Insider | Fall 2022

INSIDER SOUTH CAROLINA RESTAURANT AND LODGING ASSOCIATION

FALL 2022

Tee Up for Scholarships this Fall meet our 2022 scholarship recipients and learn about our upcoming events

©2020 South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. All rights reserved. Reproduction or quotation in whole or part without written permission is forbidden. While this newsletter is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information, the Association is not engaged in rendering legal or accounting services. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought.

Integrated restaurant technology

Preferred technology partner

Quick back-of-the-napkin math.

Lasting restaurant profits.

Do the math to see how much more profit you could be making.

We’ve all heard the famous ad campaign “membership has its privileges”. A privilege is defined as a benefit enjoyed by an individual or group beyond what is available to others.

Out of curiousity, I also looked up the definition of benefit and was particularly interested to see the illustration that was used as well. A benefit is defined as an advantage or profit gained from something. "Enjoy the benefits of being a member." We often use the words “member benefits” when we talk about SCRLA. We offer numerous member benefits, including discounts, goods, and services that are only available to you as an SCRLA member. But those benefits are only as good as the value they hold, or again, by definition of value, “a fair return in goods, services, or money for something exchanged”.

I would assert that a look at our member benefits portrays a great deal of value.

Consider for example: •

The average rebate for Dining Alliance participants is $465 per quarter

•

Members report savings as high as 25% on their premiums with United Healthcare

•

Empower Solutions has assisted 160 members in collecting over $14 million in tax credits

•

EMPLOYERS® has just been added as a partner offering a 5% premium credit on workers' compensation

I could go on with examples from BMI, Smith Travel Research, ServSafe and more... all of which offer member savings or added benefits.

Often times, member benefits are enhanced by the number of businesses participating.

For example, the more members we have who are actively engaged in our advocacy, the more success we will have reaching and influencing our legislators on issues that impact our industry.

In a few weeks you will receive a survey to help guide us in setting our legislative priorities for the next session. In some areas we will host Community Conversations and invite local and state elected officials to listen in as we discuss a variety of topics, ranging from lingering workforce and supply chain challenges, to restrictive ordinances, or even the most effective expenditure of A-TAX dollars. It will be a great opportunity for your voice to be heard. Literally!

The one thing all of our benefits have in common is YOU and a few minutes of your time to fill out a form, talk to staff or a partner representative, or attend a meeting.

So, to quote another ad campaign’s simple question... what are you waiting for?

Susan H. Cohen President & CEO

WELCOME

What are you waiting for?

MEET YOUR SCRLA TEAM & EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association provides superior value and effective communication by being the voice of the foodservice and lodging industry in government and public relations, educational programs, offering operational benefits, and creating opportunities for member involvement.

Michael Frits

Susan Cohen

Chairman DoubleTree by Hilton Myrtle Beach Resort

President & CEO

Douglas OFlaherty

Carl Sobocinski

Chief Operating Officer

Vice Chairman Table 301

Hank Davis

VP of Governmental Affairs & Community Development

John Munro

AHLA Board Liason Sea Pines Resort

Sam Agee

Treasurer Gateway Hospitality

Lenza Jolley

Director of Marketing & Communications

Bobby Williams

Immediate Past Chairman Lizard's Thicket

Randi Sullivan

Director of Membership Services

Members

AnnMarie McManus

Bill Ellen, Experience Columbia SC

NRA Board Liason Table 301

PO Box7577 Columbia, SC 29202 803.765.9000

John Keener, Charleston Crab House

Meetings & Events Manager

Christal VanWickler

Carl Sobocinski

Sean McLaughlin, Forest Lake Club

Bookkeeper/Education Coordinator

Tony Tam, IMIC Hotels Heidi Vukov, Croissants Bakery & Bistro

Still recovering from COVID-related challenges?

Our South Carolina Small Business Development Centers network of over 50 highly-trained professionals across the state can help adapt your business and position it for growth.

Scan Me

You can rely on us to provide: loan packaging strategic planning diversification strategies sales & growth strategies cash flow/fiscal management We offer no-fee individual, confidential business consulting; affordable educational workshops and access to Scott and Sarah Gayle McConnell, Chris Winn valuable business resources.

Tradesman Brewing Co. Charleston Area SBDC Client

Ask us. We can help. Visit SCSBDC.com

Table of Contents 7

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

Creating a Culture of Safety in Your Restaurant

8

National Food Safety Month

10

Stamping Out Human Trafficking through BEST partnership

12

Scoring Change Vaults South Carolina ProStart Competitors to 2nd Place Finish

HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR THE SCRLA PAC South Carolina’s hospitality and tourism industries deserve public officials who fight for pro-hospitality policies. That is why the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association established a state Political Action Committee and will be hosting its inaugural PAC event this fall, which will serve as its preeminent fundraising event. Review the event packages and make plans to join us on October 9 and 10 at Wild Dunes Resort.

16

Third Annual SCRLA Marketing and Operations Conference presented by Sysco

20

Ensuring Housekeeping Operations Meet Renewed Expectations

23

Can Autonomous Technology Power the Future of Restaurants?

29

GSA Increases Per Diem Rate

Meet this year's SCRLF scholarship recipients on page 15.

OCTOBER 9-10, 2022 WILD DUNES RESORT ISLE OF PALMS, SC

EMPLOYERS works with SCRLA members to offer a preium credit.

EMPLOYERS® is the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association's choice for workers’ compensation insurance. With over 100 years of insurance expertise, EMPLOYERS pairs industry-leading service with competitive rates, allowing SCRLA members to focus on what they do best–run their businesses.

Workers' Compensation Benefits Available to SCRLA Members:

5% Credit

Cash Flow Assistance

Efficient Claim Handling

Injured Employee Hotline

Anti-Fraud Programs

Loss Control Support

Connect with an agent today to see what EMPLOYERS can do for your business at SCRLA.org/employers.

