Also Jim Motta from Arvida was FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

PAT H T O P O W E R

someone whose advice I sought, especially during tough times. And many others along the way like Terry Stiles.

A: NITIN: My father was an incredible

mentor, and I only wish I had more time to spend with him. He taught me about having vision and big dreams, as well as how to work with people of all walks of life. My mother continues to be a mentor and lives her life under the mantra of putting family first while never giving up professionally.

She did it all as a single mom, from running a business and devoting hours to charities and the temple, to the transformative civic work she took on in the community, all while making sure my brother Dev and I got only A’s in school, never missed a day of class and always found time to cook for us so we would eat healthy. She’s an extraordinary person. Professionally, I have had many mentors along the way who have shaped and continue to shape my life. To all of them, I am grateful.

A: RAMOLA: During my childhood, my parents and my grandfather were my mentors. When I came to the U.S. from a foreign country, there was no one. We had to jump in and figure it out on our own.

The technological advances and ease of connectivity we have today simply weren’t there at the time.

Q: Are your companies and hotels taking any special measures in the face of the labor shortage in the hospitality industry to recruit and retain talent?

A: FAMILY: In November 2019, the Motwanis established the R. Motwani Family Academy of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Broward College. The program currently offers three certificate programs and three associate degree programs in the restaurant, hospitality and tourism management fields. ​ Programs develop the knowledge and skills that underpin an array of professions ranging from hotel management and food service to hospitality law and financial management. Classes are taught by faculty who provide real-world experience FRL A .org

and teach using cutting-edge tools and techniques. This program is even more critical now as we confront the labor shortage challenges we are facing today.

A: RAMOLA: It’s not just about

educating people for jobs in hospitality.

Once you educate someone, that education has a ripple effect on their lives, the future of their family and generations to come.

Q: The vision that you have had for your Miami Worldcenter is amazing. What has been inspirational to you in terms of the design for this development?

A: NITIN: Miami Worldcenter is at the

confluence of arts, entertainment, culture, transportation and education. We set out with a plan that focused on connecting all of those attributes by first investing $100 million in infrastructure, which included underground utilities and 200,000 square feet of landscaping, lighting, park space and pedestrian-friendly streets, all with unique shade structures. We wanted to put the pedestrian first and are so grateful to see this vision come to fruition. It’s great to see people having a better and safer pedestrian experience with 15- to 30-foot sidewalks rather than the typical 4-foot sidewalks you see in most places.

Q: What is the single greatest factor in the success of your careers?

A: DEV: Having people know they can trust me and like working with me. It seems obvious that those are important, but in business, and in development in particular, you need a lot of people to work with you and help you out as you move forward with a project, business, etc. Having a good reputation precede you makes developing those relationships much easier.

A: NITIN: Resiliency. Those early days

watching my parents struggle due to factors outside of their control had a profound impact on my view of the world. When challenges occur, big or small, controllable or uncontrollable, it doesn’t matter. You

have to find a way through it by having a great team, honoring your word and reputation, and being passionate about the end goal. It’s been a rollercoaster of a journey that is just getting started, and we are having the time of our lives!

A: RAMOLA: For me, it is to believe

in yourself and stay focused. I repeat that to Nitin and Dev — and to myself. We all have a dream or dreams. If we believe that we are going to accomplish them, we will. Run with your dream, run toward it, and you’ll get there. There will always be challenges, but when we are determined, we will accomplish it.

Q: Is there anything that you would like to share with Florida’s hospitality industry?

A: DEV: I think the future is bright.

We are in a great position across the state, thanks to our weather and business-friendly climate. But we also need to continue to elevate our game in terms of product and service as we move up the ladder in terms of demand; we have to always deliver the best experience to keep our guests coming back.

My guest today will hopefully be your guest in the future, so the more we work together, the better we will be as an industry!

A: NITIN: While we should all be grateful

for the success our state is experiencing, we need to remember that it’s a people business.

We need to continue to invest in our talent if we are going to continue to grow and raise the bar as we all work so hard to do!

A: RAMOLA: I believe focusing on

education is the key to the future of our industry. Education opens many doors, and if you can’t do one job, you can lean on your education to do or qualify for something else. Education means you have access to more opportunities. Hospitality is an industry of opportunity. It isn’t just customer service; it’s technology, accounting, revenue management, marketing, etc. People don’t realize it goes beyond front desks and guest services. There is ownership, regional management and more. With hospitality, the sky is the limit.

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PAT H T O P O W E R

Dev Motwani Managing Partner of Merrimac Ventures, Founder and Managing Partner of Ramesh Properties, Founder and Managing Partner of Chieftain Residential

Dev Motwani serves as managing partner of Merrimac Ventures and is also founder and managing partner of Ramesh Properties, a distressed real estate investment fund focused on opportunistic investments in residential and commercial development sites throughout South

Ramola Motwani

Nitin Motwani

Chairwoman of Merrimac Ventures

Managing Partner of Merrimac Ventures, Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates

Ramola Motwani is the chairwoman of Merrimac Ventures, a real estate management, investment and development company with interests in the U.S. and India. The company is based in Fort Lauderdale where it employs over 100 people. Merrimac Ventures has properties in Florida, Georgia, Texas and Missouri.

Ramola Motwani was born and raised in India where she received her law degree. She began her business career in the U.S. with an import/ export business she started with her late husband, Ramesh “Bob” Motwani in St. Charles, Missouri. In the mid-1980s, they expanded the business into hotels by purchasing numerous properties on Fort Lauderdale Beach. They owned and operated, among others, the Merrimac and Gold Coast Beach Resort Hotels for many years until Bob passed away in 1994. Mrs. Motwani then took over operations of the entire company while raising two sons, Nitin and Dev, and expanded the business while becoming a very active local community leader.

Mrs. Motwani is active in the Fort Lauderdale community and has been very involved in beach development and redevelopment issues. Recently, she was appointed by the county mayor to the Tourist Development Council. She is an active member of the Broward Workshop, the United Way of Broward County, the Advisory Committee for the Business Improvement District on Fort Lauderdale Beach and recently served as vice chair of the Beach Redevelopment Advisory Board, which advises the Fort Lauderdale City Commission. She is a former chair of the Beach Council. She is a state board member of FRLA and was appointed by the Governor’s Office to the Florida Commission on the Status of Women.

Her civic-minded affiliations include president of the Alliance of Global Sindhi Associations and treasurer of the Global Sindhi Foundation. She is a life member of the Association of Indians in America, has represented Sindhi Adhikar Manch at the United Nations and serves on the board of the Boys and Girls Club. She has been involved in many other charities: the Citizens Volunteer Corps; a trustee of the South Florida Hindu Temple; past vice president of the India–U.S. Chamber of Commerce Inc., South Florida; and past president of the Sindhi Association of South Florida, as well as a founding member of International Chamber of GOPIO. Mrs. Motwani has been recognized with numerous awards for her work including induction into the Junior Achievement Hall of Fame, the NSU Entrepreneur Hall of Fame and the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame and dozens of others.

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Florida. He currently oversees nearly $750 million in development projects. Current projects include the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, the Gale Boutique Hotel and Residences, as well as Las Olas Riverfront, all in the Fort Lauderdale area.

Dev is founder and managing partner of Chieftain Residential, a yield-oriented distressed residential fund purchasing singlefamily homes and residential land primarily in the Southeast U.S. and Texas. The fund aims to balance current income opportunities through the rental markets for its single-family home inventory, while also targeting capital appreciation in single-family homes and land as the U.S. residential market continues to rebound.

Nitin Motwani serves as managing partner of Merrimac Ventures and is also managing partner for Miami Worldcenter Associates.

Mr. Motwani has overseen the development of Downtown Miami’s $4 billion Miami Worldcenter mixed-use real estate project since 2006. He continues to be responsible for every facet of the project, including land acquisition, zoning and entitlements, financing (public and private), joint ventures and development.

Prior to joining Merrimac Ventures and Miami Worldcenter, Mr. Motwani was an equity derivatives trader at Goldman Sachs in New York. Mr. Motwani was also involved in the creation of Encore Housing Opportunity Fund (Encore), a private equity fund focused on opportunistic real estate investments and development.

He has overseen investments totaling more than $1 billion in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona through his work with Encore.

An active member of the greater South Florida business community, Mr. Motwani serves on the board of the Miami Downtown Development Authority where he is the cochair of the enterprise committee. He also served as board chair of the University of Miami’s Master of Real Estate Development (MRED) program and is currently on the board. He has also served as co-chair for One Community One Goal, Miami Dade County’s long-term strategic plan for economic development. Nationally, he is a member of Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), Urban Land Institute (ULI), and International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). He is also a member of City Year’s Red Jacket Society. Mr. Motwani is actively involved in the R. Motwani Family Academy of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Broward College.

Mr. Motwani earned a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Duke University and holds a master of science degree in real estate development from Columbia University.

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2 0 2 2 L E G I S L AT I V E A G E N D A

2022 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA Vacation Rentals Vacation rentals of residential houses and condo units are a popular lodging option for many of Florida’s visitors. While vacation rentals have long been available in Florida, the option to list them online through advertising platforms has caused this lodging sector to expand dramatically. Florida law needs to be updated to recognize this growth, creating balanced and rational regulations that protect visitors, local citizens and communities.

FRLA supports the following: »

Requiring advertising platforms to confirm the licensing/registration of vacation rentals with the relevant state agencies prior to listing.

»

Required collection and remittance by the advertising platform of all taxes due.

»

Periodic reporting to the state by advertising platforms listing the vacation rentals on their platforms, including the physical address, so that tax collection and legal compliance can be confirmed.

»

Reasonable penalty provisions for noncompliance.

»

Clear and consistent audit provisions.

»

An option for local registration so that local governments can better understand and respond to what is happening in their jurisdictions.

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Special Restaurant & Hotel Liquor Licenses The financial success of food and lodging establishments benefits Florida’s residents, its communities and its economy. Currently, hotels must have a certain number of rooms to receive a particular type of liquor license.

Restaurants must also adhere to certain square footage and seating requirements to qualify for a special restaurant liquor license. We support reducing these requirements and regulations. These reductions will reflect developing trends in the hospitality industry, encourage the development of new businesses and increase the financial success of existing businesses.

Tourist Development Tax FRLA opposes adding any new uses for state Tourist Development Tax revenues. Adding new uses only dilutes the effectiveness of these limited revenues, which are intended to promote and market tourism.

Data Privacy Customers deserve to have control over their personal information, but Florida must adopt reasonable regulations that take into account the changing nature of commerce. The cost of compliance for businesses must be carefully considered, and businesses must be given an adequate opportunity to correct any errors and respond to complaints without the threat of costly litigation.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

Corporate Income Tax/ Qualified Improvement Property A temporary Florida Corporate Income Tax rate reduction is set to expire on Jan. 1, 2022. Combined with Florida’s decision to not adopt the federal deduction for qualified improvement property, this could mean significant increases to Corporate Income Tax collections in Florida in 2022. We support the Florida Legislature adopting the qualified improvement property “fix” of the federal CARES Act, making qualified improvement property eligible for bonus depreciation for Florida Corporate Income Tax purposes. This would result in lower taxes for Florida companies subject to Florida Corporate Income Tax.

Clarifying Distinction Between Guest & Tenant Section 509.141, Florida Statutes, has long provided that a lodging establishment operator may ask law enforcement to remove a guest who fails to make payment or engages in dangerous or undesirable behavior, such as dealing in controlled substances, public intoxication or brawling.

The statute lacks fundamental clarity, which can make it difficult for law enforcement when they are called upon to remove a guest. This can also result in the lodging establishment owner being subject to lengthy landlord/ tenant eviction proceedings, which were never intended to apply to lodging establishments.

FRL A .org

We support a revision of the statute to more clearly define the relationship between the guest and the lodging establishment from the outset. This will provide clarity and efficiency for the guest, the business and law enforcement.

VISIT FLORIDA Funding SB 434 by Sen. Hooper/ HB 489 by Rep. Chaney Following the pandemic, we have a clear understanding and appreciation of the impact the tourism industry has on Florida’s economy. VISIT FLORIDA plays a vital role in attracting visitors to our beautiful state from all over the world, and the good work of VISIT FLORIDA has never been more necessary. FRLA supports continued funding for VISIT FLORIDA. We also support extending the repeal date for VISIT FLORIDA. Allowing the organization to plan further out into the future will enable it to attract top talent and will facilitate long-term marketing strategies that will benefit the entire state.

Swim-Up Bars SB 1044 by Sen. Hooper/ HB 719 by Rep. Smith (D) Currently, the Florida Building Code does not contain standards for swim-up bars. This means any establishment wishing to construct a swim-up bar on its premises must seek a special variance to do so. FRLA supports requiring the Florida Building Commission to adopt requirements and procedures for the approval of swim-up bars at commercial and public pool locations. This will clarify the requirements and streamline the approval and construction process.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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FRLA Government Relations Update Richard Turner Retires!

T

he Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) announced personnel changes within its Government Relations Department, including the retirement of longtime Senior Vice President (SVP) of Legal and Legislative Affairs, Richard Turner, who served nearly 20 years with the association.

Also announced were the promotions of Samantha Padgett to Vice President of Government Relations and General Counsel and Nicolette Hoffman to Government Relations Manager.

