Washington Lodging Association January 2017

January 2017 │ 1

Washington Hospitality Association 510 Plum Street SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587

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PRIORITIES

LEGISLATIVE ISSUES

LOCAL

YOUR GA TEAM MEET

PREVIEW LEGISLATIVE 2017

WA S H I N GTO N

January 2017

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Inside

wahospitality.org

In Every Issue

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20

8

Government Affairs: Get Involved!

11

Our GA Team: Even Better Positioned to Represent You in 2017

12

Meet Your State and Local Government Affairs Teams

14

2017 Legislative Session Intro

20

Oily Rags Can Be Lethal: Protect Yourself, Protect Your Family

21

Fire Prevention 101: The Basics on Kitchen Fire Safety

22

ProStart®: Building Our Industry’s Future

24

Employee Safety Alert Systems for Hotels

26

Five Social Media Resolutions for Your Business

In Every Issue

22

WA S H I N GTO N

January 2017

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President and CEO: Establishing a Scoreboard for Our Community, Employees and Industry

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News Briefs

18

Local Government Affairs

28

Calendar/New Members

30

Ask the Expert: Your New Advisory Network Video Library

On the cover

This edition focuses on the 2017 Legislative Session and provides you with a primer on key issues for Washington’s hospitality industry.

2017

LEGISLATIVE

PREVIEW YOUR GA TEAM MEET

LOCAL ISSUES

LEGISLATIVE

PRIORITIES

Washington Hospitality Association 510 Plum Street SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587

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January 2017 │ 1

12/19/2016 5:50:39 PM

January 2017 │ 5

EDITORIAL STAFF Publisher, Anthony Anton Executive Editor, Lex Nepomuceno Editor-in-Chief, Marianne Scholl Art Director, Lisa Ellefson Managing Editor, Paul Schlienz Contributing Editor, Andy Cook Contributing Editor, David Faro Contributing Editor, Jillian Henze Contributing Editor, Stephanie McManus Contributing Editor, Wendy Hughes Research Editor, Sheryl Jackson EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Co-chair, Phil Costello Stop n’ Go Family Drive In Co-chair, Frank Welton Hilton Worldwide EXECUTIVE TEAM President and CEO, Anthony Anton Vice President, Teran Petrina Director of Business Development, Ken Wells Director of Communications & Technology, Lex Nepomuceno Director of Local Government Affairs, John Lane Director of State Government Affairs, Julia Gorton Director of Internal Operations, Kylie Kincaid Director of Membership, Steven Sweeney Education Foundation, Naja Hogander

President and CEO

Establishing a Scoreboard for Our Community, Employees and Industry

By Anthony Anton Imagine you have settled in to watch your favorite team play its biggest game. Regardless of whether it is the Super Bowl, the World Series, the NBA finals, or the MLS Championship, there has likely been months of preparation. Teams have done strategy analysis, slugged it out in the trenches and tried to plan for major surprises. What if three and half hours later, you found out that no one had kept score? What if no one really understands or agrees on the results of the game? This happens far too often in public policy which then wastes or misdirects precious resources.

Our industry has been experiencing major regulatory, cultural and technology changes over the past few years, which are impacting much of the status quo for workers and operators. The Washington Hospitality Association has engaged with Washington State University’s Metro Center (WSU’s research arm) to benchmark employment and operational markers in Washington’s restaurant industry as restaurants respond to a new reality.

We also intend to build strong relationships with the existing established benchmark providers for the lodging industry to do the same.

510 Plum St. SE Olympia, WA 98501-1587 T 360.956.7279 | F 360.357.9232 wahospitality.org

Letters are welcomed, but must be signed to be considered for publication. Please include contact information for verification.

Reproduction of articles appearing in Washington Hospitality Magazine are authorized for personal use only, with credit given to Washington Hospitality Magazine and/or the Washington Hospitality Association.

Articles written by outside authors do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Washington Hospitality Association, its Boards of Directors, staff or members.

This WSU study will track a set of indicators and variables over time, including industry benchmarks back to 2010, menu pricing data and overall employment changes for the industry through the end of the decade. The WSU team will develop and administer a mixed-mode sampling protocol and analysis of the data. It will also perform an independent audit, analysis and conclusion on existing available data.

The benchmarks are designed to provide a comprehensive picture of our industry, statewide and regionally, and will include large and small businesses in our major sectors as they adapt to changes. It is not designed to assign causality or correlation with adopted statewide, municipal or national policies. In other words, this will just tell us the score so we can have a mutual understanding of the current state of our industry and our employees. Then, if we do see any changes, positive or negative, we can take steps from there.