Creating a Culture of Safety in Your Restaurant The most successful restaurants provide a consistent experience for guests, who expect quality service, quality food, and a fair price. These restaurants are regimented workplaces that thrive on routine and have multiple operating systems in place. While these well-developed systems drive financial success, restaurateurs sometimes overlook the importance of incorporating occupational safety into their existing daily checklists and operational procedures. That can have negative consequences for the business and the personal well-being of its employees.

IS MY BUSINESS UNSAFE? The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most recent data shows 138 restaurant workers died on the job in 2017. Restaurants averaged 2.9 injuries per 100 employees in 2018, it reported.

EMPLOYERS Loss Control Program Manager Dan Killins said restaurants that are most successful at occupational safety and health incorporate it into their existing operating systems.

SAFETY BEGINS WITH TRAINING Within their operational systems, restaurant owners and managers ask themselves many times during a shift: Are we cooking things to the right temperature? Are we storing things correctly? Are we sourcing our ingredients from the right places? Incorporating occupational safety-related questions into that process can help them avoid the most common restaurant injuries, which include: • • • •

Cuts from knife use, kitchen equipment and damaged tableware Burns from hot liquids, chemicals, plates, stoves, ovens or fryers Slips and falls due to wet or otherwise slippery floors Strains from lifting and carrying heavy objects

These injuries can leave a restaurant short-staffed, costing the owner time and money for medical exams and treatments.

This adds unwanted, unexpected and unnecessary costs to the bottom line of an already tough-to-run small business.

Avoiding these preventable injuries begins with training.

As a restaurant owner or manager, when you train employees to do their specific jobs, also train them to do their jobs safely. For example, when training an employee to flip a burger correctly, it’s not just how to flip it well and quickly.

It’s also teaching them to flip it away from their bodies so the grease doesn’t splash on them. Or when showing a line cook how to drain a basket of fries, teach them to use two hands to make sure they don’t strain their shoulders or arms. A restaurant safety element should be part of training for all tasks, including stocking the storerooms, retrieving or putting away ingredients, moving kegs or stocking a bar.

The pre-shift meeting is another chance to incorporate occupational safety training into a daily routine. Employees pay attention when managers present the daily specials, talk about the ingredients and allow them to taste. Front-of-

house staff, who may not be privy to everything going on in the back-of-house, pay particular attention because it connects them to what’s going on in the restaurant. That’s a perfect opportunity to start using the language of restaurant safety, Killins said.

ROUTINE VS. NON-ROUTINE TASKS Restaurants, like any business, have routine and non-routine tasks. Routine tasks tend to cause fewer injuries because employees are used to doing them often. Non-routine tasks are those that occur on only a monthly, quarterly, annual, or occasional basis. Because employees have less experience with non-routine tasks, they are more likely to result in an injury or accident.

As a restaurant owner or manager, you need to carefully evaluate the non-routine tasks and weigh the benefits of having an employee do the job versus hiring a specialist contractor..

Consider the non-routine task of cleaning the hood over a fryer or grill. Typically, restaurants will contract out that task because it can be high-risk. Hoods are elevated and messy, and the task involves chemical use and cleaning overhead.

However, it’s tempting for restaurant owners or managers to take a shortcut to save a buck and just have a staffer do the job.

“Standing on a grill and trying to clean a hood or balancing between a ladder, a grill, and a fryer is a bad idea,” Killins said. “I have read incidents of people actually stepping in fryer oil while trying to clean the hood. While it might be easy to say, ‘Hey, after you’re done with the dishes guys, can you go and spend a couple of hours cleaning that?’

But restaurateurs really must evaluate if an employees has the tools, experience and understanding of the chemicals necessary to do a job like that, then balance that with that many companies out there who do that for a living and that’s their expertise.”

MAKE SAFETY YOUR MANTRA When employees hear the message of restaurant safety from their leaders on a frequent basis, it’s similar to the effect of a drip irrigation system for plants. Drenching plants at the beginning of a week, letting them dry out and then drenching them again a week later isn’t healthy for a plant.

A constant slow drip from an irrigation system keeps the soil perfectly hydrated.

National Food Safety Month Provides Education to All Levels of Operations September is National Food Safety Education Month (NFSM) and the ServSafe training experts are working overtime to provide restaurants with materials to ensure food handling and preparation practices are up to standards.

NFSM was created in 1994 by ServSafe and the National Restaurant Association (NRA) to heighten awareness about the importance of education to ensure food is safely delivered to customers. This year, ServSafe marks 33 years as the leader of foodservice education training and certification, having issued more than 20 million credentials during that time.

So how much overtime is ServSafe putting in during in NFSM to deliver food safety education to restaurants?

To put their efforts into perspective: ServSafe distributed approximately 5.6 million emails containing food safety education materials to restaurants from January to August of 2021. In September of last year alone, that number ballooned to 12.4 million emails sent to educate restaurants about food safety.

8

The curriculum for this year’s NFSM will focus on guidelines and safety standards for all levels of restaurant operation, from food handlers up to executive teams. Focus will also go beyond just standard food temperature and cooking times, as allergens and responsible alcohol service are addressed as well.

ServSafe developed the instruction this year to go beyond just one-page guides and printable checklists.

While those tools are still utilized in this year’s education, a more comprehensive and deeper dive into food safety at every level was envisioned. The “big idea” is everyone who works in a restaurant has a role to play in keeping customers safe. In order accomplish this, there are practices workers at every level must follow.

ServSafe training will produce educational materials for owners and operators, restaurant employees, and the industry at large about the importance of food safety, focusing on the best tips, tricks, advice, and lessons learned in the last 30+ years. Look for the five themes to be explored with blog posts, social media, posters, activity sheets, whitepapers and eBooks related to each.