FRLA President/CEO Carol Dover noted, “I could not be prouder of the successes of our Government Relations Department under the leadership of Richard Turner for the past two decades.

Our efforts to advocate for Florida’s restaurant and lodging industries have directly and positively impacted the health and wealth of this great state while protecting the jobs of millions of our employees. We wish Richard the very best in his well-earned retirement and have full faith in Samantha and Nicolette to continue the great work of this association as we continue our efforts to defend and grow Florida’s top industry into the future.”

Throughout his time at FRLA, Turner played a key role in achieving continued success and growth for Florida’s largest industries — hospitality and tourism. He represented the industry before the Florida Legislature and the Florida Cabinet, as 14

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well as other state partner and regulatory agencies and at the federal level in Washington, D.C. Among his many career achievements, Turner was integral to the repeal of the alcoholic beverage surcharge, he worked on the preemption to the State of paid leave, and he was involved in the clarification of the communication services tax.

Prior to joining FRLA, Turner spent nearly two decades with the State of Florida, where he served as Director for the Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco at the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation (DBPR) and as an attorney at the Department of Insurance, the Department of Agriculture and DBPR. Samantha Padgett first joined FRLA in 2018 as General Counsel. In her new role, she will oversee FRLA’s Government Relations Department and direct its agenda and initiatives. She will continue to provide legal counsel to the association and its leadership and serve as an advocate for the restaurant and lodging industries at the local, state and federal levels.

Ms. Padgett is a member of The Florida Bar. She graduated cum laude from the University of Florida College of Law in 2005 and received her B.A. from Emory University in 2001. She has served on the VISIT FLORIDA Board of Directors, the University of Florida Center for Retailing Executive Advisory Board and the Florida Recycling Partnership Board of Directors.

Richard Turner

Ms. Padgett previously served as the Vice President and General Counsel of the Florida Retail Federation (FRF).

Nicolette Hoffman joined FRLA in the summer of 2021 as Legislative Analyst and Event Coordinator. In her new role, she will coordinate FRLA’s government relations and advocacy efforts, including state and federal issue management, political contributions processing and reporting, event planning and execution, advocacy communications and legislative publication design.

Prior to joining FRLA, she served as the Events and Marketing Coordinator for the Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship, part of Florida State University’s College of Business. Hoffman has also held several public policy internships at the United States Senate Commerce Committee among others. She graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Public Relations.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

Help protect your most important investment Great employees deserve great benefits. By offering health and wellness coverage from UnitedHealthcare, you can give your staff support that’s designed to help them feel their best.

Flexibility that fits Businesses aren’t “one size fits all.” That’s why UnitedHealthcare provides product and network flexibility designed to help meet your diverse needs.

Choose from a wide variety of plan options for: • Medical • Dental

Learn more For more information or to get your FRLA member quote, contact your broker or or visit frla.org/ benefits.

• Vision

Putting people first Your employees work hard to make every customer experience count. Help them take good care of their physical and mental health with programs and services to help improve employee wellness, productivity and retention.

This policy has exclusions, limitations and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For costs and complete details of the coverage, contact either your broker or the company.

Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois or their affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare of Florida, Inc. B2B EI1060104.0 9/21 © 2021 United HealthCare Services, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 21-1060250 FRL A .org

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

15

Welcome to

com

®

NEW LOOK

Access TheZenith.com on all major mobile devices while you’re on the go. And the best part ... 24/7 access to in-depth information, resources, and tools.

TheZenith.com offers clear navigation and valuable tools.

TheZenith.com is where you can quickly find what you need most. It’s all about the experience. We invite you to get to know TheZenith.com.

Easy access, intuitive navigation Our site is designed with you in mind. Find what you need from anywhere, on any device. TheZenith.com is organized based on your needs to make it easier to find information, links, and resources.

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Report a Claim

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One-click access to report a workers’ compensation claim.

Employers or injured employees can find a provider through our medical provider lookup tool.

Access and manage your Zenith workers’ compensation policy through MyZenith, our online customer portal.

Great features and resources for you You’ll find a vast array of online resources, support, and tools that are there when you need them.

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Access your policy View your claims Use Zenith Solution Center® Learn through Zenith University Report a claim Pay your premium Report your payroll

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Sign up for an online account today.

Questions? Contact your local independent agent to learn more.

Zenith Insurance Company/ZNAT Insurance Company Corporate Office: 21255 Califa Street, Woodland Hills, CA 91367. ©2021 Zenith Insurance Company. All Rights Reserved. ®Zenith, TheZenith, TheZenith.com, and Zenith Solution Center are registered U.S. service marks.

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Explore the Zenith

Solution Center®

As a Zenith customer, you get free, 24/7 access to comprehensive risk management and safety resources specific to your industry, as well as training programs, compliance tools, Human Resources (HR) best practices, and more. Our web-based suite of tools and resources contains materials and applications designed to help you proactively manage risks and save time developing effective programs to reduce claims and associated costs.

Assign, track, and report training • Find easy-to-use training materials that support new hire orientation, HR policies, safety procedures, regulatory compliance, supervisor skills enhancement, or government-mandated training.

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• Access hundreds of workplace health, safety, and compliance training titles in a variety of formats and languages.

• Learn with Zenith University, which gives you free access to seminars, webinars, and courses that help you protect your employees and lower your costs.

Tools to reduce risk and control your costs

• Use our Learning Management System (LMS) to assign, track, and report training by employee, supervisor, department, or location.

Instant access to valuable information and resources • Benefit from up-to-date information, tools, and best practices materials on important topics (risk management, safety, wellness, claims, and HR).

• Find industry-specific policies, procedures, quizzes, checklists, videos, newsletters, return-to-work tools, claim forms, and sample programs. Many posters, stickers, and paycheck stuffers can be ordered (click Add to Cart where visible).

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Use the Ask the Expert feature in Zenith Solution Center and get professional advice.

MODSTREET

Getting Smart with Outdoor Dining

by ROGER ZALNERAITIS

D

emand for on-street and sidewalk dining continues to be strong nationally. More communities around the country are adopting ordinances and creating new downtown master plans to allow for parklets and outdoor dining to continue for years.

At the same time, restaurants are facing staff shortages and limited cash that challenge them in expanding seating capacity.

Furthermore, towns and cities continue to grapple with the question of converting sidewalks and parking spots to long-term private use, as street parking is a public asset. Some towns have responded to this by allowing outdoor seating to be open to anyone.

Our company, MODSTREET, makes high-quality, long-lasting, steel-fabricated modular parklets and fencing for outdoor seating and event use. We help retailers and communities create an inviting and attractive outdoor experience for their customers and residents.

In focusing on this mission, we have partnered with a tech firm in Florida to create a new QR code that allows multiple restaurants to be listed on a single page for customers sitting in our parklets. We call these “smartlets” and see several advantages for this multi-vendor QR platform for restaurants and community centers alike: » In the near term, a QR code can help reduce points of contact between customers and staff, reducing the chances of catching or spreading COVID-19. For outdoor service, this also means fewer people needing to enter one or more stores to order food or be seated. » Related to this, a QR code can help a restaurant or restaurants run more efficiently. In an outdoor seating area like a parklet, patrons

could seat themselves, order and pay without staff assistance. Sharing a QR code and outdoor seating space opens the possibility of shared staff to serve the outdoor area as well. » A quality parklet can be an expensive investment that is difficult for a small business to make. Allowing for multiple businesses to use the same parklet, particularly if these different restaurants have different peak times during the day, could open up the possibility of a partnership investment, reducing costs and increasing revenues for everyone involved. » In places where outdoor seating is public, such as downtowns or container/food truck hot spots, a QR code could make the experience more enjoyable for guests. Visitors could simply sit and order from a variety of restaurants after having found a seat, instead of struggling to find a seat once they have their food. The parklet could also enhance on-site entertainment as public-like seating capacity is expanded. » Finally, a QR code could help drive additional sales to restaurants or visits to downtown through targeted marketing to existing or potential customers.

If you are interested in learning more, please contact me at roger@ modstreet.co, and I’d be happy to work with you to see if a smartlet is right for your business, restaurant center or downtown. Our company stands ready to assist you so that you can have an outdoor space that everyone loves.

Roger Zalneraitis is the CEO of MODSTREET, a startup modular parklet manufacturer that seeks to help businesses and communities reimagine and reinvigorate their outdoor space. Prior to this, Roger worked for over 16 years in nonprofit and public sector economic development. Roger holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Notre Dame and a master’s degree in urban planning from Virginia Tech.

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WINTER 2022

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

MODULAR PARKLETS, ENCLOSURES, BARRICADES & MORE

MODSTREET was created to help businesses survive and communities to thrive. We have designed a state-of-the-art solution for restaurants, breweries, retailers and communities, to offer guest service seating on sidewalks and in parking spaces, during and beyond this pandemic.

Our parklets, enclosures and barricades are made of raw steel making them safe for your patrons.

All our products are also easily assembled with our revolutionary modular system, no construction, means no downtime for your business or community, so you can rebound and flourish. Expand your business or community outdoors with safety, style and ease with MODSTREET... rebuilding America's downtowns.

MODSTREET.co

info@MODSTREET.co

T H E PA L M B E A C H E S

Kenneth Spillias RETIRED ATTORNEY AND FORMER PALM BEACH COUNTY COMMISSIONER AND BOARD CHAIRMAN OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY FILM AND TELEVISION COMMISSION

K

enneth Spillias recently retired after a four-decade career in law and government service. He served as a Palm Beach County commissioner from 1982-1986, chairing the board in 1984.

He is the former chair of the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, Children’s Services Council and a variety of other governmental and civic boards. He wrote two novels, the “Widow’s Walk” series, and a nonfiction account of his family’s experiences in Greece and Germany during the Nazi occupation of World War II.

Q: As the former chair of the Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission’s Board of Directors, what was your role in the development and creation of The Palm Beaches TV?

As state financial incentives for filmmakers to film in Florida disappeared from the Florida Legislature’s annual budgets, big- and small-budget filmmakers alike began shifting to states like Georgia that vigorously courted the industry by providing the incentives that could no longer be found here. The Palm Beach County Film and Television Commission, being legally and financially bound to the county’s Tourist Development Council (TDC) and the requirement to utilize most of its funds to attract tourists, sought a different approach to fulfill its mandate. What better way, thought the leaders and staff of the FTC, than to utilize the film and production skills available to develop a programming approach designed to highlight the varied beauty, charms and activities of Palm Beach County and target them directly at tourists and potential tourists through the medium of television?

So was born The Palm Beaches TV (PBTV), a Film Commission and TDC venture, offering original programming featuring local and internationally known travelers and adventurers, to showcase and highlight all that Palm Beach County has to offer. Showing on its own dedicated station, easily accessed through various media such as Facebook, Roku, mobile apps and in more than 4,000 county hotel rooms (and expanding), this novel approach to informing visitors and potential new visitors of the rich experiences available to them in the county is a first of its kind in tourism development.

In conjunction with the TDC’s Executive Director, Glenn Jergensen, Film Commissioner Chuck Elderd and his staff, and the Commission’s Board of Directors, the Palm Beaches TV was born.

To date, it has exceeded all expectations.

Q: How have you supported tourism initiatives at the local level?

After leaving the County Commission, I served for a period of time on the board of the Palm Beach County Council of the Arts (now 20

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known as the Cultural Council for Palm Beach County) while Will Ray was the council’s director. As one of the organizations that benefited from TDC funds, it has grown over time into an outstanding innovator and supporter of culture and the arts in Palm Beach County. In 2013, I published two novels, which qualified me to be an official member of its artist community, and have proudly served as such a member.

Q: Knowing that Palm Beach County has a plethora of assets to engage any tourist, from beaches to outdoor wildlife, golf and great cultural attractions like museums, which asset are you most proud of and why?

What became known as the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts was the dream of Alex Dreyfoos and other Palm Beach County patrons of the arts and culture.

At the time, that part of downtown West Palm Beach was dilapidated. The city was struggling with how to improve the area. Alex proposed to me to move the selected site from John Prince Park to downtown West Palm Beach next to Twin Lakes High School. The city was supportive from the standpoint of jumpstarting a downtown renovation program. The county agreed.

As it turned out, the center (named after Henry Kravis in honor of his seven-figure donation) ended up costing $50 million. But as Alex promised, he never asked for another dollar from the county.

The Kravis Center provided the spark for the revitalization of that portion of downtown West Palm Beach.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

Funded by the Tourist Development Council

ThePalmBeaches.TV

Featuring High-Quality, Family-Friendly, Original Programming

ALSO ON

Art Adventures

ON THE TOWN IN THE PALM BEACHES

LITTLE WONDERS OF THE PALM BEACHES

HOOKED ON THE PALM BEACHES

THE PAR-FECT 18

SCUBA NATION

TRAVELS & TRADITIONS WITH BURT WOLF

PASSPORT TO THE PALM BEACHES

BIRDING ADVENTURES

WOMEN IN POLO

For more information about this complimentary marketing tool offered by the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, call 800.745.3456 or email info@pbfilm.com.