Products and services advertised in Washington Hospitality Magazine are not necessarily endorsed by the Washington Hospitality Association, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Washington Hospitality Association, its Boards of Directors, staff or members.

We need the score to have conversations about long-term solutions that can help build communities, positive employment and small business opportunities in the right way. Instead, we spend all of our crucial time arguing over what the score, in fact, was.

ADVERTISING INQUIRIES MAY BE DIRECTED TO: Michele Holmes Allied Relations Manager 206.423.3902 micheleh@wahospitality.org

The initial contract with WSU’s Metro Center will produce an annual report over the four years of the study, with the hope that, if we successfully benchmark our industry, WSU will continue this work well into the future.

Washington Hospitality Magazine is published monthly for members. We welcome your comments and suggestions. email: news@wahospitality.org, phone: 800.225.7166.

Circulation: 6,310.

You can reach Anthony at anthonya@wahospitality.org.

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LODGING

FULL SERVICE RESTAURANTS

QUICK SERVICE RESTAURANTS

Primary Source of Information | News Briefs

DOL Tip Pooling Rule Enforcement Now on Hold until Jan. 19 The U.S. Supreme Court is now considering whether it will weigh in on our ongoing legal challenge to the Department of Labor’s rule that excludes back-ofthe-house employees from mandatory tip pools. The National Restaurant Association and several state restaurant associations asked the Supreme Court to extend an earlier stay against enforcement while it considers if it will accept the case. The high court approved this motion, and the DOL will not be able to review or issue penalties on tip pooling practices in Washington state until after Jan. 19.

What does this mean for our members? If you still have a mandatory tip pool that includes employees in customarily non-tipped positions, you are protected until Jan. 19 from action by DOL. This does not change the ability of individual employees to challenge your practices in court, and defending against an employee lawsuit can be costly. Learn more on our tip pooling resource page at www.wahospitality.org/tip-pooling-2016 or contact your lawyer to assess your options.

Businesses Must Use Revised I-9 Form Starting on Jan. 22 The United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), a division of the Department of Homeland Security, revised its employment eligibility verification form I-9 late last year. All U.S. employers must start using the new Form I-9 beginning Jan. 22. Employers can use the current version, dated March 8, 2013, until Jan. 21. After that, they must use the form dated Nov. 14, 2016.

I-9 forms are used to verify an employee’s identity and eligibility to work in the United States. The USCIS said the revised three-page form will be easier to complete on a computer. It is also designed to reduce confusion and will help employers avoid technical errors that could result in hefty fines. The changes include prompts to notify a user of missing fields or improperly entered data, drop-down lists and calendars, embedded instructions and QR codes once the form is printed.

The USCIS said employers must remember that the revised I-9 form must still be printed out so employees and/or their preparers can sign them. They can be stored on- or off-site in a single format or combination of formats, such as paper, microfilm or microfiche, or electronically. Go to www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/whatsnew to download the new form and to find out about the updates.

New Federal Overtime Regulations Put on Last Minute Hold Just a few days before a sweeping new federal overtime rule was set to go into effect, a federal district court for the Eastern District of Texas granted an emergency request to put a hold on the Dec.1, 2016, effective date. The court said that the 21 state attorneys general challenging the overtime rule “demonstrated a substantial likelihood of success” on their case’s merits regarding the unlawfulness of the DOL’s final rule.

The court’s action stopped the rule nationwide.

The rule in question would require employers to pay overtime to all so-called “white collar” executive, administrative and professional workers earning less than $913 per week ($47,476 annually).

The Department of Labor has submitted an appeal to block the district court’s preliminary injunction, and the Fifth Circuit Court is fast tracking the DOL appeal.

What does this mean for members?

The Fifth Circuit will rule on the preliminary injunction by Jan. 31, 2017. Until then, the overtime rule will remain on hold. Go to www. wahospitality/resources/overtimerule for more information on the overtime rule and alternative compensations models that might help with both the DOL rule, should it be upheld, and the higher cost of doing business under Washington’s new minimum wage law.

January 2017 │ 7

This is one of the times that the full impact of our industry can be felt by our legislative bodies.

- CHAD MACKAY, GAC CO-CHAIR

Government Affairs: Get Involved!

By Paul Schlienz

Some people love politics.