SCRLA.org

WEEK 2: FOOD MANGER During this week, the focus of education will be how managers can approach food safety in the workplace and how to pass the knowledge on to employees. Guides showing mangers how to pass health inspections and self-inspect, periodically, to ensure safety compliance are included.

WEEK 3: MULTI-UNIT OPERATOR This week’s focus is all about creating a food safety culture for owners who operate more than one restaurant. Maintaining standard food safety practices across a multi-unit portfolio can present unique challenges, so guides and whitepapers that offer insight to accomplish this are provided.

WEEK 4: EXECUTIVE TEAM The instruction during this week centers around those operators who have numerous restaurants under their umbrella. These chain and franchise operators will be given instruction on how to create a culture of food safety corporatewide and scorecards to chart their results.

WEEK 5: BEYOND TIMES AND TEMPS The focus this week gives all levels of operation the opportunity to look beyond just food safety practices and into other areas of food handling and service. The “Big 9” food allergens are outlined and a breakroom poster identifying them is available. This week’s instruction will also move out of the kitchen and into the dining area to provide educational materials for responsible alcohol service.

Scan the QR code to visit FoodSafetyFocus.com

NATIONAL UPDATES

WEEK 1: FOOD HANDLER The first week focuses on the importance of food safety for the employees who will be handling and preparing food for consumption.

This education will benefit those on the “front lines”, from food prep workers to sous chefs.

Included educational materials will focus primarily on basic food safety checklists and guides for cooking times and temperature.

10

SCRLA.org

Together, SCRLA Members Can Help Stamp Out Human Trafficking The real heroes in the war against human trafficking are often people doing everyday jobs who notice when something is unusual. Human traffickers will often use well-known and reputable hotels as the site of their crimes to profit from exploiting vulnerable people. But diligent hospitality employees who have been well-trained on the issue of human trafficking are able to spot a potential trafficking situation when they know the warning signs to look for. To truly eradicate human trafficking, it is essential that the hospitality industry recognize our central role in not only responding to human trafficking, but preventing it in the first place.

The best way to prevent human trafficking is with staff training and education. The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association recently re-introduced a partnership with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) to address the issue of human trafficking by offering members a free employee training on how to recognize and report suspected human trafficking activity in hotels.

SCRLA members can train employees by administering BEST’s Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training, which is available in both English and Spanish, and includes engaging videos to teach hospitality employees the warning signs of potential human trafficking activity and explains what they can do if they suspect potential trafficking.

Training objectives include: •

Provide an overview of sex trafficking and labor trafficking and their impact on the hotel industry

•

Discuss common indicators of human trafficking and case examples

•

Give action steps for how to respond to and prevent human trafficking

•

Discuss key takeaways and provide additional resources, including modules to address real scenarios or receive more in-depth training

Everyone who completes the training will receive a certificate. This certificate may satisfy state and/or local training requirements. It is the responsibility of hotels and restaurants to verify whether the training meets any such requirements.

Employees will hear from hospitality professionals, as well as human trafficking survivors, in BEST’s videosimulated training to help hotel staff understand that human trafficking is not a victimless crime. It can result in severe abuse, trauma and violence. When human trafficking happens on hotel properties, not only can the situation be dangerous for victims of human trafficking, but it can also impact other guests’ assessment of the safety of the hotel and damage brand reputation. Training hotel employees in human trafficking awareness will have a major impact on our ability to help more victims of this crime get the help they need, as well as keeping hotels safe for all guests.

Survey research has shown that before receiving training, only 8% of trainees recognized a trafficking incident within the prior year. After taking BEST’s training, that number jumped to 44% of trainees identifying victims.

To access BEST's Inhospitable to Human Trafficking training, please visit SCRLA.org/best_partnership.

SCRLA.org

11

Workforcethe Solutions Support Futureare of Closer the than you Think Restaurant Industry Visit connect G E T ISCProStart.com N VOLV E D W I T to H P R OSTA with R T ® a school today.

How can you promote the wide variety of opportunities for careers in restaurants and foodservice? By getting involved in your local community, state or national ProStart program.

ProStart is a two-year, industry-backed culinary arts and restaurant management program for high school students. The national program reaches 130,000 students in 1,700+ schools in all 50 states, Washington, DC and the Territory of Guam —and there are plenty of ways for you to introduce young and upcoming talent to different paths to success. Here’s how.

Be a Guest Speaker Bring your industry expertise to a ProStart classroom in your community. Share career stories, lead demonstrations or teach a unique lesson plan. Being a guest speaker can be a one-time opportunity or scheduled on an ongoing basis.

Invite Students to your Restaurant, Office or Foodservice Operation

Mentor a Class Be the designated industry connection to a ProStart classroom. As a classroom mentor, you can provide guest lessons and demonstrations, host field trips at a local restaurant or facility, provide internship or employment opportunities, and lend support for state and national ProStart competitions.

Coach a Team ProStart students compete in state and national competitions for scholarships and prizes. By coaching a team, you can attend practices, host preparatory competitions and rehearsals, and provide feedback and guidance to competitors.

Host a field trip for ProStart students to tour your restaurant or offices. Show students how both front of the house and back of the house operate and introduce students to your professional colleagues, including kitchen staff, waitstaff and shift managers. This is also a great opportunity to highlight “nontraditional” foodservice careers like accounting and finance, marketing and communications, supply chain and logistics, human resources and technology.

Scoring Change Vaults South Carolina ProStart Competitors to 2nd Place Finish in National Competition A scoring recalculation from the 2022 National ProStart® Invitational has resulted in the South Carolina-based restaurant management team moving up the final standings.