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Meet Your 2022

FRLA Executive Committee Olivia Hoblit Chair Olivia Hoblit, Chairman of the Board, has more than 23 years of experience in the hospitality industry and is Regional Manager with Innisfree Hotels overseeing Seaside Amelia Inn and the dual-Marriott brand Courtyard/Springhill Suites in Amelia Island, Florida. She rejoined Innisfree Hotels in April 2020 after spending a year at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island — 446 room, AAA Five-Diamond luxury resort as the Assistant Rooms Executive. While at The Ritz-Carlton, she served as a member of the opening team, which successfully reopened The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas, in 2019. She was also nominated as “Marriott Ops Star” for going above and beyond operational expectations. Mrs. Hoblit was the General Manager of the Seaside Amelia Inn for five years during her previous tenure with Innisfree Hotels.

Prior to her position at Seaside Amelia Inn, Mrs. Hoblit spent seven years as the General Manager of the highly acclaimed Elizabeth Pointe Lodge. Under her leadership and management with owners David and Susan Caples, Elizabeth Pointe Lodge received numerous awards, including Travel+Leisure’s 2013 World’s Best Awards where it ranked No. 25 on its list of Top 100 World’s Best Hotels.

Since January 2017, Mrs. Hoblit has served on the executive committee of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association. She also serves as a board member on the Amelia Island Tourist Development Council (TDC), Nassau County Chamber of Commerce and as an advisory council member for the University of West Florida Global Hospitality and Tourism Management.

In 2016, Olivia and her husband Phil founded the Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation in honor of their daughter, Trinity, who passed away in 2015 from a brain aneurysm. Olivia serves as president of the foundation, which supports and funds neurological research, training and treatment for brain aneurysms, strokes and other cerebrovascular conditions.

Olivia is an active member of the Amelia Island community, is married and has two children.

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John Horne Vice Chair John Horne, Vice-Chair, is the owner of four Anna Maria Oyster Bars located on Florida’s West Coast. A 40-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Horne began his career as a busboy on Anna Maria Island working for a small chain of restaurants. In 1995, he opened the first of his four restaurants. At the Anna Maria Oyster Bars, you will find a fun, friendly place with great staff serving the freshest food at a great value in a family-friendly atmosphere. Horne and his 325 co-workers have received many accolades over the years, including Small Business of the Year awards from the Manatee, Sarasota, and Longboat Key chambers, over 85 People’s Choice Favorites as well as community, volunteer and tourism awards — many related to their grade-level reading program “Dive Into Reading,” which was recognized as the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s 2018 National Restaurant Neighbor Award and the U.S. Senate’s Small Business Committee’s Small Business of the Week. Horne has testified before the U.S. House of Representative Ways & Means Committee concerning the tax effects on small businesses. He and his wife Amanda are passionate about education and travel … and each other!

Roger Amidon Secretary/Treasurer, Lodging Director Roger Amidon, Secretary/Treasurer/Lodging Director, has been the General Manager of Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort & Spa since 2012. Amidon is responsible for the operation of Palm Beach County’s only AAA Four-Diamond all-suite beachfront hotel.

Under Amidon’s expert leadership, in 2015 Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island was named one of Marriott International’s “Full-Service Hotels of the Year” in the eastern region, and he was named “Franchised General Manager of the Year” in its Eastern Region Full-Service Hotels/Resorts.

A longtime Palm Beach resident, Amidon has worked in the hospitality sector since 1983. Joining Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island marked his return to the Marriott brand after serving three years as Executive Director of the Tourist Development Council of Palm Beach County. Prior to leading the Tourist Development Council, Amidon served Marriott in several roles including Area General Manager for Marriott Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton Renaissance and Fort Lauderdale Marriott North.

Amidon provides leadership in a variety of industry and community organizations. Current and past positions include: Chairman of Discover the Palm Beaches; President of the Palm Beach County Hotel & Lodging Association; President of FRLA’s Palm Beach Chapter; and board memberships with the FRLA State Board, Singer Island Civic Association and Loggerhead Marine Life Center, Riviera Beach Business Council, Coalitions to Senior Leaders and Interns, SunFest, South Florida Fair and Palm Beach Gardens High School Five Star Magnet Advisory Council.

When not working or volunteering, Amidon enjoys golf, fishing, travel with his family and indulging in his passion for classic cars. Amidon and his wife, Tina, have two children and reside in Jupiter.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

Carlos Gazitua Restaurant Director, 2021-2022 Carlos Gazitua, FRLA Restaurant Director 2021-22, is the President and CEO of Sergio’s Cuban Café.

Gazitua manages 650 employees, six full-service restaurants and eight fastcasual locations all located in South Florida. Under his leadership, Sergio’s was awarded “Best Sit-Down Restaurant” by South Florida Independent Retailer awards. In addition, they were selected as the South Florida Tourism Professional Restaurant of the Year and honored by Doral Business Council as the Small Business of the Year.

In 2012 he created La Flaca™ brand, which promotes healthy cooking alternatives for Cuban food. La Flaca™ menu has transformed the way people eat Latin and Cuban cuisine in South Florida. Sergio’s earned an award from the

Florida Department of Health as the first certified restaurant to take part in the Healthy Happens Here Initiative in MiamiDade County.

During the COVID-19 crisis, The New York Times featured Sergio’s in its “24 Hours in Pandemic Nation” article. Mr. Gazitua served on the Dade County Mayor’s task force to assist in creating the rules to open the county safely. Senator Marco Rubio named Sergio’s Restaurants as the Senate Small Business of the Week in recognition of supporting their community and donating thousands of meals to first responders and health care workers. In addition, Sergio’s initiated a grassroot effort with the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association to provide over 1 million free masks to Florida’s hospitality industry. In 2021, Job Creators Network announced Carlos Gazitua as the Small Business Owner of the Year for advocating on behalf of Main Street and his actions to help his community during the pandemic.

Carlos earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and his MBA and law degree from Stetson College of Law. He resides in Miami with his wife, Liana Gazitua, and their two young boys.

Barbara Bowden

Nick Sarra

Jim Shirley

Lodging Director, 2021-2022

Restaurant Director, 2022-2023

Immediate Past Chair

Barbara Bowden, FRLA Lodging Director 2021-22, is the Area Managing Director for Loews Hotels at Universal Orlando, overseeing the operation of the destination’s premier and preferred hotels, including Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, Hard Rock Hotel, Loews Royal Pacific Resort and Loews Sapphire Falls Resort.

Previously, she served as the Complex Managing Director for Loews Sapphire Falls Resort and Loews Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando, overseeing the operation of these two resort hotels, comprising 2,000 guest rooms and 250,000 square feet of meeting space.

Prior to joining Loews Hotels, Bowden served as General Manager of the Orange County Convention Center.

Before that, she spent 27 years with The Peabody Orlando, working her way through the ranks to become Vice President/General Manager.

Bowden serves on the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association Board. She also serves on the Central Florida Hotel and Lodging Association Governmental Affairs Committee, the Rosen College Dean’s Advisory Board and the HSMAI Foundation Board. Previously, Bowden served as Chair of the HSMAI Americas Board and was a member of the AHLA Women in Lodging Executive Board.

Nick Sarra, Restaurant Director, 202223, is the COO for Saltwater Restaurants, Inc., which includes nine iconic high volume restaurants with over 1,000 employees across the Florida Panhandle, a sizable beachfront shopping and dining venue and an award-winning golf course. Sarra’s 40-year career began as a busser at the Sonesta Hotel in Connecticut and followed with an A.A. degree in Culinary Arts and B.S. in Hotel & Restaurant Management from Johnson & Wales University. His management career began in Washington, D.C., as part of the Specialty Restaurant Division of Gilbert Robinson, including Charlie’s Place Bar & Grill, H.I. Ribsters and Hogate’s Seafood. After moving to the Gulf Coast, Sarra operated many wellknown establishments before opening his first restaurant nearly 20 years ago.

Sarra dedicates his time to the FRLA Minimum Wage Working Group, is an active member and past-president of the FRLA Board of Directors Northwest Florida Chapter and serves on the Okaloosa County Tourism Development Council.

Jim Shirley, Chairman, is a chef and restaurateur in South Walton, Florida, owning Great Southern Café, 45 Central Wine and Sushi Bar and b.f.f as well as The Bay Restaurant and Farm & Fire in South Walton and the Meltdown on 30A in Seaside. In addition, he is also the co-owner of Great Southern Restaurants, which owns The Fish House, The Atlas Oyster House and The Fish House Deck Bar in Pensacola, Florida.

Jim is the past president of the Northwest Florida FRLA chapter and president of the Escambia County chapter. He is currently the treasurer of FRLA’s Educational Foundation. Jim sits on the board of the Children’s Home Society and the Seaside Neighborhood School. Jim is also a past board member of the Autism Society of the Panhandle.

Jim represented Florida in the 2015 Great American Seafood Cook-Off. In addition, Jim has been invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City several times. He is author of the cookbook, Good Grits! Southern Boy Cooks, a compilation of his best recipes along with entertaining stories. Jim is the 2020 Van Ness Butler Jr. Award recipient.

FRL A .org

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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FUEL LIGHTING

Upgrade Your Outdoor Dining Experience With Lighting

F

uel Lighting is an allied member of FRLA and offers unique battery-powered LED lighting solutions for restaurants, hotels and resorts. They specialize in lighting for outdoor dining, such as their recently launched Dual-Beam Wireless Umbrella Light, as well as options specifically for catering and food displays, dining table and floral highlighting. FR&L Magazine editor Susie McKinley had an opportunity recently to visit with Paul Therrien, the owner and principal systems developer for Fuel Lighting.

Q. Can you explain to readers about Fuel Lighting and its wide array of products?

A. We started FUEL in 2011 when I developed the lighting industry’s first battery-powered LED spotlight, named the Angle Light, dedicated to highlighting décor and floral arrangements at special events. From there, I set out to develop a series of lights that complemented the Angle Light with the goal of making other key lighting elements such as wireless light bulbs, lamps and umbrella lighting that were simple to install and use in any event setting you are challenged with.

Q. You recently launched the Dual Beam (TM) Umbrella Lighting System. Can you tell us more about it?

A. Yes, with the goal of bringing the outdoor dining experience to the same refined level as the indoor dining experience, we have developed a unique battery-powered 24

WINTER 2022

light that simultaneously highlights both the dinner table and umbrella surface. This amazing light is all battery powered and is designed to aesthetically blend in with the umbrella pole, yet has enough brightness to light your entire table and umbrella surface.

Umbrellas are big, beautiful and have style, but having to keep your umbrellas open at night introduces a major problem since it often creates a dark and lifeless dining experience for your guests. The Dual-Beam totally changes how it looks and feels to socialize and dine at night making the umbrella and table once again become a visually stunning and appealing experience your guests will love.

Q. We understand that you also have a new lighting solution that is turtle-friendly. Can you share with readers the details of this product?

A. Yes, this is actually an extension of our Dual-Beam Umbrella Light System. If your

hotel, restaurant, bar or lounge is located on or near the beach or coast, then you may need Turtle-Safe Amber Lighting. Our batterypowered Dual-Beam Umbrella Light can be ordered with Turtle-Safe Amber LEDs that are guaranteed to pass any inspection and be certified safe for turtles. Finally, you have the ability to create inviting dining and socializing experiences along the coastline without negatively affecting the turtles in any way.

Q. There are many styles of umbrellas. How do you go about ordering the right system to fit what each location needs?

A. It’s easy. We designed a series of pole clips to fit different size umbrella poles.

Simply measure the pole diameter, and we will make sure your order includes what you need. If you have a specific manufacturer of your umbrellas, such as Fiberbuilt, we have designed clips to fit any of their pole diameters, so you can tell us the manufacturer and the model, and we will verify what you need.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

F I B E R B U I LT

Fiberbuilt:

Tips From an Old Professional

by JORDAN BECKNER, PRESIDENT OF SALES FOR FIBERBUILT UMBRELLAS AND CUSHIONS

H

appy New Year! I do not know about you, but personally, 2021 was no better than 2020. Business certainly increased, but with the supply chain issues, it was very difficult to make a profit. The materials we are sourcing are still scarce, and the prices continue to rise drastically. Additionally, all of us continue to deal with the employee shortage no matter what industry you may be in.

I have no idea what is going on in our government these days, but I know our government team is watching out for us.

This is one of the many benefits of my membership in FRLA — knowing someone is watching my back when it comes to our government. This allows me to focus on all the other issues that cause me concern

daily. Another benefit we have accessed is using the FRLA to help alleviate some of our employee shortage issues. If you are not using one of their programs, contact FRLA right away to find out how they can help.

I just signed my annual 2022 sponsorship contract with FRLA, and I am very excited about all the events planned for the upcoming year. I urge my fellow suppliers to get involved again and be sure to sign up for, and attend, all the scheduled events.

I would be remiss if I did not mention the retirement of my good friend, Richard Turner. For more than 16 years, I have always been able to pick up the telephone and call him about any little legal issue we were having. He will be greatly missed, but he has set up a great team to fill his shoes.