Others hate it. Many fall somewhere between those extremes, and a good number simply don’t care one way or another. Not caring about politics, however, is one luxury professionals in the hospitality industry cannot afford.

Government Affairs Committee and Starbucks’ government and community affairs manager. “With a divided state government, we’re going to have to make sure there’s balance in the biennial budget and that regulations and taxation of business are kept to a minimum.”

Big issues will be at stake this year when the Washington State Legislature convenes in Olympia. And the decisions our lawmakers make will have major impacts on your business.

Alcohol regulations will also be on the table.

“From everything I’ve been hearing, the primary focus will be on shoring up education funding in order to comply with the Washington State Supreme Court’s McCleary decision, requiring full state funding of K-12 education,” said Shannon Boldizsar, co-chair of the Washington Hospitality Association’s 8 │ wahospitality.org

Limiting taxes on businesses is also a top priority for Chad Mackay, co-chair of the Government Affairs Committee and president and COO of El Gaucho’s.

“I know we’re going to be playing defense on new targeted taxes that would impact our industry,” said Mackay. “Tax increases should be wide and not steep if they are needed at all.”

Tourism funding is also of great importance to the hospitality industry.

“Establishment of a stable source of tourism funding is one of our key priorities for 2017,” said Mackay. “It’s really a make-orbreak year to get a tourism funding source passed and get it off the ground and running.”

“We’ll be pushing proactive legislation on alcohol-related regulations to give hospitality groups relief against regressive regulations that interfere with hospitality companies being able to do business in the way they would like, including the 42inch barriers, prohibition of infused cocktails and prohibition between companies doing joint advertising,” said Mackay.

“Ultimately, we want to see a renewed focus in the Legislature on

IN OLYMPIA

jobs, the economic impact of regulations and improving the business climate,” said Boldizsar.

The Washington Hospitality Association’s talented government affairs team will be hard at work pushing this positive agenda for our industry, but they need your support. And one of the best ways you can help influence the political process is by attending the Washington Hospitality Association’s Hill Climb and Taste Our Best Reception on Feb. 6. This important annual event allows hospitality business owners and operators to bring their concerns directly to lawmakers.

“This is one of the times that the full impact of our industry can be felt by our legislative bodies,” said Mackay.

“Getting both owners and operators to sit down and help present the issues for our industry has a major impact. The rest of the year, professional lobbyists are in their ear and this is a chance for them to talk to real people impacted by their actions.

If there is anything that, as an owner or operator, you don’t like about what the state government or initiative process has passed, now is the time to get off the sidelines and help us in our battle.”

9 a.m.

Registration – Columbia Room, State Capitol 10 a.m.

Legislative Briefing – Columbia Room, State Capitol NOON Lunch (box lunches provided) 12:30 p.m.

One-on-one meetings with legislators – Capitol Campus 6 p.m.

Taste Our Best Reception @ Hands On Children’s Museum REGISTER NOW www.hillclimb2017.com/register

January 2017 │ 9

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Our GA Team: Even Better Positioned to Represent You in 2017 This year we are more prepared than ever to champion important issues for restaurateurs and hoteliers. Our government affairs team is growing, and our organization has evolved to have both a Local Government Affairs Department and a State Government Affairs Department, each with a focused director.

Beginning this month, Julia Gorton will lead state government affairs (SGA) and John Lane will lead local government affairs (LGA). Their leadership and direction as senior managers has been a guiding force in times of great change and challenges for our industry, and we are excited to have them at the helm of these two important departments. This evolution speaks to the Washington Hospitality Association’s commitment to providing great member service and representing our membership as an increasing number of legislative, regulatory and local issues challenge our industry.

State GA The SGA team is well positioned to represent members in the upcoming legislative session. This month, Morgan Hickel will transition from working on local issues to SGA. Morgan was a great asset to our local Seattle team, and her move exemplifies the interrelated nature of the state and local issues and the unified approach of the Association’s government affairs team. Your state team now has a director, two managers, a state communication manager and PR manager plus three contract lobbyists. One of these lobbyists is Bruce Beckett, our friend and former colleague who will continue to support our members and legislative agenda in this new role.

When the 2017 legislative session begins on Jan. 9, our state team will be focusing on three areas: the implementation of I-1433, the minimum wage and paid leave initiative passed by voters in November; the establishment of a statewide tourism program; and maintaining the hospitality industry’s cost of doing business by defeating new tax proposals and regulatory mandates that uniquely target the industry.