The three-day event in Washington, D.C. saw the team of Hanna Coplickas and Kobe Powell initially place fifth in the restaurant management division out of the 40 teams invited. However, due to a change in how the scores were calculated, it was later determined the duo had earned enough points to move them into second place overall in the competition. The revised result matched the finish of their teammates from Anderson Career and Technology Center in the culinary division.

While the recalculation gave them a higher spot in the final standings, the change also resulted in a tangible outcome for the pair. The top five teams in each division received monetary awards in the form of individual scholarships, with the amount awarded based on place in the final standings. The restaurant management team from ACTC had their scholarship dollar amounts double with the amended finish.

Both students graduated high school in the spring and have moved on to further their aspirations of working in the hospitality industry. Hannah is now enrolled in Johnson & Wales University, while Kobe has started his studies at the Disney College Program.

With national and local support from industry members, educators, the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the ProStart Program reaches 3,800 students from 63 high schools statewide. From culinary techniques to management skills, ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum provides real-life experience opportunities and builds practical skills and a foundation that will last a lifetime.

SCRLF Awards Hospitality Scholarships for 2022-2023 In May, the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation awarded their 2022 Hospitality Scholarships to eight students from around the state who plan to attend post-secondary institutions for education in the hospitality industry.

In May, the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Foundation awarded their 2022 Hospitality Scholarships to eight students from around the state who plan to attend post-secondary institutions for education in the hospitality industry.

All eight of the students enrolled in college for the fall and will train at several of the state’s premiere culinary programs, including Johnson & Wales, University of South Carolina, Bob Jones University, Trident Technical College, Greenville Technical College, and Horry-Georgetown Technical College.

The scholarships were made possible by funding received through the SCRLF. The purpose of the Foundation is to assist the hospitality industry to help it thrive through the administration of education and workforce development programs, and industry certifications, in addition to the administration, development, and delivery of programs for pandemic and/or disaster recovery in South Carolina.

meet the

Scholarship Recipients

Anthony Williams

Iiaja Brock

Christina Farmer

Sarah Weaver

Denaje Griffin

Sheldon Free

D'Miyah Livingston

Zoe Morrow

The fundraising programs and projects of the foundation have been the primary source of financial support for postsecondary scholarships, industry-related school-to-career programs, and workforce development initiatives.

Primary sources of funding for the initiative include private donations, silent auctions and the annual Hospitality Leaders Golf Tournament presented by US Foods.

This year, the golf tournament is being held at Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet on September 12. The Tom Fazio-designed course will offer golfers who participate fun, and difficulty, as they navigate the rolling fairways, giant oak trees and well-manicured greens at Wachesaw. Prepaid mulligans will be used aplenty!

Along with a host of sponsors, the tournament will field 25 four-person teams competing for bragging rights. More importantly, the funds received from sponsorships and golf entry fees will be used by the fund to ensure the SCRLF is able to continue to invest in the future of our state’s hospitality workers and industry.

The SCRLF was created by a group of forward-thinking restaurant and hotel professionals in 1999 as the charitable, not-for-profit IRS recognized 501(c)3 charitable affiliate of the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association.

The SCRLF was founded to promote the health and prosperity of the foodservice industry by investing in our youth and our workforce.

SCRLA.org

15

conference registration fees $299 Early bird ends September 16

$349 Standard registration ends October 1

$399 Last minute/onsite registration

Book your stay at wild dunes!

We have conference group lodging options and rates available at both the Sweetgrass Inn, Boardwalk Inn, and The Residence at Sweetgrass. Reservations must be made no later than September 3 to receive the group rate. Visit SCRLA.org/moc to reserve your rooms today!

register today at scrla.org/moc

2022

M C

marketing and operations conference

Make plans to join South Carolina's most influential hospitality power players and top-level executives in pursuit of best practices and business trends to increase overall sales and customer satisfaction.

Join us October 10-11 at Wild Dunes Resort for our 2022 conference!

Belfor Property Restoration • Doctors Care • Dominion Energy • Ecolab • Ed Robinson Laundry • Empower Solutions Flea Bite Creek Consulting • FobeSoft • Gigpro

2022 marketing & operations conference agenda Monday, October 10 12:00 p.m. - Kick Off Lunch & Keynote Speaker Justin Patton, executive leadership coach, international speaker and award-winning author, will kick off our 2022 Marketing and Operations Conference as our first keynote speaker discussing three breakthroughs to leadership, life and business.

Justin challenges leaders to use their presence to communicate with stronger trust – both in the workplace and with the people they love the most. His programs will inspire you to reimagine who you are at your best and what is possible in your life.

Breakout Sessions include:

The Power of PlantBased Foods

Panel- A deep dive to better understanding tax credits

panel- influencer marketing 101

Money in your dumpster

hotel digital marketing trends

liquid to their lips seasonal menus

5:00 p.m. - Afternoon Keynote Speaker Sam Mylrea, CEO and co-founder of Gigpro, will complete Day 1 of our 2022 Marketing and Operations Conference giving tips on how to stay staffed in a post-pandemic world.

Gigpro is the leading on-demand marketplace and recruiting platform for hospitality.

Mylrea’s passion for tech-based solutions fuels positive change within the hospitality industry by modernizing staffing and providing a streamlined connection between workers and businesses. He has led Gigpro’s growth to over 25 markets across the Southeast with over 60,000 hospitality pros on the platform, which is on track to help fill over 1M hours of hospitality labor in 2022.

6:00-7:30 p.m. - Networking Happy Hour 7:30 p.m. - Enjoy Dinner on Your Own

Tuesday, October 11 8:30 a.m. - Morning Keynote Speaker Andria Ryan, partner in the Atlanta office of Fisher & Phillips LLP, will kick off Day 2 of our 2022 Marketing and Operations Conference discussing empoyment law challenges impacting South Carolina hospitality employers.