Wattsun Umbrella features a solar powered charging station with 2 USB ports

SHADE PRODUCTS & CUSHIONS FOR EVERY LOCATION, BUDGET AND DESIGN BUILT FOR COMFORT. BUILT TO LAST. Toll-free 866.667.8668 www.fiberbuiltumbrellas.com FRL A .org

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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FNGA

Add Natural Gas to Your Energy Mix Natural gas means business There’s nothing more important these days than finding smart, sustainable ways to save money without sacrificing quality or service. With 35 percent of small businesses citing energy as a major operating expense, natural gas provides a solution that can help save money and energy — all while improving quality, service and reliability.

Natural gas is a true win-win for businesses big and small and especially for those in the restaurant and lodging industries. That’s because adding natural gas to your energy mix is a cost-effective, energyefficient way to meet water heating, cooking, drying and other operational needs.

Plus, you can save thousands in natural gas equipment rebates right now. Check with your natural gas provider for more information.

More hot water, less energy Natural gas water heaters can easily handle high loads while using less energy. What does this mean for your business? It means more hot water in less time. And because it uses less energy, it also means lower utility bills.

In fact, today’s natural gas tank water heaters have new features like superior insulation, efficient design and precise temperature controls that consume onethird less energy than they did just a few years ago. And they work even if there’s a power outage.

Or you can opt for a tankless and get endless hot water on demand with added efficiency that saves even more energy. In fact, these are the additional benefits: 26

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» Endless supply of hot water. » No more storing unneeded hot water. » Life expectancy of more than 20 years.

» The flame heats the bottoms and sides of pans, which can mean it works faster.

» Space saving over tank style.

» Wash and sanitize dishes faster with a natural gas booster heater.

Cut your kitchen’s operating costs

High-demand drying — faster

You already know professional chefs prefer natural gas for all of their cooking, frying and baking needs — thanks to perks like instant heat, a wide range of temperature controls and precise settings. Natural gas booster heaters can help save dishwashing time and effort.

Natural gas ranges, fryers, ovens and booster heaters provide the right tools to make your restaurant or kitchen more efficient while cutting operating costs with benefits like:

Linens and clothes dry faster, more thoroughly and more economically with natural gas. And because natural gas dryers produce a moist heat, it’s gentler on fabric. Whether it’s for your hotel, lodge or salon, natural gas dryers are the ticket for your high-demand drying needs.

» Easier and more consistent cooking with precision heat control. » No waiting for an element to heat up with instant on/off. » A power outage is typically no trouble for gas appliances, so you can keep serving when electricity-based kitchens are shut down.

The smarter, tougher energy for Florida businesses Tough times require strategic business decisions. At the Florida Natural Gas Association, we’re here for you. If you want to learn more about how natural gas can benefit your business, give us a call or visit FNGA.com/FRLA. FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

Work Smarter Not Harder WITH NATURAL GAS

If you don’t use natural gas, there’s never been a better time to add it to your energy mix.

Already taking advantage of this smarter, tougher energy? Make sure you’re optimizing your savings potential with a number of versatile applications.

Reduce operational costs

Boost your bottom line

Save money for other business expenses

Improve business efficiency

Decrease your carbon footprint

Esperience less equipment wear and tear

Enjoy reliability — even when the power goes out

Contribute to the U.S. economy

If you don’t have natural gas, there’s never been a better time to add it to your energy mix. If you’re already a natural gas customer, let us help you make sure you’re optimizing your savings to the fullest potential.

Find your local service provider and discover rebates available in your area. Visit FNGA.com/FRLA

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echnology for the hospitality industry is currently the hottest thing in the marketplace. If you aren’t taking advantage of all that is available, you are working too hard and will be steps behind your competition. FRLA continues to offer you unique products and solutions through this magazine and other communications. This year, take a few minutes to see what is coming along or what is popular in new technology approaches.

This issue of the FR&L Magazine features tech articles on many new topics, including robotic servers and delivery, data threat protection and security solutions, payment approaches, ransomware recovery and awareness, kiosks, website accessibility, cyber insurance, digital ordering choices and more.

We hope you enjoy this issue!

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Pictured: Roger Amidon, General Manager, and the Team from the Palm Beach Marriott Singer Island Beach Resort and Spa have a new server/back server — their yet-to-be-name robot!

We hear it's the first in Palm Beach County.

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The Restaurant Robot is Here, and We’re Here for It

By JUAN HIGUEROS

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nyone in the restaurant industry will tell you that the last 20 months have been anything but easy. What started in April 2020 as two weeks to slow the spread has landed us in a new landscape of labor shortages, supply scarcity and systematic uncertainty. Everything from capacity standards to menu prices has been impacted by our global pandemic, and the outlook on staffing shortages isn’t looking a whole lot better. Thankfully, one company has been thinking ahead for the last four years and has a revolutionary answer to today’s array of labor anxieties.

Meet Servi, the latest in a four-generation evolution of automated hospitality service solutions. Yes, the restaurant robot we’ve been dreaming of since the debut of Blade Runner is here, and it’s easier to own than you might have imagined.

Bear Robotics, the Silicon Valley startup behind this latest restaurant innovation, has roots that extend deep with the industry.

Their founders started out on the front lines — running food, bussing dishes and serving drinks. It got them thinking that there must be a better way. Their philosophy was simple: If they could just automate and alleviate some of the hustle and hard work from the service staff, they could, in turn, inspire happier employees and enhance the experiences of guests.

Thus, Servi was born. Servi is an all-in-one solution for tasks like food running, drink serving, dish bussing and more. Standing FRL A .org

just over three feet tall (41”), Servi is the perfect height to handle any table. It is 100% self-driving with advanced LiDar sensors and multiple cameras which allow it to nimbly navigate any space intelligently and with ease. It’s currently the only robot of its kind that is NSF-certified for the safest, reliable operation.

Servi includes an innovative analytic software that allows it to learn as it goes, reporting its working results back to its manager for further fine-tuning.

With Multiple Robot mode, Servi can even grow with your business, allowing for an entire fleet of bots to sync up and service any sized restaurant safely.

There’s even an auto return that sends Servi back for the next job once it has delivered its payload.

So far, Servi has journeyed over 189,000 miles, made over 16 million deliveries and operates over 9,000 hours each day. With an easy leasing program, it does all this for as little as $3 per hour.

Whoever said the restaurant industry lacks ingenuity has yet to see Servi in action. Learn more about how you can insulate your business from the labor shortage at BearRobotics.ai, and discover how Bear Robotics is bringing intelligence to the table this holiday season.

Juan Higueros is co-founder and COO of Bear Robotics.

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End-to-End Security Solutions for Small Businesses

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he way people work is changing. Work is no longer tied to a location. It’s about being productive wherever you work, at any time. In the digital age, workers are connected in more ways than ever as they go through daily routines. And since there’s so much information being shared across various devices, your employees’ data becomes more vulnerable to external threats. Plus, it’s being shared with more people in and outside of traditional firewalls.

Employees will do anything needed to get their jobs done. Sometimes, that means going around security protocols. However, it’s not out of ill will; it’s solely to remain productive.

What does this mean for your business?

External threats are sophisticated and increasing.

No matter the size of your business, it faces threats to its assets, corporate data and customer information. These data threats and attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated, frequent and widespread. Some examples of these threats include: » Physical theft and loss – an attack due to human error or the malicious intent of a hardware thief. » Denial-of-Service – a cyber-attack in which a legitimate user cannot access information systems, devices or other network resources. » Phishing – a fraudulent attempt by a cybercriminal to obtain sensitive information. » Pharming – an attack that redirects unaware users to a phony website.

Protect, control and monitor

Our Dell Technologies advisors can help your business navigate our broad selection of technologies and provide ongoing support to help protect your entire ecosystem. We understand that small businesses need to be able to authenticate users, control access to data and monitor that data use in real time. That's why we offer tailored security solutions that protect your data and prevent threats to keep your business moving forward.

Devices designed for secure access

Our laptops, servers, storage solutions and appliances are all designed from the ground up with security in mind. Dell builds security in from the very moment a product is conceived all the way through the design and manufacturing process. It's foundational. And data security is crucial to your success.

When it comes to protecting your network’s data while boosting productivity, finding the right security solution is essential. For personalized support and guidance about end-to-end security solutions that will help you keep your business secure, contact a Dell Technologies Advisor today at 855-900-5548 or shop online at www.dell.com/FRLA.

» Ransomware – a form of malicious software that threatens to block access to a victim’s system or data until they pay a ransom. » Malware – software that is purposely created to harm a computer, network or server.

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Sunday

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n app called sunday provides the fastest way to pay in restaurants. The solution was co-founded in April 2021 by Atlanta tech leader and e-commerce veteran Christine de Wendel alongside Victor Lugger and Tigrane Seydoux, who conceived of the critically acclaimed European restaurant group, Big Mamma.

With sunday, they created a new payment method that allows guests to pay in less than 10 seconds. With any smartphone, guests can scan the QR code on their table to get instant access to the menu. Once dishes are chosen, a waiter will come around to place the order. With the same contactless QR code, guests can split the bill, leave a tip and pay autonomously.

Restaurant owners and their teams can then concentrate on their core

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mission: cooking, serving with a smile and cherishing their customers.

Customers simply gain 15 minutes of their lives with each meal.

Flexible and seamless service becomes a win-win for both guests and restaurants. Guests end their meal on a good note, teams can provide better hospitality, servers see tips increase by more than 40%, restaurant owners are seeing basket averages increase by 12% and tables turn 10% faster.

The solution is currently being simultaneously deployed on both sides of the Atlantic (France, Spain, United Kingdom, Canada and the United States) and has already been chosen by more than 2,000 restaurants.

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Six Steps to Recover After a Ransomware Attack

By KATHY ENNIS, CPA, PARTNER AND LENA COMBS, CPA, PARTNER

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ansomware is a type of cyberattack that can infect a system whenever a user interacts with a malicious link, website or file. In a ransomware attack, the hacker encodes data that can only be retrieved by paying a ransom and obtaining the encryption key used for decoding. Ransomware attacks are continuing to rise at an alarming rate, with cybercriminals targeting businesses across virtually all industries.

If you get infected by ransomware, follow these tips on how to recover from a ransomware attack: » Discover what kind of ransomware is attacking you. The best way to do this is to ascertain how much of your data you still have access to. There are two common types of ransomware, screen-locking and encryption-based, with each operating a little differently. Depending on the type of ransomware impacting you, there’s a chance that data recovery is still possible, and there may be a way to decode the encrypted files without having to pay the ransom. If you don’t have the internal resources to diagnose the type of ransomware you’ve been infected with, engage a trusted cybersecurity firm for help. » Disconnect from everything. The most important thing you can do is restrict ransomware impact by disconnecting your device, turning off the Wi-Fi, and preventing the virus from spreading throughout the network.

» Take a picture of the ransomware screen. When attacked, a note identifying the ransom will be displayed, including the amount

to be paid and where to send the payment. Take a picture so the information is readily available when the appropriate authorities are contacted. » Enact your incident response plan. If you have one, enact your incident response policy immediately because this is a security breach. Follow the measures defined in your policy to ensure that the proper steps are taken, including notifying stakeholders of the breach. » Attempt restoration from backups. If possible, you may want to restore your systems from any backups you have available.

However, be cognizant that the ransomware may have been in your system for some time, so any backups could be compromised as well. Before restoring, make sure to deploy antivirus software through your system. » Prevent it from reoccurring. Put measures in place to prevent future attacks. Protect your network with a phishing assessment and phishing awareness training. Understand your threat intelligence with an Open Source Intelligence Report (OSINT) Dark Web scan, and analyze your data privacy risks with Data Privacy Assurance. Ensure that you have an independent cyber insurance policy, and conduct a risk analysis.

A proactive approach is the best way for businesses to help prevent a ransomware attack. In the event of a cyberattack, it is important for companies to investigate and immediately mitigate any impacts.

Withum is a forward-thinking, technology-driven advisory and accounting firm, committed to helping clients in the hospitality industry be more profitable, efficient and productive in the modern business landscape. For more information, visit www.withum.com FRL A .org

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The Zenith Z

enith is the premier specialist in workers’ compensation nationally. They combine depth of expertise with a forward-thinking approach to achieve the highest level of service and outcomes for their clients.

Zenith is FRLA’s endorsed workers’ compensation carrier. It is a long-term partnership offering much to FRLA members. Zenith has three offices in Florida with the main office located in Sarasota, which specializes in Florida’s hospitality industry.

FRLA Editor, Susie McKinley, had an opportunity to speak with Zenith’s Tim Wenzel recently about their workers’ compensation insurance program.

Zenith is different because they have a “people-first” approach.

Can you share this approach with readers?

Zenith has three customers. First, it is the independent insurance agent selling their products. Second is the policyholder who purchases a Zenith policy (employer). Third is the injured employee receiving benefits from the Zenith policy.

Zenith uses a collaborative claims model which sets the company apart from other companies offering this type of coverage.

Zenith makes every effort to take care of injured employees. Unlike many companies out there, all employees involved in this process are Zenith employees. When you look at Zenith’s results versus the other carriers in Florida, Zenith’s cost per claim is about half of what you see with the other carriers.

To do this, Zenith tries to prevent losses from occurring. Zenith has safety and health consultants who review and assist in making sure workplaces are safe.

When a loss does occur, the company’s in-house claims team manages it. The in-house team gets involved very early on in this process. At the center of the team is the claims adjuster, and the rest of the team works alongside that individual.