We are committed to being your voice in the Legislature, and we will ensure that lawmakers understand what it takes

to run a business in Washington and recognize how much our industry contributes to our state and to the lives of our citizens. You can help us in this by making plans to join us at our annual Hill Climb and Taste Our Best Reception on Feb. 6 in Olympia. (Learn more on page 8).

Local GA The LGA team continues to evolve and is busy representing the hospitality industry at the local level of government throughout the state, while coordinating closely with the state government affairs team.

Just a little while ago, local issues were covered as needed by our state team. Now, LGA has evolved into a full department, with its own director, a senior manager, two coordinators, an assistant coordinator and two LGA communications staff members. With the transition of Morgan Hickel to the state team, we are excited to welcome Anna Boone as our new senior LGA manager. She is a great addition to our team as we continue to develop our LGA program.

We are committed to spreading the message that the hospitality industry serves and builds local communities, and when issues arrive we are creative problem solvers.

Currently, we are working on issues such as short-term rental regulations, secure scheduling rulemaking, I-124 implementation, paid family leave, health department placarding, license fees and other taxes, and gender pay equity. We are also promoting the many ways members are giving back to the community on a regular basis, such as supporting Mary’s Place family homeless shelter program (See page 19).

Thank you for all the support you provide by speaking with elected officials and media outlets about issues important to our industry and the communities we serve. Please reach out to us at any time if you see issues we can help address at the local level.

January 2017 │ 11

MEET YOUR STATE AND LOCAL

Julia Gorton, Director of State Government Affairs, recently celebrated her 10th anniversary with the Association in her new role as head of our state government affairs efforts. She has been the lead on a range of critical issues, including protecting our RETRO program and defending members’ interests on liquor privatization and pricing. Julia’s first legislative experience with the Association was working on a tax fairness bill to allow restaurants to provide a free meal to employees without having to pay sales tax on the assessed value of the food. There was only one dissenting vote. juliag@wahospitality.org

John Lane is the Association’s first Director of Local Government Affairs.

He steps into this new role after managing our local GA efforts for 18 months, working first on the Seattle Office of Labor Standards Enforcement Ordinance as well as restrictive scheduling and the city’s hotel initiative. He has a law degree from Seattle University and extensive public policy experience, including serving as a Washington state assistant attorney general and as the Office of Financial Management’s legislative and legal counsel. John has also served as a senior policy advisor to Gov. Jay Inslee on public safety and government operations and as the executive policy advisor to Gov. Christine Gregoire.

johnl@wahospitality.org

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Anna Boone, Local Government Affairs Senior Manager, is the newest member of our team and comes to the Association with over a decade of experience in Washington politics. Most recently, she was at Gallatin Public Affairs, where she helped establish the firm’s local government affairs practice in Washington state and represented clients on regulatory and labor issues in front of local governments. Anna also has a political campaign background that includes running Congressman Norm Dicks’ 2010 reelection campaign.

aboone@wahospitality.org

Marian Ericks has served as our State Government Affairs Manager since January 2015 and is the Association’s point person on tourism, lodging taxes, shortterm rental regulations and anti-human trafficking efforts.

Marian is embarking on her eighth legislation session, and she got her start in government affairs as an intern and then staff member for State Sen. Rosemary McAuliffe, D-Bothell.

She has also worked on Snohomish County Council Member Brian Sullivan’s staff. mariane@wahospitality.org

Morgan Hickel transitions this month from our Seattle local government coordinator position to serving as a State Government Affairs Manager. In her local GA role, she worked closely with restaurant and hotel members on issues ranging from Seattle’s $15 minimum wage and restrictive scheduling ordinances, the hotel initiative, and paid family leave.

Morgan was also appointed to serve on the Seattle Labor Standards Advisory Commission in 2016.

Her past experience includes working in the American Frozen Food Institute’s communications and government affairs department. morganh@wahospitality.org

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS TEAMS

Samantha Louderback, Local Government Coordinator, joined our GA team in 2015 to help expand the Association’s work on the local level. She has engaged both members and elected officials on a range of issues including minimum wage and paid sick leave (Tacoma), plastic bag bans (Tacoma and Ellensburg) and health department licensing fees (Tacoma). She has also monitored issues and worked with members in Bellingham and Spokane. She came to the Association from the contract lobbying firm Alliances Northwest.