This session will cover the current state of employment litigation trends, agency enforcement efforts and labor and union issues. Attendees will also learn about best practices for 3rd party temporary/contract staffing agreements, preventing and responding to 3rd party harassment claims, compliance tips for accommodating employees under the ADA and hot button social and political issues at work.

Breakout Sessions include:

looker to booker trends how to franchise your business

panel- understanding evolution of your total risk restaurant technology first impressions make lasting impressions

tito's talk

12:15 p.m. - Closing Lunch & Keynote Speaker Michelle Korsmo, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association, will close out our 2022 Marketing and Operations Conference. In her role, Korsmo is responsible for delivering value to the Association’s members, the 52 state association partners, and the restaurant industry.

With Korsmo’s leadership, the Association continues to pursue its vision for a thriving restaurant and foodservice community through strong operations, risk mitigation and talent development, advancing and protecting business vitality, and driving knowledge and collaboration.

Visit SCRLA.org/moc to view the full conference agenda!

Ensuring Housekeeping Operations Meet Renewed Expectations Among the pandemic’s more manageable impacts on hotel operations was the immediate need to retrain housekeeping staff on sanitation practices. Dan Paola, VP of operations at Raines, recalls, “It started with cleaning practices and the chemicals we used to sanitize surfaces. We had to retrain our teams to ensure they were sanitizing all of the high-touch surfaces with greater frequency and put in practices to track and ensure compliance. Foggers and electrostatic sprayers were implemented for public spaces, and in many cases, guestrooms.” But a more profound impact occurred on the staffing front. “The Great Reshuffle” saw many housekeepers who quit or lost their jobs during the pandemic seeking opportunities in other fields.

The challenge of reestablishing an effective housekeeping operation continues today, particularly since guest demand for the service is on the rise. “According to the data compiled and issued for our May 2022 Hotel Effectiveness Housekeeping Labor Management Report, 22 percent of guest stayovers were cleaned in February 2022 compared to 65 percent in pre-Covid February 2020,” notes Del Ross, chief revenue officer, Hotel Effectiveness. “This rate is up 50 percent from early 2021 and has continued to rise. While owners, brands, and operators continue their work to determine the future of daily housekeeping, consumer expectations are causing this service to return toward historic levels.”

UNDERSTAFFING CALLS FOR RESOURCEFULNESS Hoteliers have taken various approaches to meet the elevated need for housekeeping, including cross-training non-housekeeping staff. “Front desk and restaurant teams were trained in housekeeping to help alleviate the staff challenges,” Paola observes. Strategic scheduling has also been used to make the most out of existing staff.

For example, night housekeeping can inspect rooms first thing in the morning to alleviate the burden on staff the next day, he suggests. Ross notes that “Ensuring rooms are clean before guests arrive is more important than making sure that they are cleaned when guests depart.

Keeping this in mind enables hotel managers to be more flexible with shift scheduling, which leads to more satisfied team members and more efficient housekeeping productivity.”

However, trying to train and manage existing staff to meet the challenge of understaffing runs the risk of overworking those employees, which in turn can lead to job dissatisfaction. Thus, some hoteliers have resorted to contracting additional housekeeping staff. “We’ve had to do this in markets where it wasn’t necessary prior to the pandemic,” Paola relates. “The same goes for our use of the H-2B visa program. We currently have around 30 H-2B visa workers supplementing staffing needs across our portfolio.” While a hotelier may not be accustomed to depending on contract staffing, new approaches are sometimes worth testing. “It’s really important to not be afraid of doing something you may feel is nontraditional or that you may never have thought of doing in prior years,” Paola says. “If something doesn’t work, chalk it up as a loss and be prepared to quickly pivot in another direction.”

A technology platform designed to manage labor shortage is another option worth investigating, as the improved efficiency may obviate or reduce the need to outsource housekeeping services. “We’ve found that when hoteliers work with technology platforms specifically designed to help track, schedule, and optimize labor, they see the most positive impact to revenue and profitability,” says Ross. “Real-time productivity information allows hotel owners and general managers to make data-driven decisions that improve labor efficiency and bottom-line

operating profits. Integrating team communication tools into scheduling and availability employee apps makes it easy for room attendants to collaborate with management to identify opportunities and improve service levels and efficiency. For example, improved and more reliable shift schedule communications helps improve staffing ‘showup rates.’”

Attendance is one of the three factors Ross identifies as measures of housekeeping performance, the other two being quality and productivity. Rewards for excellence in any of these areas can have a strong motivational effect.

For instance, he advises that “with shift show-up rates for housekeeping staff running at about 80 percent in the United States, hotels should reward team members who come to work on time when they are scheduled to work.”

BOOSTING MORALE Now more than ever, it is important to reward housekeepers for great performance. The stress that understaffing and turnover create is ameliorated when staff feel appreciated, and especially if they’re given the opportunity to enjoy camaraderie with colleagues and management. “In the last 20 years of being in hospitality, if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that housekeepers like to eat. This is something we’ve done for a long time and will continue to do for our teams: We feed them and have some fun,” says Paola.

“I’ve gone around with a cooler and passed out ice cream sandwiches. Engage and empathize with them. Spend some time with your team to let them know they are appreciated and you understand how hard the job is. We like to play games and give out bonuses for cleanliness goals and perfect rooms.”

While these perks have a positive psychological effect that can improve performance and retention, they are clearly no substitute for an attractive employment package.

“As a company we’ve increased wages, PTO benefits, and paid holidays,” he notes. “We’ve also partnered with nationwide discount programs and implemented a points-based bonus program, among other initiatives to decrease turnover and boost morale. We’ve also started offering daily pay solutions to our teams across the portfolio. Giving our teams the flexibility and access to earned income has helped reduce some of the turnover.”

ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS Getting insights from individual staff members on what’s important to them is a commonsensical approach, but it can fall by the wayside during the hectic operations of an understaffed hotel. Paola illustrates how such feedback can result in changes that benefit all staff members: “Our daily pay solution was a direct result of a conversation I was having with one of our longtime housekeeping associates. I just asked her what she thought could be a difference maker. She mentioned the biweekly pay cycle as being a determining factor for some people either leaving or choosing other opportunities. We were able to take that feedback and find a solution pretty quickly.”

Overall, there is no one solution to the ongoing challenges of understaffing and the historically high turnover rate for housekeeping staff. Rather, a combination of the general features that make a job desirable, including competitive wages and benefits, growth opportunities, and a company culture that promotes engagement and recognition, will help safeguard a hotelier against excessive turnover. In the current market, many housekeepers are rethinking what they want out of a job, and employers may have to rethink what they offer.

improve their hiring practices in this area. The first is to bear in mind that LinkedIn has its limits. “I don’t believe the issue lies with the lack of potential hires on LinkedIn, although I would suggest hoteliers advertise on job boards more frequented by hourly workers, like Indeed and Snagajob, to source more applicants,” he says. “Also, I’d say that while LinkedIn can offer a brief overview of someone’s experience, it doesn’t help identify factors that are often more important, like soft skills and personality traits.”

HOUSEKEEPING HIRING TIPS While competitive wages, quality benefits, and employee engagement all help to retain housekeepers, ensuring that a prospective employee is a good fit for the role is an equally strong predictor of that employee’s longevity with the company. According to Matthew Kuraska, content marketing specialist with Sprockets, the current challenge with turnover is not only due to the fallout from the pandemic, but “also likely stems from hoteliers making bad hiring decisions in the first place. They might feel so desperate for staff members that they rush through the process and hire just about anyone who applies—often people who aren’t a good fit and won’t last more than 90 days or even a single week.”

Accordingly, Kuraska also suggests seeking out the right soft skills in potential hires. For instance, the Sprockets hiring platform identifies the best hires using the mental makeup of a company’s current top performers as a benchmark. “While it’s difficult to pinpoint key personality traits with an interview due to the required guesswork and potential bias, there are some questions that can help. Ask specific, open-ended questions that could reveal certain soft skills, like work ethic and teamwork,” he explains. “An example of this would be: ‘Tell us about a time when your team was understaffed, and you stepped up to pick up the slack and ensure guests had a five-star experience.

What challenges did you encounter, and how did you overcome them?’”

Kuraska offers several suggestions to help hoteliers

RELAX From sous chefs to CEOs, we bring you talented professionals to interview that meet your specifications.

Visit jonescraft.org/contact or call 865.300.4025 to get started today!

Can Autonomous Technology Power the Future of Restaurants?

Fifteen years ago, the first-generation iPhone hit the U.S. market. The sleek, paradigm-breaking design captured the imagination of consumers. Touch screens, apps, and other features would soon become a standard for mobile technology.

Today, innovation is advancing at an even faster clip.

And it’s particularly evident in foodservice—a sector long considered a laggard to tech evolution—where futuristic solutions are popping up on the back-end of a global pandemic. Autonomous delivery being one of them.

“You’re going to see automation playing a huge role in the foodservice and hospitality space, both inside and outside of the restaurant. If automation was a baseball game, I’d say we’re just now entering the second inning.”

Bear Robotics is a California-based company helping to lead the charge toward automation. The company, which creates hospitality robots, is one of several brands focusing efforts and resources on reshaping the restaurant landscape.

Driverless delivery vehicles, drones flying through the sky with pizzas and groceries, and automated robot servers gliding through dining rooms, are all now realistic functions, as much as it might sound like an episode of “The Jetsons.”

You can’t run a restaurant without labor. And with labor shortages continuing industry-wide, operators are increasingly looking to technology solutions to help fix that problem. One of the more creative, front-facing options now trending is the robotic waiter, or robo-waiter, most common in the casual, full-service space.

“It’s going to become very ubiquitous,” says Juan Higueros, chief operating officer of Bear Robotics.

Bear’s fully automated machines run food and bus dishware, and are sometimes even capable of acting

SCRLA.org

23

Shop

New!

ITALIAN FEATURES C L I C K E AC H C AT E G O RY TO S H O P OUR ESSENTIALS LIST F LO U R CLICK TO SHOP

CHEESE CLICK TO SHOP

M E AT CLICK TO SHOP

V E G E TA B L E S CLICK TO SHOP

CANNED TO M ATO E S CLICK TO SHOP

BOX

CLIC

K TO

ES

SHO

P

PA S TA CLICK TO SHOP

GROCERY CLICK TO SHOP

24

VISIT SYSCOFOODIE.COM FOR TIPS, TRENDS, RECIPES AND MORE! SCRLA.org

Sysco reserves the right to limit purchase quantities to ensure inventory availability for our customers during the sales special promotional period. Pictures are for illustration purposes, and actual product(s) may vary. © 2021 All rights reserved. Sysco Corporation 2702090

as host and leading people to their table. They’ve been revered for easing the stress of short-staffed teams and reducing some of the monotonous tasks that burden existing servers.

physical stress to an already challenging occupation.

By using automated servers in a collaborative nature, operators can increase productivity while simultaneously making their employees’ lives easier.

Higueros says there are several advantages associated with using these, but none more important than the time it frees up for employees to be, well, more hospitable.

Robo-waiters have been around for years, and as the technology advances, other operators are increasingly jumping on board. But the solution isn’t necessarily right for everyone.

“It allows the employee more time to be more creative,” he says. “It gives them more time to spend on the people their serving and it creates a much more embodied working environment for the employee. It creates better culture, which results in more return customers because they’re getting that true customer experience through customer service.”