The team includes representatives who provide nursing, legal assistance, physician and pharmacy care. Zenith has found that a team structure like this gives the best possible service to all involved. This 34

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team structure also leads to a lower overall cost of the claim because it is so effective in keeping the employer and the injured employee engaged and knowledgeable about the status of the claim.

Zenith encourages injured employees to build a relationship with the adjuster during the process. This is not always that easy to do with other companies.

This process is different from other workers’ compensation carriers in that all parties involved are focused on achieving the best outcome for the injured employee, not making a profit from the injured employee.

In addition to the claims process, Zenith pays lost earnings to injured employees while they are recovering and waiting to get back to work.

How does Zenith use technology to benefit the claims process?

Zenith has an online portal available to the agents and policyholders to assist in tracking what is happening with claims.

In addition, Zenith gives injured employees access to Zenith Connect®, a mobile app available in English and Spanish, developed to give “easy access to vital claim information.” With Zenith Connect® employees can: » View payment information » Submit mileage reimbursement requests to Zenith (California and Florida only)

“

Our in-house claims management team is focused entirely on ensuring the best outcome for the injured worker, which leads to a lower overall total claim cost and ultimately lower premiums for our policyholders.

-Tim Wenzel

» Call their claims examiner, request a call back or send them a secure text message » Check and track upcoming medical appointments » Locate all the doctors connected to the claim » Get directions to the doctor’s office » Receive important notifications from Zenith » Zenith Connect® is one more tool to get employees back to work and keep the cost of claims down.

Zenith’s safety, claims and medical management staff understand the unique challenges of the hospitality industry.

Zenith is committed to workplace safety and health, quality medical care, managing claim costs, and fighting fraud and abuse.

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Need a Kiosk and More?

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anage and boost your restaurant with Supper, an all-in-one artificial intelligence powered platform that helps you keep on top of your restaurant operations. It combines software, hardware and payments to improve your operations, increase your sales and make your customers happier.

Our star product is the self-service kiosk.

Looking for your customers to order their food without waiting? Are you short on staff?

Get one of these! Kiosks are reliable, have an awesome menu layout and are a great way to increase add-on sales. Orders can be customized easily, avoiding confusion and improving in-house communications.

With plans starting at $49 per month, you can have access to multiple features

such as Supper Admin App, Order and Pay at the Table, Inventory Management, Payment Processing, Online Ordering, and Digital Menu. Also make your life easier with Recipe Costs, AI-Powered Menu and Pricing Management, Reservations and Waiting List, Kitchen Display System, Customer Marketing Program, Billing Management and much more!

And the best thing is that we tailor and customize our solutions according to your business’s needs! Isn’t that awesome?

Save money and time with Supper!

Happy owners, happy customers!

Want more info? Contact us by email to hello@supper.ai.

Technology to Make Your Website More Accessible

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ccessible technology is fundamental not only to ensure an inclusive user experience but also important from a legal and business standpoint. Therefore, integrating accessible technology into your website is critical for businesses interested in creating a more equitable society and avoiding costly lawsuits.

As a slew of ADA lawsuits has assaulted businesses recently, it is more important than ever to ensure you utilize accessible technologies to help protect your hotel from liability while adhering to the law. You will first need to audit all of your hotel’s online content. This is not limited to your hotel or restaurant’s website, but also content displayed on OTAs and franchise sites to ensure that you clearly and comprehensively identify and explain all of your disability accessible and non-accessible features at the property and guest room or facility level.

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To help your website meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA compliance, INNsight has created patent-pending assistive technology and set the standard for online ADA accessibility for hospitality businesses that improve your website accessibility with a click of a button. A user with audio, visual, or mobility disability requirements can easily enable the ADA Tray® widget to make any website more accessible by configuring the website per their requirements, engaging the on-screen reader, or utilizing keyboard navigation.

The growing list of features allows users to quickly adjust the code on your website to make it more operable, distinguishable, navigable, and understandable, thereby

increasing protection from any claims that individuals with disabilities cannot effectively use your website.

Contact INNsight.com to review your website’s ADA Title III and Web Accessibility Compliance or to get help with creating a WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessible hotel website. As award-winning Leaders in hotel technology, we have developed the tools hoteliers need to display the ADA features and services offered easily on their website and reflect any future changes in regulations.

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Ransomware: What Every Restaurant and Lodging Business Must Know

By AL SAIKALI CHAIR, PRIVACY & DATA SECURITY PRACTICE SHOOK, HARDY & BACON, LLP

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ansomware attacks have sucked billions of dollars from American companies. Not just in ransoms paid, but also in lost revenue, the costs incurred restoring systems and investigating the incident, and the cost of class-action lawsuits that have followed when customer/ employee personal information is impacted.

This article addresses some of the most common questions about ransomware and provides suggestions on ways to mitigate that risk.

What Is a Ransomware Attack?

Ransomware is a form of malware that encrypts (locks) your data and prevents access unless you unlock the data with a decryption key. There are three stages to a ransomware attack.

In the first stage, the threat actor (“the bad guy”) exploits an existing weakness (vulnerability) in your network. This 36

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vulnerability could be an open remote desktop protocol port, an employee who clicks on a phishing link or unpatched software for an application or server/ firewall. This stage gives the threat actor a foothold in your organization.

In the second stage of the attack, the threat actor performs reconnaissance in your network to identify and often exfiltrate/steal your data.

In the third stage, the threat actor deploys the ransomware that begins encrypting your files. Without effective monitoring tools, all you will see is the end result when you turn on your computer, cannot access files because they’re encrypted and find a ransom note threatening to release the stolen data on the dark web unless you pay a ransom.

The analogy I like to give clients is to imagine if you were to leave your house for the weekend but your front door

and a couple of windows are unlocked.

Those unlocked doors/windows are your vulnerabilities. A burglar will test your doors and windows until he finds an unlocked one and uses it to access your house (i.e., exploit your vulnerability).

Once inside, he will perform reconnaissance — looking around your house to find where your valuable items are hidden — and he will steal (exfiltrate) some of your items in the process. Imagine if, before the burglar leaves your house, he goes around changing all the locks so you can no longer access your house. When you return home you realize your key doesn’t work anymore.

You see a note on your front door that says, “If you want to re-enter your house you must pay me $5,000,000 in Bitcoin; and I stole your valuable/sensitive items, so unless you pay me in the next 72 hours, I will sell everything I stole on the dark web.” That is essentially a ransomware attack.

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When you are under attack, you can expect to lose access to critical functions as the encryption spreads like a virus throughout your connected network.

the pain) to focus on some key initial steps that will help you recover:

Are You Allowed to Pay a Ransom?

» Contact your cyber insurance carrier immediately. The carrier will provide you with experts who can help restore your data, contain and eliminate the threat, identify and fix the vulnerability, negotiate with the threat actors (even if you need to buy more time), and advise you on your legal obligations.

There are instances where paying a ransom may be necessary, for example, where data your organization needs to survive has been encrypted and you cannot restore your system using your backup files (either because the backup files were also impacted or because they don’t exist). Another example is where sensitive customer data has been stolen, and there is a threat to release that data on the dark web.

An initial question is whether the threat actors will actually provide the decryption key or delete the stolen data if they are paid the ransom. Usually, yes. Their business model does not work unless they do.

So when is it illegal to pay a ransom?

The law prohibits transactions that directly or indirectly benefit certain individuals/ terrorist organizations on a list maintained by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). You cannot pay anyone on that list, and doing so may result in criminal and civil penalties.

If you decide to make a ransom payment, the company you hire to facilitate that payment will first perform an “OFAC check” to ensure the payment you are about to make is not being made to an entity on that list.

» Do not erase anything and do not provide the only copies of your servers/ workstations to third parties. These devices hold important information about the nature of the attack that the forensic firm will need to help you recover. » Begin the process of restoring your information from backup.

What to Expect When Under Attack?

When you are under attack, you can expect to lose access to critical functions as the encryption spreads like a virus throughout your connected network. Your access will be down for at least a few days and potentially even a few weeks. You will receive questions from employees, customers, business partners and the media asking what is happening. You should expect to spend tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars, at minimum, responding to the incident. The good news is there are steps you can take to mitigate these risks.

Responding to the Attack Like a boxer punched in the face by Mike Tyson, you will initially panic and be stunned when you first realize you are under attack. Try to set aside the panic (and FRL A .org

» Operationally, you may need to start using an alternative method of communication while the recovery and remediation efforts are underway. You may also need to use a backup method of doing business, whether that is old-fashioned paper and pen or using personal laptops. (By the way, the lesson here is not “you’re better off just doing business the old-fashioned way with paper and pen.” That method may avoid a ransomware attack but it creates much larger data breach and security issues.) » Work with your newly engaged cybersecurity experts to contain the threat, close the vulnerability and identify which files may have been stolen or accessed.

Your legal counsel will ensure you are: (a) meeting legal requirements to preserve certain evidence; (b) performing the forensic investigation under privilege; (c) issuing statements to employees, customers and business partners that don’t create additional liability; (d) notifying the right law enforcement entities; and (d) notifying third parties and customers whose data may be impacted in the manner required by law.

Who Do I Need to Notify About the Attack?

If the threat actor accessed certain sensitive information (e.g., customer/employee personal information or proprietary/ sensitive information of business partners), there may be a legal obligation to notify those third parties whose information is impacted. There may also be an obligation to notify state attorneys general or other regulatory authorities. In some instances, your contracts with business partners may require that you notify them even if there is no proof that their information has been impacted. Your lawyer should be guiding FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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services and payment of a ransom). It also typically covers the costs associated with class-action lawsuits and regulatory enforcement actions. » Prepare an incident response plan, which is your roadmap for what to do if you ever fall victim to a cyberattack. The document describes who would need to be involved (internally and externally) and what steps to consider on operational, security, legal and financial issues.

you on these obligations, the timing of notice and the content of that notice.

But even if there were no legal obligation to notify, you may want to consider providing an informal update to customers and business partners about what is happening. If you decide to do this, it is incredibly important to work with legal counsel on this messaging because one wrong word could create a potential negligent misrepresentation or deceptive trade practice claims.

The Risk of Class-Action Lawsuits and Regulatory Enforcement Actions

Unfortunately, we live in a litigious society driven by individuals who are incentivized to file lawsuits against victims of a cyberattack. When you notify customers/ employees that their information was impacted by the ransomware attack, there is a good chance that a plaintiff ’s lawyer will learn about the attack from the news, from your regulatory notification, from a statement on your website, or from an individual who received notice and has questions about it. Increasingly, those lawyers are filing class-action lawsuits against companies that are victims of cyberattacks. They use social media to find potential clients “impacted by the XYZ data breach.” These lawsuits are usually looking for a quick settlement where each impacted person perhaps receives very little, but the lawyers receive hundreds of thousands of dollars in attorney’s fees.

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There is also a lower risk that the Office of the Florida Attorney General will seek penalties against your business for: (a) failing to adopt reasonable security safeguards to protect sensitive consumer information; (b) taking too long to notify impacted consumers; or (c) making statements about the incident that were not accurate. This is why incident response preparation is as important to minimizing costs as the response itself.

How to Mitigate The Risks

The good news is that there are steps your organization can take to minimize the likelihood of an attack and the impact of such an attack. From a technical perspective, one such measure is implementing multifactor authentication on any application, remote access protocols, email or other sensitive information. » Multifactor authentication requires you to authenticate yourself in more than one way (e.g., something you know, like a password, and something you have, like a phone where you receive a text with a short code). » Ensure you are backing up your information securely, from an offline source that is not connected to your network. » Purchase cyber insurance. A cyber policy typically covers most costs you will incur when responding to a ransomware attack, including legal counsel, forensic experts, data restoration services, certain operational losses, and sometimes cyberextortion costs (threat-actor negotiation

» It is not enough just to have a plan; you need to test it. The individuals who would be involved in responding to a cyberattack should meet at least annually to walk through a simulated attack. You can hire a third-party cybersecurity firm or a good lawyer to moderate this exercise. » Perform cybersecurity training for all levels of employees/directors/owners of your company at least once each year. » Deploy endpoint-monitoring tools that are constantly searching for unusual behavior and malware on your network. » Minimize the amount of sensitive data you collect. If you do not need it, don’t collect/keep it. If you really need it, encrypt it. » Engage a third-party cybersecurity firm to assess your environment. Let them identify your vulnerabilities (unlocked doors/windows) and prioritize which ones you should fix in which order. Florida has some outstanding cybersecurity firms that can help you do this.

Conclusion

There are other security measures you can and should implement. Working with a third-party cybersecurity expert and legal counsel experienced in cybersecurity will help you identify which of those measures are right for your organization and how to prioritize implementing them.

Al Saikali chairs the Privacy and Cybersecurity Practice at the law firm of Shook, Hardy & Bacon, LLP. He and his team regularly represent companies in preparing for and responding to cybersecurity attacks. If you have questions, you may contact Al at asaikali@shb.com.

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Invest in the Future

By KATE MANNING

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t is no secret that in recent years technology has seeped into nearly every aspect of our daily lives. Some industries, like the entertainment and healthcare industries, have been quick to adopt new and innovative technologies. Others faced barriers to modernization, slowing the process of progress. Then the coronavirus pandemic added fuel to the steady burn of technological adoption and caused an explosion. COVID-19 was not just a virus, it was a catalyst. It sped up the integration of technology by years. It forced us as a society to rethink our people, products, and processes. Especially in one of Florida’s most critical industries — food and service. This industry has been crippled by rising costs, high turnover rates, and lack of personnel.