Zachary Lindahl, Local Government Affairs Coordinator, joined our staff in late 2015 to work closely with members in the Spokane area. He has worked on issues such as paid sick leave, human trafficking and tourism promotion.

Zach has interned for Congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutlers and for a contract lobbyist, and he enjoys getting to know members and learning about their business operations. zacharyl@wahospitality.org zacharyl@wahospitality.org

Stephanie McManus, Communications Advocacy Manager, is responsible for media relations and GA communications with members. During the legislative session, she authors our weekly Hot Off the Grill updates, and she has been is the communications point person on I-1433, tip pooling and overtime regulations.

Stephanie is also the communications lead to our president/CEO. She worked for the Washington Restaurant Association during 2004-05, and prior to returning to the WRA in 2014 she was a public information officer in the Washington State House of Representatives. stephaniem@wahospitality.org stephaniem@wahospitality.org

samanthal@wahospitality.org samanthal@wahospitality.org

Jillian Henze, Communications Manager, has supported the Local GA team in her first year with the Association. Her bailiwick is Seattle, and she has worked on secure scheduling, Initiative 124, shortterm rental regulations and, most recently, paid family leave.

Her responsibilities include working with the media, and she lights up when she earns positive media coverage for our members and the Association. She brings investigative journalism experience and PR expertise honed working in a full-serve advertising agency.

Wendy Hughes, Communications Manager, joined our team in 2016 and is the Communication Department’s pointperson for local government affairs issues outside of Seattle. She has worked closely with GA on Spokane’s paid leave legislation and provides support for Association events such as the Washington Lodging Convention. At Washington State University, Wendy was active in student government and lobbied for several higher education bills. wendyh@wahospitality.org wendyh@wahospitality.org

jillianh@wahospitality.org jillianh@wahospitality.org

Your Team Also Includes Experienced Contract Lobbyists

Bruce Beckett

Denny Eliason

Kim Clauson-Hoff January 2017 │ 13

2017 LEGISLATIVE

SESSION

INTRO The 2017 legislative session begins Jan. 9, and is a long, 105-day session. During odd years, the primary focus of the Washington State Legislature is to pass a balanced biennial budget. How the Legislature goes about completing its work depends largely on its makeup.

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STAY INFORMED AND ENGAGED Washington Hospitality Association members play an extremely important role in the legislative process. Here are three things you can do to help us be even more effective in the 2017 legislative session:

1.

2.

Stay informed by signing up for Hot Off the Grill, our weekly update on the legislative session. Email stephaniem@wahospitality.org to get on this opt-in mailing list.

Participate in our weekly Government Affairs Committee conference calls. These weekly calls give our GA team direction on bills that may impact our industry. Email katied@wahospitality.org to learn more.

3.

Attend our Hill Climb and Taste Our Best legislative reception in Olympia on Feb. 6. These events give members an opportunity to meet one-on-one with lawmakers to help education them how specific issues impact our industry. Register now at www.hillclimb2017.com/register.

The 2016 election outcomes indicate there will not be any significant change from previous years. Voters in Washington reelected Gov. Jay Inslee to his second fouryear term. The Majority Coalition Caucus (MCC), under the leadership of Sen. Schoesler, R-Ritzville, will continue leading the Senate. The MCC holds a single seat majority in the Senate. The House will remain under Democratic party control, led by Speaker Frank Chopp, D-Seattle.

Democrats will hold a two-seat majority with 50 Democrats, 48 Republicans.

Washington’s Legislature will remain divided, with each party controlling one house – something seen in very few other states around the country. A split legislature such as the one we will see heading into the 2017 session, means that all pieces of proposed legislation are fully debated, negotiated and discussed before they reach Gov. Inslee’s desk. Extreme or controversial ideas from either side are unlikely to emerge from the process. Instead, those ideas will be forced to the center of the political spectrum. While this means a longer, more difficult process in Olympia, it also means good news for the hospitality industry and it likely means better public policy will emerge in 2017.

Further complicating the Legislature’s work this year is the Washington State Supreme Court’s McCleary decision requiring the state to devote substantially more revenue to basic education. The Legislature is under a court order to

spend an additional $3.5 billion on K-12 education. Debate over how to do so will dominate discussion this session.

The Washington Hospitality Association will focus on three areas this session: the implementation of I-1433, the minimum wage and paid leave initiative passed by voters in November; the establishment of a statewide tourism program; and maintaining the hospitality industry’s cost of doing business by defeating new tax proposals and regulatory mandates that uniquely target the industry.