From an operator’s viewpoint, there are other advantages to consider as well. Bear’s hospitality bots can save employees miles of walking during shifts, leading to a more rested, focused staff. Higueros says servers at many restaurants can walk upward of 20 miles per week, adding

Naturally robot-waiters lack some of the skills a great server encompasses. Yet, not all front-of-house roles at every restaurant rely on conversational skills and a human touch. If you’re in the casual, full-service space and struggling to find staff, it could be a useful option to test out. Likely it’ll become an even more affordable one, too, in the years ahead, as new competitors enter the space and existing companies grow.

And, hospitality bots are just one part of the automated delivery conversations... visit BearRobotics.ai to learn more today!

To get a better look at how this technology works, we took a look at the ins and outs of Bear Robotics’ Servi as a starting point. This is intended to provide insight into what a robo-waiter could look like in your own restaurant, but of course, every prototype has its own nuances in functionality.

THE BASELINE FOR YOUR RESEARCH...

•

Looks like: Far less like a humanoid and far more like a rolling, multi-level shelf; includes two (16-inch) trays and a bus tub

•

Color: Black and white

•

Size: 41- inches tall x 17-inches wide; 75 pounds

•

Able to carry: 66 pounds; up to 7 entrees

•

Hours of operation: 8 to 12 hours of battery life; takes 4 to 5 hours to fully recharge, with a quick-charge feature allowing 4 to 6 hours of operation after a 1 to 2 hour charge

•

Average operating speed: A brisk walking pace of 0.6 to 0.8 meters per second

•

Max speed: A very, very fast walking pace of 1.2 meters per second

•

Charging type: Wall charger (Input 100~240V AC 3.5A 50/60 Hz, Output 28.6V DC, 8.0A)

•

Operating in: Over 6,000 restaurants in 38 states in the U.S. and several countries worldwide, including South Korea and Japan

•

Price: About $30 per day with a three-year contract – roughly $1,000 a month (subject to vary)

Bernie Bernie Kaelin, Kaelin, Strategic Strategic Partner Partner Manager Manager Bernie.Kaelin@e-hps.com Bernie.Kaelin@e-hps.com (502) (502) 888-4731 888-4731

NOVEMBER 14, 2022

Nominations now open for Upstate Hospitality Awards The Upstate Chapters of the SCRLA are pleased to host the 10th Annual Upstate Hospitality Awards celebrating the exceptional professionalism and outstanding service of top individuals in our industry. Nominees are accepted from Anderson, Greenville, Spartanburg and Pickens Counties, and may be submitted at SCRLA.org/upstate_awards by September 26.

The Greater Columbia Restaurant Association presents

THE RESTAURANT HALL of FAME DINNER Greater Columbia Restaurant Association Honors Hall of November 21, 2022 • 5:30 p.m.

Fame Inductees

Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center 1101Columbia Lincoln Street The Greater Restaurant Association will present Lifetime Achievement Awards to four restaurateurs, will also be inducted into the Individual Ticketwho • $200 | Reserved Table of 8 • $1,750 Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame on November 21 at the Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center.

We will honor two restaurateurs with the Rising Star NameAward. We will also present one individual with the “Rudy” Award and honor them for their exemplary service and positive impact on the Company state's restaurant industry.

Phone Number Tickets for the event may be purchased at SCRLA.org/events.

Email Sold ByMore

information about upcoming events may be found at SCRLA.org/events

Sign ups open for Restaurant Week South Carolina in January Get involved in our statewide Restaurant Week campaign! This is the perfect time to find new customers, generate repeat business, and grow the bottom line. Our Restaurant Week campaigns are a powerful business tool that offers full “brand-to-hand” marketing stewardship year-round and to ensure ongoing success, we continually develop new promotional programs and encourage the spirit of innovation.

Restaurants aren’t the only business to benefit from Restaurant Week. It helps increase tourism, therefore increasing revenues for hotels, stores and other local businesses.

All participating restaurants are listed on RestaurantWeekSouthCarolina.com, on our newly re-branded website. Learn more and sign up today at SCRLA.org/ restaurantweeksc.

SCRLA UPDATES

UPSTATE

NOW’S THE TIME! Finish up your college degree with us!

On your own time On your own terms Around your schedule

Take advantage of our industry’s rebound, and catapult yourself to the top of the career ladder by completing your education online.

Uof SC Palmetto College at USCB Online Bachelor’s Program in Hospitality Management Take advantage of open enrollment, with new classes starting every 8 weeks We accept transfer credits from your previous Associate- and Bachelor-level coursework www.uscb.edu/academics/online_programs

GSA Increases Per Diem Rate The General Services Administration (GSA) announced the new FY2023 per diem rates for government travel in the Continental United States (CONUS). GSA increased the standard CONUS per diem rate and has set all Non-Standard Area (NSA) rates at or above the FY2022 rates. These rates are available at the GSA website now.

We are extremely grateful to the GSA for working with AHLA and recognizing the lingering, and disparate, impact that the pandemic has had on hotels across the country and the importance of a flexible approach to setting per diem rates for FY23. Without this novel action, hotels across the country faced depressed, pandemic-era rates for federal travelers.

The FY2023 CONUS per diem rate is $157: • •

$98 lodging (increased from $96) $59 meals (unchanged)

Setting a rate floor and allowing increases where appropriate was sound policy and critical to

reinvigorating government travel as well as the hotel industry’s continued recovery.

Government travel is an integral part of the hotel industry, supporting tens of thousands of jobs, and billions in travel spending that benefits communities across the country. The federal per diem rates are also often used as a guide by other corporations and businesses in setting their own travel standards.

Federal per diem rates, used by government travelers to obtain hotel rooms at a standard discount, are established each year based on actual market data compiled and provided by Smith Travel Research.