As if these challenges were not enough, following Sept. 30, 2021, the industry faced an increase in the state’s minimum wage. Outcries from recovering restaurant owners exist with good reason. This increase in wages adversely affected small businesses. But, amidst a global pandemic, 60% of Floridians voted to make this change. Why? Because we as a society are rethinking our people, products, and processes.

Technology helps businesses do things safer, faster, cheaper, and better. It is by no means a replacement for humanity or the warm smile from a hostess as she gestures to your table. Instead, it is a means to support humanity. As a former service industry worker and IT graduate, I have seen the humanity in IT and the mechanization in service. These two industries are independent, yet symbiotic.

Restaurants across the nation have risen to the challenge by adopting online ordering systems, apps, contactless payment, QR code menus, and even service robots. I know what immediately comes to mind: “The robots are going to take all our jobs!’ But think for a moment — what if the robot was your job? What if you became the humanity behind technology by programming, designing, or assuring the quality of that robot?

There are thousands of open technology jobs across the state — jobs with decent pay, benefits, and the option for remote work. What is missing is the people. Imagine if we trained our service industry workers for those technology jobs and, in turn, encouraged restaurants to adopt the technology that would make the lack of personnel a problem of the past. Former food and service workers would still be supporting Florida’s most essential industry, but they would be doing so by building Florida’s technological ecosystem, and, in turn, making it more accessible to the industries that need it most.

Of course, this is all easy to imagine. It is the implementation where many small and local businesses may struggle. Some may reject the ideas I have proposed entirely, citing tradition over modernization as society’s spirit. To those I offer this consideration: Learn from the past but invest in the future, because the future is where you will be spending the rest of your life.

Kate Manning is a graduate of Florida State University with a degree in information, communication, and technology with honors. During her time at university, she served as a member of Students in Technology, Academia, and Research (STARS), Association for Computing & Machinery (ACM), and Women in IT Sharing Experiences (WISE). She was the recipient of the 2020 Student Leadership Award, and the Gene Sherron Award of Excellence. Kate was selected to be one of 100 students recognized in the Torchbearer 100 as the most outstanding students who, because of their service and leadership, have made a significant impact on student life at Florida State. She was also inducted into the Garnet and Gold Honor Society. Her passion for making a difference in the world with technology is what led her to her current position with the Florida Technology Council, where she is working to create a better, safer, stronger, and more efficient Florida by improving its technological ecosystem.

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Protect Yourself from Cyber Intrusions

By ERIC SHAPIRO

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yber hacks are very much on the rise. What most people don’t understand is that hackers are usually not targeting any business specifically. Usually, they are using bots to troll the net looking for companies with weak security controls. Or they are sending out blast phishing emails hoping a naïve employee will click on a link or open a document that is infected with malware.

Or they are creating social engineering scams to try to dupe people into wiring funds to the wrong bank accounts. Because these efforts are widely distributed and many bad actors are doing this, all companies are vulnerable. There are things all companies can do to stay vigilant and try to protect themselves beyond the usual firewalls, VPNs, etc.: 1. Implement Multi Factor Authentication (MFA). This should be used for anyone that can access your system remotely.

2. Implement End Point Detection. This will help your IT staff continually monitor and respond to cyber threats.

3. Train, Train, Train. Make sure your entire staff understands the threat and stays vigilant against opening the wrong attachments. Do phishing exercises regularly.

4. Put controls in place around Wire Transfers. Make sure anyone who has the ability to do wire transfers is trained to correctly, verbally, confirm the details of all wires.

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Due to the increase in frequency and severity of cyberattacks, cyber insurance has become more expensive and more difficult to get. It’s also become much more important to have.

Due to the increase in frequency and severity of cyber-attacks, cyber insurance has become more expensive and more difficult to get. It’s also become much more important to have. Carriers are now requiring their insureds to have these controls in place before they will provide insurance. When completing the application for insurance, pay close attention to the questions about controls and answer them honestly. If you do not have all these controls in place, you will probably be required to implement them so have a plan in place and articulate that. Work with your insurance agent to get the proper coverage based on your exposure. Terms and conditions vary widely in the marketplace, so be very careful to make sure you get the best coverage you can. Remember, especially with cyber, you get what you pay for, so don’t just buy on price.

Eric Shapiro is the Regional President for Socius Insurance.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

FLORIDA ATLANTIC UNIVERSITY

HOSPITALITY and TOURISM MANAGEMENT

Teaching the BUSINESS of Hospitality and Tourism

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TECHNOLOGY ISSUE

Two Years Into Chicken Sandwich Wars, the Battleground Is Still Shifting September saw Chick-fil-A take 38% of digital ordering spend on chicken sandwiches through third-party food delivery apps.

By HETAL PANDYA

T

he Chicken Sandwich Wars have raged so fiercely and for so long now, there’s even a Wikipedia page about it.

Originally started with the launch of Popeyes' chicken sandwich, the finger-licking fray has now seen Burger King join with the launch of their Ch’King Sandwich earlier this year.

Burger King will find themselves facing off against some of the biggest names in quick service restaurants, including McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Jack in the Box, KFC, Chick-Fil-A, and Zaxby’s.

According to new national research from the leading source of competitive intelligence and digital ordering insights for restaurants, Edison Trends, chicken specialist Chick-fil-A has a solid hold on the sandwich market. The restaurant garnered 38% of what customers spent on chicken sandwiches through online third-party food delivery apps this September, among the top eight quick service restaurants offering the item.

Chick-Fil-A has mostly maintained that top position since April 2020, with the exception of March 2021. The rise of McDonald's to take top place in that month coincided with the release of their Crispy Chicken Sandwich on February 24, 2021.

When Popeyes introduced their chicken sandwich on August 12, 2019, their resulting sales took a bite out of Chick-Fil-A and McDonald's. Popeyes had had no chicken sandwich on the menu prior to this. The restaurant’s offering sold out soon after its debut due to “unprecedented demand,” but their slice of the pie began growing again in November 2019, and in January 2020 they took in 23% of the money spent on chicken sandwiches among these brands.

By May 2020, spend on the Popeyes sandwich had soared to 365% over that of

its debut month—though their piece of the action had begun to shrink in comparison with other brands.

Burger King debuted their Ch'King sandwich varieties (regular, spicy, deluxe, and spicy deluxe) on June 3, 2021. In that month, they grabbed 5% of spend. How does their debut compare to Popeyes’? Looking at the first four months for each, Burger King saw twice the spend on its sandwich that Popeyes did on theirs. It's too early to tell what the long run may hold for Burger King’s offering, spend on which has declined since its introduction.

When it comes to what proportion of individual chicken sandwiches were sold by each of the top brands, the picture changes.

McDonald's has jousted with Chick-Fil-A since April 2020, with the former mostly maintaining first place. September saw Chick-fil-A pull about even with McDonald's,

with each taking 33-34% of the chicken sandwiches sold among these brands. (The average McDonald’s item in the analysis cost less than the average Chick-fil-A item, accounting for Chick-fil-A seeing the larger share of spend; top chart.)

While market share may rise or fall, most brands are growing their chicken sandwich orders. Looking at numbers of sandwiches sold in the first nine months of each year from 2019 to 2021, McDonald's increased their numbers 61% from 2019 to 2020, and 45% from 2020 to 2021; Chick-Fil-A's numbers grew 189% and 43% over those periods.

Popeyes was the only restaurant in this analysis whose numbers slipped, dropping 20% between 2020 and 2021. The largest growth from 2020 to 2021 in chicken sandwiches sold was shown by KFC, with a 171% increase.

Hetal Pandya is Co-Founder and VP Marketing at Edison Trends, the nation’s trusted source for restaurant digital ordering research. Edison Trends research is based on a sample of anonymized and aggregated e-receipts from millions of consumers in the United States. Visit https://trends.edison.tech to learn more.

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TECHNOLOGY ISSUE

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Chicken Sandwiches Ordered via Food Delivery Apps, 2019 - 2021

Source: Edison Trends. Note: This analysis was performed on over 170,000 transactions from 18 food delivery services.

Due to rounding, numbers may not add to 100%.

Comparison of Spend on Chicken Sandwiches via Food Delivery Apps,

by Month

Source: Edison Trends. Note: This analysis was performed on over 130,000 transactions from 18 food delivery services.

The highest value was set to 100, and all other values scaled accordingly.

FRL A .org

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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FPL ENERGY

Why Are Natural Gas Prices So High?

By RAY BUROW

T

he price of natural gas continues to rise in the United States and around the world. Unfortunately, the cost isn’t forecast to come down any time soon.

The expectation is that the price of natural gas will continue to rise through the winter months. That’s, of course, bad news for residential and commercial customers since natural gas accounts for 34% of the energy consumed in the United States, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. In 2020, restaurants and other commercial interests used 31.15 trillion cubic feet of U.S. natural gas, accounting for 10% of the country’s 30.48 trillion cubic feet consumption.

The reasons behind the high price of natural gas aren’t arbitrary.

The cost constantly fluctuates as the economy influences market supply and demand. Currently, the United States is experiencing an economic comeback

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following a short-lived recession brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, there are still uncertainties surrounding the U.S. economy, and those are affecting prices.

Storage and distribution efforts also impact the price passed down to consumers. In the last year, natural gas saw a price increase above 180%. Customers who rely on natural gas to generate electricity may have noticed that the price of natural gas was the highest it’s been in seven years.

The fact that prices have risen sharply is troubling since the United States leads the world in natural gas production, but depleted supplies and increasing demand negatively affect cost. The country isn’t experiencing a natural gas shortage, but supplies are limited. Less fuel was stored following an increase in demand. Natural gas that would have landed in storage

for the winter was used to meet summer consumption when air conditioners worked overtime.

Globally, demand for natural gas continues to skyrocket, stressing U.S. storehouses since the United States is the No. 1 producer worldwide. The Energy Information Administration reports that gas levels in U.S. storage are below the five-year average, falling 15.8% below last year’s levels. Additionally, there is a lower inventory of natural gas available because Hurricane Ida shut down nearly 80% of production in the Gulf of Mexico last year.

According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, half or nearly half of households in the country use natural gas. Currently, supply can’t keep up with demand, and when this occurs, the price of natural gas doesn’t come down, but often the opposite is true. Consumers can expect natural gas prices to rise in 2022.

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FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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HEARTLAND

Employee Empowerment vs. Enablement: A Leadership Conundrum

By VINCE LOMBARDO

A

s a leader, there are important responsibilities that naturally come with the job. These responsibilities may vary depending on your role, but one of the assumed responsibilities every leader has is the development of those around them.

Personal growth and development is not an occasional thing.

While each individual must accept responsibility for their own growth and development, they often look to their leader to provide opportunities to help them achieve it. Many leaders fall short, and this is often where the “leading vs. managing” discussion begins.

At the core of every opportunity to foster growth lies the decision to empower or enable.

Simply put, enabling is doing something challenging for another individual, while empowering is teaching them to do it for themselves.

One of my best childhood friends lived in a house where his mother did everything for him. His sole responsibility was to be a kid and enjoy life. He was not required to do the dishes, laundry, clean his room or make his bed. The Lombardo household was the complete opposite. If the trash was full and I didn’t notice, there was typically some form of feedback from my mom or dad. I used to be jealous of my friend’s situation, wishing I had it that “easy.”

Then we went to college, and this amazing thing happened: I was able to keep a clean living space and take care of myself — laundry, cooking, cleaning, etc., while my friend was completely lost. He was living in a world where he struggled to function with basic everyday tasks. I was suddenly grateful for the upbringing provided by my parents.

Picture this: You receive a phone call from one of your teammates asking a question about whether a widget works with a certain system. They have access to a reference tool that easily answers the question and a support team they can call, yet they seek help from you. If you want to be like my friend’s mom and create people who are dependent, go ahead and answer the question. If you want to coach

independent thinkers, teach them where to get the information and encourage them to seek it out for themselves.

The issue with the leader who enables is the scalability of their bandwidth. If you become the person your entire team depends on, your team can only be as big and productive as your work week can support. When you add middle management that copies this behavior, the same thing happens, just on a different scale.

Empowering people is the key to limitless potential.

Empowerment gives people the tools, the power and the opportunity to think and do for themselves. When you empower people, you develop independent thinkers and doers, creating possibilities to achieve at any level they desire.

The leader who empowers is the leader who provides the path for people to discover their own ability.

When considering all of the situations we encounter with our teammates, you might realize how frequently this occurs. In fact, I bet that a sales leader encounters more than two or three dozen opportunities a day to ask questions or point people in the direction to solve a problem rather than simply answering it for them.

If you’re wondering, “How do I recognize the difference between enabling and giving advice or coaching?” the answer is simple. If you are being asked to provide an answer, a solution or a recommendation, stop and ask yourself this question: Am I doing something for them, or am I giving them the tools to do it for themselves?

Within that answer lies the solution.

The next time your phone rings or your inbox dings with a need from someone around you, take the time to consider your answer.