Maintaining a Realistic Cost of Business

Over the past several years, businesses have experienced significant changes that have altered the way they do business. For the hospitality industry, the impact has been so great that is has forced changes in the foundations of our business model. At the federal level, businesses have faced the burden and complexities of the Affordable Care Act, menu labeling requirements and changes in tip pool and overtime regulations (further complicated by delays in clarifying and implementing these regulations). Washington businesses will also have to adjust to the new state minimum wage and paid sick leave requirements, and many are impacted at the local level by January 2017 │ 15

ordinances such as Seattle’s new restrictive scheduling law and new health care mandates required under Seattle’s I-124 hotel initiative.

In modern history, businesses have rarely had to adjust to such significant change over a few short years. New mandates and regulatory requirements like these at the federal, state and local level, are requiring dramatic, and at times overwhelming change, especially in the hospitality industry. And, more calls for increased tax revenue and more regulatory requirements are on the horizon. The Washington Hospitality Association will be working to ensure these calls for more revenue and regulations do not add new costs to members’ businesses. Below are a few issues we expect to face in the 2017 legislative session.

Capital Gains Tax

In the past several sessions, there have been proposals to impose a new capital gains tax that would have devastating impacts on the hospitality industry.

Proposals being pitched as a tax on the wealthy, or on passive income, would hit restaurant operators and discourage investment in hotel properties. Our goal this year is to continue to educate lawmakers about the impact a new capital gains tax would have on our industry and to defeat any proposals that would hit our industry.

Re-authorization of Tax Fairness and Tax Preferences

This year, the Legislature will review both the pop syrup tax credit and the sales tax exemption on charcoal, cedar, and other flavor imparting items. Both of these issues present a tax fairness issue for our industry and we will be working to ensure they continue.

Paid Family Leave

The next major issue our industry will face this session is how to establish a paid family leave program. We believe it is possible to establish a program that assists working families without adding significant new costs to businesses in our industry. If we do not work to find a solution, we can expect another initiative on this issue. Our goal this year will be to work with the business community and paid family leave advocates to find a statewide solution that does not harm the hospitality industry.

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Tourism Promotion

The lack of funding for statewide tourism promotion continues to be a problem for our industry and our state, with Washington still the only state in the country that does not invest in a statewide marketing tourism program. Since the closure of the Washington State Office of Tourism, it has been left up to the Washington Tourism Alliance (WTA) to keep a bare bones marketing program alive.

The former Washington Restaurant Association and Washington Lodging Association were among the WTA’s industry partners, and together they fought for the passage of legislation to establish a sustainable, long-term funding program for statewide tourism promotion that would be privately managed, industry-led and industry-supported.

The Washington Hospitality Association has taken up their mantle. In the session interim, your government affairs team worked closely with the WTA and members of the Legislature on a new proposed funding mechanism to be introduced in the 2017 legislative session. Although the legislative proposal has yet to be finalized, the basic elements will include a marketing plan and advertising campaign that focuses on bringing more tourists to Washington as a whole and out to rural and tourismdependent counties. It will be based on a public-private funding model with voluntary industry contributions and managed by the private sector with government oversight.

With so many demands on the state general fund expected this year, as well as the need to fund the McCleary decision, it is likely to be a tough year for solving our tourism funding problem.

Expecting the Unexpected

Each year, thousands of pieces of legislation are introduced. Our team will monitor every bill that is introduced to identify any possible impact on the hospitality industry.

We also need your help. Each week during session we hold a government affairs conference call to get direction from our members and determine our position on bills that impact our industry. Please consider joining us on these calls and help shape the policy outcomes of this year’s legislative session. To get more information, contact Katie Doyle at KatieD@wahospitality.org.

REGISTER TODAY. WAHOSPITALITY.ORG/HILLCLIMB

HOSPITALITY SERVEs. Everything you need for Hill Climb is on our new app, head to this link to have it directly on your mobile device: crowd.cc/s/wXHC. #HillClimb2017

Communities.

Employees.

Customers.

Washington.

LOCAL OUTLOOK FOR 2017 Paid Family Leave Last July the Seattle City Council kicked off efforts to establish paid family and parental leave for employees in Seattle. Councilmember Gonzalez is currently holding stakeholder community forums to hear more about the issue from local businesses.

Legislation may be considered January and April 2017. However, serious discussions on this topic are occurring at the state level and may impact the city’s plans.