South Carolina has four destinations that are classified as non-standard areas (NSAs). The designation means the regions—frequently traveled by government employees—will get unique per diem rates rather than being lumped together with the rest of the county. The reimbursement levels are determined by the average daily industry rate. See the below graphs of the NSAs in South Carolina.

South Carolina GSA Rates Primary Destination (1, 2)

County (3, 4)

Standard Rate Applies for all locations without specified rates Charleston Charleston / Berkeley / Dorchester Columbia Richland / Lexington Hilton Head Beaufort Myrtle Beach Horry

Primary Destination (1, 2)

County (3, 4)

Standard Rate Applies for all locations without specified rates Charleston Charleston / Berkeley / Dorchester Columbia Richland / Lexington Hilton Head Beaufort Myrtle Beach Horry

Max lodging by Month (excluding taxes)

M&IE (5)

2021 Oct $96

Nov $96

Dec $96

2022 Jan $96

Feb $96

Mar $96

Apr $96

May $96

Jun $96

Jul $96

Aug $96

Sep $96

$59

$189

$189

$162

$162

$162

$228

$228

$228

$189

$189

$189

$189

$79

$112 $115 $96

$112 $115 $96

$112 $115 $96

$112 $115 $96

$112 $115 $96

$112 $115 $96

$112 $161 $115

$112 $161 $115

$112 $182 $167

$112 $182 $167

$112 $182 $167

$112 $115 $96

$64 $69 $69

Max lodging by Month (excluding taxes)

M&IE (5)

2022 Oct $98

Nov $98

Dec $98

2023 Jan $98

Feb $98

Mar $98

Apr $98

May $98

Jun $98

Jul $98

Aug $98

Sep $98

$59

$227

$227

$227

$195

$195

$238

$238

$238

$227

$227

$227

$227

$79

$112 $162 $104

$112 $122 $104

$112 $122 $104

$112 $122 $104

$112 $122 $104

$112 $172 $104

$112 $172 $129

$112 $172 $129

$112 $235 $203

$112 $235 $203

$112 $235 $203

$112 $162 $104

$64 $69 $69

Difference Year over Year Standard Rate Applies for all locations without specified rates Charleston Charleston / Berkeley / Dorchester Columbia Richland / Lexington Hilton Head Beaufort Myrtle Beach Horry

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

$2

M&IE (5) $0

$38

$38

$65

$33

$33

$10

$10

$10

$38

$38

$38

$38

$0

$0 $47 $8

$0 $7 $8

$0 $7 $8

$0 $7 $8

$0 $7 $8

$0 $57 $8

$0 $11 $14

$0 $11 $14

$0 $53 $36

$0 $53 $36

$0 $53 $36

$0 $47 $8

$0 $0 $0

Visit SCRLA.org/news to view a larger version of the chart above.

SCRLA on the Road This fall, SCRLA will be hitting the road, bringing our grassroots advocacy efforts to your own backyard! With stops already scheduled for Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, and Charleston, these locally focused, community-based conversations will bring together community leaders, small business owners, restaurateurs, hoteliers, as well as elected officials at both the municipal and state level together for an upbeat, but candid conversation on critical issues currently affecting the hospitality industry.

We believe these “community conversations” will serve as the perfect medium for key stakeholders to speak directly with elected officials and share their thoughts and experiences on the current state of the hospitality industry, the challenges the industry is facing, and identify opportunities where partnership and collaboration can bring about positive change to our industry and local communities.

These roundtable discussions are being held in conjunction with our locally-based hospitality partners in each of the aforementioned areas around of the state, representing various hospitality-focused associations and convention and visitor bureaus. Details on dates, times, and meeting locations are forthcoming. We hope you will plan on joining us.

Don’t miss out on the opportunity to have YOUR VOICE heard! We look forward to seeing you on the road!

National Reach,

Local Service.

Our customers are at the heart of everything we do.

We understand what it means to be on the front lines of foodservice, and we’re here to help you find the best products to meet your individual needs. We don’t just help feed people, we feed dreams.

For more information, visit PerformanceFoodservice.com today.

Upcoming Events September 8-18 Charleston Restaurant Week September 12 Hospitality Leaders Golf Tournament September 13 Fall Board of Directors Meeting October 6-16 Restaurant Week Midlands October 10-11 Marketing & Operations Conference November 14 Upstate Hospitality Awards

8 10 out of

employees say

health insurance is a “must-have.”

HelpHelp attract andand retain employees health attract retain employeesby by offering offering health benefits withwith exclusive member from benefits exclusive membersolutions solutions from UnitedHealthcare.

UnitedHealthcare.

Visit www.scrla.org/page/InsuranceCenter or Amy Hathaway at Visit www.scrla.org/InsuranceCenter or contact contact Amy Hathaway at amyhathaway@uhg.com amyhathaway@uhg.com to learn more. to learn more.

Source: 2019 study, MetLife.

Some restrictions and exclusions may apply.

Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Source: 2021 study, MetLife.

Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois or their affiliates.

Administrative services provided Some restrictions and exclusions may apply. by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates.

Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, 20-19979c-SC 2/20 ©2020ofUnited Services, Administrative Inc. 20-54483 services UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company IllinoisHealthCare or their affiliates. provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates.

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT 168

PO Box 7577, Columbia, SC 29202

YOU GET MORE OUT OF IT, BECAUSE WE PUT MORE INTO IT Cross Valley Farms® consistently delivers the best in fresh produce, because of our rigorous and uncompromising process.

From harvesting to inspecting to shipping, we insist upon providing only high-quality produce every time. Whether it’s whole fruits and vegetables or innovative and ready-to-use solutions that save you time and money, count on us for farm-to-fork flavors your diners will love.

EXCLUSIVE BRAND © 2022 US Foods, Inc. 07-2022 OTH-20220628-1841435