Make the choice to give people the power to become independent rather than giving the solution that makes them dependent. It is not only wise, but it is your responsibility as a leader to facilitate their personal development. It will make a huge difference as you build for the future.

Vince Lombardo is the President of U.S. Payments and Payroll Solutions, Heartland. Vince has been with Heartland for 16 years, growing the company into one of the largest providers of payments, POS and payroll solutions in the U.S. 46

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WORKFORCE

Looking to Hire?

T

here’s a new player in the ondemand hospitality staffing game: Qwick. Food and beverage businesses in Miami, Orlando, Tampa Bay and nine other cities across the country are already benefiting from this innovative platform. Qwick has created an entirely new type of on-demand labor marketplace for food and beverage professionals, connecting businesses to quality, vetted staff at the drop of a hat.

How does it work? Businesses can create a free account on the Qwick Business app and post the shifts that need to be filled in a matter of minutes. Qwick’s proprietary algorithm matches five-star, vetted hospitality professionals to the open shifts. The platform boasts a 98% shift fill rate, with many shifts filled in as little as 30 minutes. There is no commitment, so you can post as many or as few shifts as you want when staffing needs change with the ebbs and flows of seasonality. Whether

you need dishwashers and line cooks or bartenders and event staff, Qwick ensures that you get the food and beverage help your business needs.

The industry’s top food and beverage personnel love working for Qwick because of the flexibility the platform provides, as well as the company’s commitment to delivering quality work paid at a living wage. Qwick has even found a way to pay professionals within 30 minutes of clocking out! These benefits allow Qwick to retain the industry’s best servers, bartenders, cooks, dishwashers and more. Businesses love Qwick professionals so much that they often want to hire them full time, and Qwick allows you to do just that with absolutely no penalty.

Qwick has made it easy for you to sign up and post a first shift within minutes.

Head over to Qwick.com to create an account. You can also reach their team via text anytime at 79425.

POST YOUR OPEN HOSPITALITY JOBS TODAY! FR E E T O F RL A MEM BERS RE HE AN T SC GE !

TO ED T AR ST

1. C LI C K O N THE ' EMP LOY E R PA NE L' LO CAT E D A T T HE TO P R IG HT CO R NER .

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FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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WORKFORCE

Three Ways to Boost QSR Hiring Strategy

I

t’s no secret that 2020 highly impacted the entire hourly workforce and how we hire people. Turnover rates in restaurants have reached a new high at more than 140%. Restaurant owners are having a hard time getting employees who left the industry to come back, and when they are ready to re-enter the workforce, they are applying for five or six jobs at a time. And because restaurants are understaffed, GMs are spending time covering shifts instead of actively hiring, growing the team or improving the customer experience.

With stakes as high as they’ve ever been, it’s more important than ever to take a look at your current hiring process and ensure you are following these three hiring tips. » Leverage Technology. With the right technology in place, your GMs can eliminate time-consuming tasks. Using the right tools, you can get more eyes on your job posting, automatically engage and screen applicants, give employees the ability to schedule their interviews through their phone, and ultimately free your GMs to focus more on the restaurant, the team and the customer experience. » Create a referral program. You may be receiving great organic referrals from your employees already. Make sure you’re incentivizing them to send more candidates your way. Doing so will increase the quality and quantity of your applicants.

» Diversify your job board platforms. QSRs are finding recent success with using social media platforms such as Facebook and TikTok to find new candidates. If you’re still using only job boards, you are missing out on an increasing number of new applicants who have moved on to other channels.

It’s time to use hiring approaches that work. Workstream is a text-based recruitment and hiring tool that was built for the hourly workforce. Enabling companies to track applicants in a dashboard and communicate with candidates via text allows candidates to upload short videos of themselves, provides analytics and works to automate onboarding.

Be the first to respond to applicants, the first to get them hired and be the first to be fully staffed.

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Kevin Camp

B U R G E R K I N G O P E R ATO R

“

“

Workstream has streamlined the whole hiring process for us. We’ve gone from a very dire staffing situation to a much better place in a short period of time.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

Offer exceptional service, every time, everywhere.

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GAS SOUTH

How to “Be a Fuel for Good”

W

hile it always feels satisfying in the moment to receive gifts or do things for yourself, most people would agree helping others provides the ultimate gratification. This is why Gas South has built giving back into the core of our company and who we are, recognizing that everything we do should further our mission to “Be a Fuel for Good.” From a corporate level, we’ve seen the incredible impact this has had on our culture, so here is our three-step guide to giving back.

Identify a Cause

There are so many people who need help in the world, and while we wish we could have an impact on everything and everyone, it simply isn’t possible. That’s why it’s important to identify a cause you are passionate about as a starting point. At Gas South, our “North Star” is helping children in need, which provides a clear focus and direction when seeking organizations to support.

Quantify Your Gift

When it comes to monetary contributions, create a benchmark or goal to dictate your impact. Considering how revenue can fluctuate, we recommend dedicating a consistent percentage of your annual profits to your cause. At Gas South, we pledge to share 5% of our annual profits with children in need, so everyone in the organization knows our commitment level to the community. We are incredibly proud to have given more than $7.5 million to our charitable partners since 2005.

Time is Money

Donating money is an important component of giving back, but when it comes to truly enriching your team, nothing beats the hands-on experience of helping others. Aligning your employees with the cause you are supporting will further connect them to each other and the community. So, when deciding where to donate money, don’t forget to look for

organizations that provide opportunities to volunteer and lend a literal helping hand to others. At Gas South, our employees have contributed nearly 1,600 volunteer hours in the last two years alone.

Considering the challenges presented by COVID-19 over the past 18 months, there have never been as many people in need as there are right now. And while giving back is the moral thing to do, it also provides tangible benefits for individuals and the organizations that unite them. That’s why Gas South constantly strives to “Be a Fuel for Good,” and it is our sincere hope that others will follow our steps to success and get more engaged with the communities we all serve.

Choose Gas South The preferred natural gas provider of the FRLA Specializing in serving hotels and restaurants for over 15 years, Gas South is Florida’s No. 1 choice for competitive rates and outstanding customer service.

• Customized rates and plans to fit your needs • Dedicated account managers and teams familiar with your business • 5% of profits given to support children in need • Committed to investing $50M in solar projects by the end of 2023 Call today for your free custom quote at 888.922.6694, or email us at Sales@GasSouth.com.

GasSouth.com

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888.922.6694

Sales@GasSouth.com

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

WITHUM

FRL A .org

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING

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A LA CARTE

Polpo Palm Beach Coming Soon!

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on and Dominque Rosa are opening Polpo Palm Beach at the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa this winter. The restaurant will be the Rosas’ second restaurant; the highly acclaimed original establishment is located in Greenwich, Connecticut.

With a menu that offers authentic Italian food and seafood, it is sure to be a popular destination for the hotel’s guests and the local community. Polpo is going to be an anchor for the resort’s extensive “reimagination.”

Congrats to Versailles, the World’s Most Famous Cuban Restaurant!

A

50th anniversary is always cause for celebration! During its 50th anniversary, Versailles is working with the HistoryMiami Museum to create a Versailles Anniversary Project to compile photos and memories for research and educational purposes, as well as being a part of the Versailles legacy.

Be sure to check out the exhibit to learn more about this historic business. Versailles is the political gathering spot for the Cuban exile community in Miami on Calle Ocho and is always a campaign spot for local, state and presidential campaigns. The food is authentic and fantastic! Congratulations Versailles!

In Passing: Austin Mott

I

t is with a heavy heart that we share that Austin Leonard Mott III, the first CEO of Visit Florida, passed away on Nov. 27, 2021. Austin was a pivotal member of our organization and the tourism community as a whole. In his career, which spanned 30 years of service to the industry, he directed major resort properties throughout the U.S., Bermuda and Puerto Rico. During Austin’s tenure, VISIT FLORIDA grew exponentially, becoming recognized throughout the world as the model of a successful tourism marketing corporation. He was President of the Florida Hotel and Lodging Association, served on the Board of Directors for both the National Council of State Tourism Directors (NCSTD) and Travel Industry Association (TIA), and was inducted into the Florida Tourism Hall of Fame in 2003.

FRLA Please Be Kind Campaign

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RLA has launched a “Please Be Kind Campaign” to remind guests of the impacts COVID-19 has had on our workforce and encouraging patience and kindness. We know how hard you and your staff are working amid the most challenging circumstances our industry has ever seen. Below is a sample of our “Please Be Kind” messaging, which you can download and use to print and post at your establishment, share on social media and more. The tool kit is available at https://frla.org/please-be-kind-toolkit/.

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In Passing: Bill Buskell

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ill Buskell, owner of the iconic Pineapple Willy’s and Wicked Wheel restaurants in Panama City Beach, passed away in late 2021. He was known as a generous entrepreneur who spent much of his time raising money for charitable causes including Beach Care Services, which he founded to assist local residents in need. He will be missed. Rest in peace, Bill.

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

AWARDS

2020-2021 Hall of Fame Congratulations to FRLA’s 2020-2021 Hall of Fame Recipients!

An interesting Editor’s note: Both of these Hall of Fame winners were featured in the spring 2017 issue of FR&L Magazine with Rivers as our Chefs That Sizzles and Kacheris as our Path to Power feature. View this issue here.

Restaurateur John Rivers

2021 Restaurateur of the Year

Restaurant entrepreneur and head chef of the award-winning 4 Rivers Smokehouse, John Rivers spent two decades traveling the country honing his taste and talent for barbecue. The Jacksonville native and Florida State University business grad ended a 20-year career in health care as president of a billion-dollar company to pursue a passion for helping children through his garage-based barbecue ministry — a bold switch fueled by faith and supported by family.

With ten restaurant locations throughout Florida, one restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia, and plans for continued expansion, John has received national recognition, having cooked at the James Beard House in NYC and participated several consecutive years in the Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival. Other renowned publications, including USA Today, Cooking Light, Food & Wine, and Paula Deen Magazine have also featured Rivers and the growing 4R brand.

Rivers is a 2021 FSU College of Business Alumni Hall of Fame Inductee and served on the FSU College of Business Board of Governors.

In 2017, as a Path to Power feature in FR&L Magazine, Rivers attributed his success in the restaurant industry as follows: “I believe a successful restaurant is the direct result of a strong culture, and 4 Rivers is all about the culture. People think it’s about the brisket and they think it’s about the product, but it’s about so much more than that. It’s about having fun, being thankful for our blessings and giving back to the community. It’s not about what we do; it’s about why we do it.”

John’s latest restaurant concept, The COOP, has quickly become a neighborhood favorite, with its fresh take on Southern comfort foods. He recently published his first book, The Southern Cowboy Cookbook, serves on numerous charity and school boards and lives in Winter Park, Florida, with his wife and two children.

Hotelier Peter Kacheris

2021 Hotelier of the Year

Peter Kacheris began his career in 1978 with Marriott Hotels & Resorts holding positions in operations, sales and marketing at various properties before being promoted to cluster general manager for the JW Marriott Lenox in Atlanta. In 2006, he was tapped as hotel manager for the Orlando World Center Marriott and was soon thereafter named general manager of the JW Marriott Grande Lakes Hotel complex comprising a 1,000 room JW Marriott hotel and a 582 room Ritz-Carlton, one of the first luxury hotels in the Orlando market. In 2006 Kacheris joined Starwood Hotels as complex general manager of the 2,265-room Walt Disney World® Swan and Dolphin Resort. In 2008, he joined Hilton Hotels as Managing Director of Waldorf Astoria Orlando & Hilton Orlando FRL A .org

Bonnet Creek. During this time, Kacheris was responsible for daily operations of the 498-room Waldorf Astoria Orlando (the first new-build Waldorf Astoria outside of NYC) and the 1,001-room Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.

He was also responsible for the award-winning Waldorf Astoria Golf Club, the Waldorf Astoria Spa and more than a dozen dining and lounge experiences, including the acclaimed Bull & Bear® restaurant.

In a 2017 interview with FR&L Editor, Susie McKinley, he noted, “The single greatest factor in the success of my career is the incredible people I have surrounded myself with. I have been very fortunate to work with high-performing individuals at all levels — superiors, peers and support teams.”

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H O S P I TA L I T Y H A P P E N I N G S

We are proud to highlight the latest happenings in hospitality. This section is designed to serve as an update on our industry and provide a snapshot of what we’re accomplishing together. If you would like to share something significant that’s happening in your area, feel free to submit your story to editor@frla.org.

1

2

3

4 1. Margaritaville Beach House opened in Key West this year, and we can't wait to get there! 2. Treasure Coast Board.

3. The winning team from the Suncoast Chapter's 11th Annual Clay Shoot. 4. The Tampa Ghost Kitchen event was a success. Enjoying the happy hour were Emily Horvath, Virtual Dining Concepts, Cole Dunlop, OrderB4 with guest and Zac Holbrook, Virtual Dining Concepts. 5. Pinellas Chapter celebrated the holidays in glorious style!

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5 FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

THANKYOU YOU FALL THANK FALLBOARD BOARD MEETING & GALA SPONSORS! MEETING & GALA SPONSORS!

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SILVER

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THANK YOU 2021 BOB LEONARD THANK YOU 2021 BOB LEONARD

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GOLF CLASSIC SPONSORS! GOLF CLASSIC SPONSORS!