If Seattle does move forward, its new leave program might be funded by a B&O tax or an employer-paid payroll tax.

It could alternatively be established as an insurance-style program. It may establish four to 16 weeks of paid leave and job protections, equal maternity and paternity leave. There are many unknowns, but the LGA team is closely following and your involvement in the conversation will be critical.

Short-Term Rental Laws In June 2016, Seattle Council Member Tim Burgess announced a proposal to address one component of the affordable housing crisis in Seattle by preventing long-term rental units from being converted to short-term rentals, while still providing residents the ability to earn additional income by renting out their homes.

The goal of the proposed ordinance is to maintain a supply of long-term rental housing at a range of prices while balancing the economic opportunity created by shortterm rentals. The focus is on commercial operators who use platforms, such as Airbnb and VRBO, to rent multiple properties year-round. If this proposal is adopted, about 80 percent of existing short-term rentals in Seattle would see no new regulations.

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The city also wants to ensure short-term rental platforms are paying their fair share of applicable taxes and are following all requirements to keep residents and visitors safe. All short-term rental operators within the city of Seattle must already secure a city business license tax certificate and pay all business operating taxes. The proposal would better protect the rights and safety of owners, guests and neighbors of these short-term rental units by shutting down illegal hotels. This legislation is expected to be at the top of the list of issues to be addressed in January 2017.

Port Townsend and Walla Walla have also adopted shortterm rental rules and Tacoma has been making code changes to address short-term rentals.

Seattle’s Proposed Head Tax: The Battle Isn’t Over Late last year the Seattle City Council considered a budget proposal introduced by Councilmember Herbold, which would have imposed a head tax on employers to pay for a $3 million increase in funding for the Office of Labor Standards.

Mayor Ed Murray and Council Budget Chair Tim Burgess both proposed using the general fund to increase the labor standards budget by $3.7 million in 2017. The mayor and Burgess’ proposals consider the implementation of labor laws is a general fund responsibility and does not warrant new taxes on business. Our Seattle members called, emailed and wrote to the council members this fall asking them to reject the head tax, and the legislation was defeated (5-4).

This issue will likely pop up again in 2017. Please continue to tell council members why it’s important to fund the Office of Labor Standards through the general fund instead of implementing another tax on business, which is already addressing so many other new costs associated with new city ordinances.

Partnering with Mary’s Place

Seattle Restaurants and Hotels Help Fight Homelessness It was a community response to a community crisis.

Over the holidays, 12 Seattle-based member restaurants worked to feed, shelter and lift up homeless families and children in their community by partnering with Mary’s Place and its No Child Sleeps Outside campaign.

Together, they helped Mary’s Place raise money to open additional crisis response shelter, bringing more families inside this winter. Their goal: $3 million from Nov. 16 to Dec. 31, 2016.

In the first two weeks of the campaign, their combined effort had already raised $547,644 and Starbucks had pledged an additional $1 million to the campaign. The Starbucks Foundation committed to matching every dollar donated by customers at participating King County Starbucks stores in December, up to $1 million.

This philanthropic response couldn’t have come at a better time.

In 2015, Seattle’s mayor declared a homelessness state of emergency. When the No Child Sleeps Outside campaign was launched, 500 families in Seattle and King County communities were sleeping outside each night in places that were cold, wet and unsafe.

Independent, local restaurateurs of the Seattle Restaurant Alliance, the Seattle restaurant arm of the Washington Hospitality Association, pledged money, food and job support to aid this crucial effort. Participating restaurants included Dick’s Drive-In Restaurants, Lunchbox Laboratory, Neighborhood Grills, Rhein Haus, Poquitos, Sam’s Tavern, Bitterroot, Mammoth, Elliott Bay Brewery & Pub, Century Ballroom/Tin Table and Moshi Moshi.

“The Seattle restaurant community is committed to doing its part to build an economically vibrant city where everyone can succeed,” said Jasmine Donovan, a member of the restaurant alliance board and VP of Dick’s DriveIn Restaurants. “Our board has been tracking recent conversations about Seattle’s issue of homelessness and brainstorming creative, helpful solutions. We serve our community members every day at our restaurants.

We’re excited to extend our hospitality and help to our community members most in need.”

Mary’s Place is a Seattle-based nonprofit dedicated to empowering homeless women, children and families to reclaim their lives by providing shelter, nourishment, resources, healing and hope in a safe community. Its work keeps struggling families together and provides practical tools and resources that help women find housing and employment.

