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INtouch

PO Box 7577, Columbia, SC 29202

MAY 2021

PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID COLUMBIA, SC PERMIT 168

Have you seen our new ServSafe website? It recently got a makeover!

Visit ServSafeCertified.com to learn more about the ServSafe Food Safety and ServSafe Alcohol Programs that deliver much more than training. These programs combine critical information, exclusive tools, and real world resources to transform knowledge into action.

Dining Alliance Makes it Simple to Collect Cash Back Rebates Dining Alliance pays Cash Back to operators on 165,000 items from over 350 manufacturers including big suppliers like Tyson, Smithfield, Dr. Pepper, and Conagra. This SCRLA-endorsed program is easy to join and literally costs nothing – Dining Alliance pays you for being a member and they never charge any dues or fees. As a Dining Alliance member, you have access to $9.5 billion in purchasing power that would not otherwise be available – saving you money. Membership perks include: • •

Quarterly Cash Back checks for food + disposables Member discounts on non-food costs like credit card processing, DirecTV, and Chef Works Access to myDining Alliance member portal with purchasing insights and special offers

SCRLA Member Spotlight

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RBC Heritage Partners with SERG Restaurant Group to Enhance the Concessions Offerings at the 2021 Tournament

Visit SCRLA.org/dining_alliance today!

The SERG Group of Hilton Head provided food for the concessions for the first time at the 53rd RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing. The tournament was played April 12-18 over the famed Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines. The traditional hot dogs, hamburgers and barbecue sandwiches were available, but were supplemented by menu items from nine SERG Group restaurants, including Poseidon’s Fish Tacos, One Hot Mama’s Boneless Wings, and Skull Creek Boathouse’s shrimp and grits. “The SERG Group is a local company who knows the importance of the tournament to this community,” Heritage Classic Foundation chairman Simon Fraser said. “We were pleased to offer our fans a wide variety of unique culinary options at the 2021 RBC Heritage and beyond.” Today, the group is among Hilton Head’s largest employers, and its restaurants include Giuseppi’s Pizza & Pasta on Hilton Head and in Bluffton; One Hot Mama’s American Grill; Nectar Farm Kitchen; The Black Marlin Bayside Grill & Hurricane Bar at Palmetto Bay Marina; Skull Creek Boathouse; and WiseGuys Restaurant and Wine Bar; Char Bar Co.; Marleys; Holy Tequila Tacos and Tiquila; and Frankie Bones.

“Dining Alliance has successfully offered substantial rebates that work to fill gaps in our broadline service agreement with US Foods and that they have been diligent in setting up our businesses on their platform. The integration has been seamless to date.” -- Lowcountry Restaurateur

SBA Releases Restaurant Revitalization Fund Guidance and Sample Application The Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) provides emergency assistance for eligible restaurants, bars, and other qualifying businesses impacted by COVID-19. This program will provide restaurants with funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss up to $10 million per business and no more than $5 million per physical location. Recipients are not required to repay the funding as long as funds are used for eligible uses no later than March 11, 2023. The Small Business Administration (SBA) released a guidance document and sample application for the highly-anticipated RRF grant program. While the SBA will not begin accepting applications until later this month, the release of these documents will allow operators to see the application, gather essential documents, and be ready when the application period opens. Both documents are linked below, along with a helpful explainer from the National Restaurant Association. Don’t forget that SBA will prioritize awarding funds to small businesses at least 51-percent owned and controlled by individuals who are women, veterans, and/or socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. The SCRLA encourages all operators to review the documents to prepare for the program launch. You can apply through SBA-recognized Point of Sale Restaurant Partners or directly via SBA in a forthcoming online application portal. Registration with SAM.gov is not required. DUNS or CAGE identifiers are also not required. If you would like to prepare your application, view the sample application form at SBA.gov.

Upcoming ServSafe Manager Classes Columbia - May 5 GVL/Sptbg - May 6 Charleston - May 10 Myrtle Beach - May 18 Charleston - May 24

Columbia - June 2 GVL/Sptbg - June 3 Charleston - June 8 Myrtle Beach - June 16 Charleston - June 28

SCRLA members receive a 20% discount using the code SERV2. To sign up, visit AtlanticFoodSafety.com

Be Ready for Hurricane Season: Hurricane Preparedness Week is This Month It only takes one storm to change your life and community. Tropical cyclones are among nature’s most powerful and destructive phenomena. If you live in an area prone to tropical cyclones, you need to be prepared. Today you can determine your personal hurricane risk, find out if you live in a hurricane evacuation zone, and review/update insurance policies. You can also make a list of items to replenish hurricane emergency supplies and start thinking about how you will prepare your home for the coming hurricane season. If you live in hurricane-prone areas, you are encouraged to complete these simple preparations before hurricane season begins on June 1. Keep in mind, you may need to adjust any preparedness actions based on the latest health and safety guidelines from the CDC and your local officials.