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CORE

CORE: Children of Restaurant Employees Serve Up Hope in Our Industry

D

id you know that a valuable resource exists for food and beverage service operators? It is a resource for any type of F&B operation: restaurants (stand alone, food trucks, catering, hotel food service, contract management) and beverage service (bars, smoothie shops, coffee shops). CORE was founded by and is funded by the industry for the industry to help operations employees with children when either the employee, their spouse or child face a medical crisis, death or natural disaster.

The founders of CORE saw a need to create a financial safety net when life did not go as planned and a family dealt with one of these circumstances. Medical bills are the No. 1 cause of bankruptcy, and CORE founders understood that a medical crisis or loss of a home could be devastating financially. An average grant is $2,500 58

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and may cover living expenses, medical equipment, prescriptions costs, funeral expenses, funds for basic necessities and more. Each grant is unique and based on the family’s specific needs. The application is in English and Spanish.

More than 43% of CORE grantees are single parents, and it can be tough to provide for your family when battling a health issue or loss of home due to a natural disaster.

CORE launched Serving Up Hope, a two-week gratitude campaign, on Nov. 1.

Consider supporting CORE through product promotions, employee giving, A Side of Hope POS/guest check donations, sales team contests, tech transactions and more.

Operators, CORE is a valuable resource for your employees with children. Act today and post the CORE Back of House poster in your operation. Learn how to serve as a CORE Volunteer: Operator

Brand Advocate to help your qualifying employees apply for a grant. You can also activate a promotion to raise funds for CORE. Suppliers, consider supporting CORE with a donation, or become a Corporate Partner.

Partner with operators for a product promotion, transaction donation or donate in honor of a new client you bring on board. Let them know that together, we are serving up hope.

Together we can serve up hope when life does not go as planned. To learn more, visit www.coregives.org.

CORE is here to serve!

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

J A C K A N D J I L L F O U N D AT I O N

Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation

By SAMANTHA SITT

A

t 9 years old, Shelley Jones’ life was changed forever when her father, Ralph Jones, lost his battle with cancer. This is a story many of us know all too well.

When a parent is diagnosed with late-stage cancer, children are faced with the imminent loss of their mom or dad at an especially vulnerable stage in their lives. It often becomes a struggle to find a timeout as a family, away from cancer and free from doctor’s appointments, medications and treatments. This is why the Jack & Jill Late Stage Cancer Foundation (JAJF) has been committed to treating the families, not the cancer, for more than 16 years.

Memory-making, WOW! Experiences After Ralph Jones was diagnosed with cancer, his oncologist referred him and his family to JAJF for an essential timeout together as part of their treatment. These timeouts in the form of fabulous trips are also known as a WOW! Experience. JAJF receives its families solely based on an oncologist’s prescription, working with a coalition of medical partners across the nation.

The Jones family checked in at the Old Edwards Inn in Highlands, North Carolina, on the first day of their WOW! Experience.

Breathtaking trips to waterfalls, relaxing spa treatments and delicious meals were all included in the Jones’ itinerary, allowing them to create lasting memories Shelley still holds onto today. Since its founding, JAJF has treated thousands of families to prescribed timeouts at destinations from Florida to Hawaii and beyond.

Ralph Jones and family

the U.S. for these children who are facing the imminent loss of their young moms and dads. Every contribution helps send a sweet young family on a critical timeout from cancer. The impact is measurable and meaningful. There is no black hole. Learn more about how you or your organization can make a tangible impact: » In-Kind Donations: WOW! Partners donate hotel accommodations, food and beverages, theme park VIP experiences, airfare, car rentals, photography and more which JAJF uses to create each personalized family itinerary from driveway to driveway.

Learn more at JAJF.org/friends/corporate-partners. » Ongoing Donations: Whether it’s rounding up purchases on meals and goods or simply putting out a Share the WOW! jar at the front desk, WOW! Partners can help raise money and spread awareness about JAJF. » One-Time Donations: Make a one-time donation (investment) online or by check. It only takes $1,500 to sponsor a family’s WOW! Experience. Learn more at JAJF.org/donate-now.

Paying It Forward: Make An Impact with JAJF

The Inspiration Behind JAJF

JAJF’s strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency have earned it a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest independent charity evaluator. As a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt national public charity, this is the most highly coveted rating.

JAJF receives monetary and in-kind donations from corporate partners, family foundations and individual supporters/ benefactors to make these trips possible. Ten years after her family’s WOW! Experience, Shelley Jones continues to pay it forward with her own art fundraiser, where a portion of each drawing sold is donated to JAJF. There is a tremendous amount of heart and compassion across

JAJF was founded in 2006 by Jill and Jon Albert. After Jill was diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer, the Alberts were inspired to create a foundation that would allow families to create cherished memories — a child’s greatest inheritance. Jill succumbed to her cancer on Nov.15, 2006, leaving behind her two young children.

Cancer does not stop, nor will JAJF! For questions or more information about how to get involved, visit JAJF.org or contact WOW! Society Director at jkanter@jajf.org or (404) 537-JAJF (5253).

Miles Partnership is a strategic marketing company focused exclusively on travel and tourism. We work with more than 90 destinations and hospitality businesses to create forward-thinking marketing solutions. With a shared appreciation for the power of travel, Miles partnered with JAJF in 2020, helping to spread their mission in treating the families, not the cancer.

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F R L A E D U C AT I O N A L F O U N D AT I O N

David Caples and Trinity Love Hoblit Scholarship

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he FRLAEF is excited to announce this year’s recipient of the David Caples and Trinity Love Hoblit Scholarship.

The recipient is Emily Loomis, who completed the Hospitality & Tourism Management (HTM) program at Forest Hill High School with instructor Diana Sardina. Part of her high school success included winning the HTM competition in 2018. She completed her internship at The Breakers Palm Beach at Mary Lily’s, a gourmet ice cream and candy shop in the retail department. Currently, Emily works on-call at The Breakers in the retail department as a retail floater, working in all retail stores and supporting the entire retail team. Upon graduating from high school in May 2020, she enrolled at the University of North Florida, where she is in her second year pursuing a degree in marketing. During high school, Emily had a 4.746 GPA, while in college her GPA is a 3.97. At UNF, she is the marketing coordinator for The Swoopin’ Ospreys UNF Dance Team, a member of the Delta Gamma sorority and a part of both the Hicks Honors College and the Coggin College of Business. In addition, she enjoys giving back to her UNF community and the Jacksonville community by volunteering with the Jacksonville Humane Society and the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind with her sorority. Emily plans to graduate from the University of North Florida in May 2024. She aspires to work in event management and would love to return to The Breakers upon graduating to build her career.

The David Caples and Trinity Love Hoblit Scholarship is funded through the Hoblit Family. The Trinity Love Hoblit Foundation was formed in loving memory of Trinity, the daughter of Phil and Olivia Hoblit. Trinity’s dream was to pursue a career in the hospitality industry but unfortunately she passed away young due to a brain aneurysm. David Caples was Olivia’s mentor, role model and best friend. He had over 40 years of experience in the hospitality industry.

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Emily Loomis

GLOBAL SPONSORS

FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

UPCOMING EVENTS MAY 31- JUNE 2, 2022

FRLA SUMMER BOARD MEETING LOEWS MIAMI BEACH HOTEL, MIAMI BEACH, FL.

AUGUST 17-18, 2022

OPERATIONS + MARKETING SUMMIT

ChampionsGate Golf Club, Orlando

HOLLYWOOD HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, HOLLYWOOD, FL.

NOVEMBER 2-3, 2022

TRADESHOW + FALL BOARD MEETING ORLANDO, FL.

FRLA.ORG/EVENTS

G N I N R A W OLIC ALCOH YOUR AD TO REVOKED. LE N OR N CA LATIO NDED ED VIO ING SUSPE E RELAT OHOL E LICENSE B LC A E AG ON BEVER

Protect your license with alcohol compliance training!

IMPORTANT! If you serve a minor, you can go to jail for up to 60 days and be fined $500!

Remember your training! To protect your liquor license, and be in compliance with the Florida Responsible Vendor Act, make sure your staff: 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Checks the ID of anyone who looks younger than 30 Ensures the birthday on the ID is on or before today’s date 2020 Asks a manager if they have any questions or concerns about an ID’s validity Does not serve an empty seat or multiple drinks to one person Knows they have the right to refuse service if they are not sure the drinker is 21

CONTACT FRLA’S RCS TRAINING TODAY FOR A FREE TRAINING CONSULTATION

rcstraining.com • 800-537-9863 • facebook.com/FRLARCSTraining

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CITY

Jan

Feb

Mar

CPFM SCHEDULE

LOCATION

ALTAMONTE SPRINGS

12

9

9

Hampton Inn

BOCA RATON

13

10

10

Hilton Garden Inn

DAYTONA BEACH

13

17

17

The Shores Resort & Spa

FORT LAUDERDALE

20

24

24

Hyatt Place

FORT MYERS

20

17

3

Hilton Garden Inn

FORT PIERCE

13

10

10

Sunshine Kitchen

FORT WALTON

18

8

8

Wyndham Garden

GAINESVILLE

27

24

31

Best Western Gateway Grand

JACKSONVILLE

26

23

30

Southbank Hotel

JACKSONVILLE BEACH

13

2

16

Four Points by Sheraton

KEY WEST

19

-

23

DoubleTree Grand Key Resort

LAKELAND

18

14

14

Courtyard by Marriott

MELBOURNE

20

24

24

Holiday Inn Melbourne-Viera

MIAMI ENGLISH

4

17

2

Hilton Garden Inn Miami Airport

MIAMI SPANISH

12

8

8

Hilton Garden Inn Miami Airport

NAPLES

27

24

31

DoubleTree Suites

OCALA

13

10

10

Homewood Suites Ocala at Heath Brook

ORLANDO ENGLISH

20

25

9

Embassy Suites

PANAMA CITY

27

24

24

Gulf Coast State College

PENSACOLA

25

22

22

Hampton Inn Pensacola Airport

SARASOTA

6

2

3

EVEN Hotel Sarasota-Lakewood Ranch

ST AUGUSTINE

19

16

23

Holiday Inn Express & Suites

ST PETERSBURG

11

8

8

Holiday Inn Express

TALLAHASSEE

20

10

10

Lively Technical Center

TAMPA ENGLISH

11

8

8

Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore

TAMPA SPANISH

-

-

10

Holiday Inn Tampa Westshore

WESLEY CHAPEL

12

9

9

Hampton Inn & Suites

WEST PALM BEACH

11

8

8

Embassy Suites West Palm Beach

* Dates are tentative

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Food Manager Training & Testing Schedule To register, call toll-free (866) 372SAFE (7233) or visit safestaff.org.

DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: Register for training at least three business days prior to exam date or 10 business days prior for Test With Confidence Packages.

Dates subject to change without notice. Please see SafeStaff.org for current schedule.

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Log in and download your certificate as soon as your exam is graded! You can even share it electronically with your company via an email share link.

Find out more: ServSafe.com.

safestaff.org FLORIDA RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION

XXXX XXXX

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association

SEAL OF COMMITMENT

1

2

3

Want your guests to feel safe and secure in your hotel or restaurant?

Want to demonstrate your commitment to rebuilding and restoring Florida’s hospitality and tourism industries?

Want to have a market differentiator that ensures thousands of dollars in positive marketing?

Earn your Seal of Commitment today at FRLA.org/SealOfCommitment/.

Complete the online application, and an FRLA representative will contact you to confirm the information, schedule necessary training, and award your Seal of Commitment designation.

CONGRATULATIONS to our newest Seal of Commitment designees!

NORTHWEST FLORIDA The Bay, Santa Rosa Beach SOUTHWEST FLORIDA Beach Road Wine Bar & Bistro, Englewood The Waverly, Englewood Four Points by Sheraton Harborside, Punta Gorda TREASURE COAST Best Western Stuart, Stuart

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REGIONAL REGIONAL DIRECTOR DIRECTOR REGIONAL DIRECTOR &&CHAPTER &CHAPTER CHAPTER MAP MAP MAP

ROZETA ROZETA MAHBOUBI MAHBOUBI ROZETA MAHBOUBI 954.270.5814 954.270.5814 | rmahboubi@frla.org | rmahboubi@frla.org 954.270.5814 | rmahboubi@frla.org

KERI BURNS KERI BURNS KERI BURNS 407.256.7660 407.256.7660 | kburns@frla.org | kburns@frla.org 407.256.7660 | kburns@frla.org

JASON JASON SCHIESS SCHIESS JASON SCHIESS

850.841.0915 850.841.0915 | JSchiess@frla.org | JSchiess@frla.org 850.841.0915 | JSchiess@frla.org

FLORIDA FLORIDA INNS INNS FLORIDA INNS Statewide Statewide Chapter Chapter

GULF ISLAND COAST CHARLOTTE GULF ISLAND COAST LEE LEE LEE

Statewide Chapter

COLLIER COLLIER COLLIER

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FR L FR A .O LA. RG O/ MEMB RG / MEMB E RS EHI RS PP HIFLORIDA P RESTAUR ANT & LOD GING A S SO CIATION FR L A. O RG / MEMB E RS HI