SCRLA on the Road - Community Conversations

This fall, the SCRLA staff hit the road, traveling across the state to meet with local chapters and discuss both the challenges and opportunities facing our industry. These locally focused, community-based conversations brought together community leaders, small business owners, restaurateurs, hoteliers, and elected officials to have a candid dialogue about what the hospitality industry is experiencing and how our elected officials can play an integral role in our industry’s continued recovery.

Community Conversations were held in Bluffton, Columbia, Greenville, Myrtle Beach, and Rock Hill, bringing together more than 200 individuals and over 50 elected officials at both the municipal and state levels. At the beginning of each conversation, a Who Wants to be a Millionaire game was conducted where those in attendance were asked several questions in order to gain a better understanding of current business conditions. The game primarily focused on current staffing levels, workforce development, cost of doing business, netprofitability, joint and several liability, tort reform, hospitality and accommodations taxes, and short-term rental regulation. This was a fun and interactive way to demonstrate the issues.

wine, or spirits after 5 p.m. If determined to be necessary, the Task Force is prepared to put forth either a single piece of legislation or multiple pieces (depending on the issue), that would address, clarify, and streamline the way our members do business pertaining to alcohol. The task force has already had several discussions with several key legislators at the State House and has secured commitments to co-sponsor any needed legislation that we put forth that would provide immediate relief for our members and industry.

As the task force continues its progress and undertakes preparations for the upcoming legislative session, the group has successfully obtained a beneficial new interpretation from DOR. According to this interpretation, if a business maintains a liquor liability policy worth $1 million, the payouts from the policy can be consolidated for a total sum of $1 million, rather than being limited to $1 million per incident. While this is certainly a win for our industry, there is still much more work to be done, and we need your help for the critical fight we are facing. This is the most aggressive stance the SCRLA has taken as an association and your financial support is necessary for us to succeed. Donations for this work can be made using personal or business funds, with no limitations on the amount you can contribute. While our goal is to raise $100,000 by the end of the year, there is no obligation to contribute, and all contributions are voluntary.

If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the task force, please reach out to Hank Davis at Hank@scrla.org or scan the QR code below to visit our website.

The conversations were engaging and robust, giving our elected officials critical insight into how our industry is faring and how they can shape future policy that is friendly to our sector. The elected officials in attendance were able to hear first-hand, real-life examples of what our members are experiencing daily. They heard how difficult it has been to find quality staff; they heard about how the rise in liability insurance premiums are negatively impacting our industry’s bottom line. The list goes on and on...

After of the Community Conversation events, at least one legislator in attendance would mentione they had no idea about some of the challenges the hospitality industry in South Carolina was facing and that the event was meaningful to them.

These Community Conversations would not have been possible without the generous financial support of the National Restaurant Association’s Kitchen Cabinet initiative. The Kitchen Cabinet is a grassroots network of industry leaders across the country that work to amplify the role of restaurants in local communities. The goal is to develop meaningful relationships with elected officials and community-based organizations.