You take care of your community. We help take care of you.

Exclusive members-only pricing on medical, dental, vision, disability, life and critical illness benefits.

scrla.org/page/InsuranceCenter

How Contactless Technology Can Prevent Human Trafficking With the COVID-19 pandemic pushing more hotels to embrace the contactless experience, combined with the popularity of how efficient these new systems are for both guests and employees, the digitizing of hotels is a trend that is here to stay well after the pandemic ends. But many hoteliers are concerned that their staff will have fewer opportunities to spot or prevent situations involving human trafficking. With the accelerated shift toward contactless technologies, the opportunities to prevent human trafficking are also shifting. New technology trends like keyless entry and self-check-in were already becoming popular in the hospitality industry before the pandemic, and many hotels are discovering that implementing digitalization is changing hospitality for the better. “There has always been a fear that automation would replace the human touch, so this was seen as a threat to staff,” said Aileen Jimenez, associate product manager for Alice, which provides a global operations platform specifically for the hospitality industry. “But what we are finding is that hotels are seeing a lot of positives coming from new technology.” One positive is guest messaging. Before the guest even arrives at the hotel, they can receive a text message welcoming them and asking if there is anything the hotel staff can do to make the guest’s stay better. Guests can text back a wide range of requests, from requesting more towels to asking staff to help schedule a tennis match. Once the guest responds to an automated text message, a staff member can respond. This is helping hotels not only continue to meet guest needs during the pandemic, but hoteliers are also understanding their guests’ needs better than ever because they are able to collect data showing trends with their guests. Hotels using Alice’s platform are seeing a shift with how guests are connecting with staff. “Now, because of COVID, guests are appreciating more privacy,” Jimenez said. “They really like the convenience of self-check-in and keyless entry, and there is increased engagement with texting.” Hospitality software platforms are also helping with back of house, decreasing the number of times employees must meet in person with their managers or other employees, creating a streamlined operations

process that delivers efficiency and allows for social distancing as work tasks are assigned and completed through a digital platform instead of using paper checklists. Hotel managers can use new technology tools to add reminders for staff to remember to watch for human trafficking or add a list of human trafficking indicators that staff can access through their devices. In addition, managers can easily assign times for employees to receive online human trafficking awareness training, especially if the link to the training is inserted directly into each employee’s tasks. Security departments are vital for preventing human trafficking, especially when guests are having less face-to-face contact with other employees—security departments are the eyes in the sky. Don Cohen, director of security at a large hotel, recommends security departments continuously train for ways to help watch for and prevent human trafficking. According to Cohen, security departments can leverage the use of new technology to help them identify human trafficking. A benefit of using a hospitality software platform is that security departments can monitor guestroom door activity. Platforms can report how often a door opens, and they even show if it was opened by keyless entry from the outside or if the door is opened from the inside. When security staff see that a door is opened an uncommon number of times—that can be a warning sign for security. Technology can also help security departments control who has access to elevators. This is important for regulating the number of people who are not guests at the hotel from accessing rooms by requiring visitors to have either a guest or a hotel employee allow them access to the elevators from the lobby. These new technology systems are the wave of the future for the hospitality industry. At first glance it may seem that less human contact in hotels might make guests feel isolated or make spotting human trafficking more difficult, but if hotels are intentional about how they go digital, there are ways hoteliers can use technology to increase touchpoints with guests, foster better employee communication and keep hotels safe from both COVID-19 and traffickers.

WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK. AND FRONT OF HOUSE.

Four changing realities to better prepare for hurricane season The frequency and severity of extreme weather events are increasing—and top business leaders are taking an active role. Mandatory evacuation orders are becoming more common, but not all insurance policies offer full coverage for losses incurred during an evacuation.

Restaurant

Powerful. Scalable. Feature-rich point of sale.

Recovery and financial losses don’t end the moment business resumes. Storms that have lower category designations can still produce significant financial losses. heartland.us/restaurant

May 2021 • SCRLA.org