Learn more at marysplaceseattle.org.

In addition to donating money, the restaurateurs and their staff members rolled up their sleeves to help by organizing a virtual job fair to match individuals in need with stable, quality hospitality jobs, donating food and leftovers to shelters and volunteering at crisis centers and special events.

An Evening of Hope Seattle hoteliers have also committed to helping end the region’s homelessness crisis. On Feb. 4, the Seattle Hotel Association is holding its 20th Annual Evening of Hope and Mary’s Place will be the evening’s beneficiary.

The local hotel association created the Evening of Hope Gala in 1996 to showcase the organization’s effort to make a difference in the Seattle community. Its member volunteers have raised more than $5.6 million for local charities in the past 19 years. Beneficiaries have included Northwest Aids, Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Puget Sound Affiliate, Plymouth Housing Group, the Pike Place Market Foundation and the Seattle Police Foundation. In addition to donating the proceeds to helping Mary’s Place fight homelessness, the 2016 Gala will honor the Bartell Family.

Tickets to the Evening of Hope Gala, which takes place at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel in downtown Seattle, are on sale at seattlehotelassociation.org.

Seattle Hotel Association’s 20th Annual Evening of Hope Gala benefiting Mary’s Place Feb. 4, 2017, at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel Tickets available at SeattleHotelAssociation.com

January 2017 │ 19

Oily Rags Can Be Lethal: Protect Yourself, Protect Your Family

By Brad Tower Christmas 2016 was the first since the death of my three children. Ben, Maddy and Sam were my angels, and my world was torn apart when they lost their lives on March 4, 2016. Their death was caused by rags that had been used to clean up cooking oil in a restaurant. Those rags had been brought home to be laundered and returned to the restaurant the next day. They had been washed with detergent, dried in the dryer and piled in a plastic milk crate by the front door before bedtime so the children’s mother would remember to take them back to the restaurant the next day. But that day never came.

Oily rags are items that few people would consider a danger. But according to the National Fire Protection Association, more than 14,000 fires are started every year due to spontaneous combustion or chemical reaction; 1,600 of those fires are in someone’s home. Last year, my children were sleeping upstairs in one of those homes, and none of them escaped.

The rags were still warm when piled into the milk crate.

As the residual oil molecules broke down in the pile with little ventilation, the temperature in the center of the rag pile climbed. During the night the rags burst into flames, igniting the couch and other living room furniture. By the time anyone was aware of the danger, it was too late.

The danger from structure fires is not as Hollywood would have you believe. Scenes of people stumbling down a burning hallway with a cloth over their mouth are unrealistic. The danger in a structure fire is that the air itself kills, not the flames. At 600 degrees,

the first breath cooks the tissue in your lungs, making the next breath impossible. The only defense is to slow a fire’s progression to allow for escape, get early warning (smoke detectors) or to prevent the fire in the first place.

Perhaps you, like me, are surprised to hear that “clean” laundry is a danger. I had heard of oily rags spontaneously combusting, but envisioned rags soaked with motor oil or solvents left in the sun or a hot garage. But once they had been washed? I was shocked. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been.

Have you ever actually read the warning labels on your laundry machines? Half of the warning is dedicated to this threat. Mine reads, “Do not put articles soiled with vegetable or cooking oil in the dryer, as these oils may not be removed during washing. Due to the remaining oil the fabric may catch on fire by itself.” That fire may occur in the dryer, or as in my case, after the items were removed but not provided sufficient ventilation.

As Charles Dickens’ ghost of Jacob Marley said, “I am here to-night to warn you, that you have yet a chance and hope of escaping my fate.” Please, protect your families. Whether cooking at home or at your restaurant, remember that all oils are flammable, and cleaning rags that have been used to wipe up cooking oil should be considered a potential ignition source. Ventilation is key – avoid machine drying, and never EVER leave soiled kitchen rags in a large pile.

My heart is broken. If you are reading this, it is because you are meant to understand and avoid a similar heartbreak.

That would be a gift to both of us from my angels.

Brad Tower has been lobbying the Washington State Legislature as a principal of Tower Ltd since June, 2000. He represents a variety of business interests, including retail, industrial, agricultural, and professional organizations.

20 │ wahospitality.org

Fire Prevention 101: The Basics on Kitchen Fire Safety Restaurants—with their open flames, hot equipment, electrical connections, cooking oils, cleaning chemicals and paper products—have all the ingredients for a fire to flame out of control. Nearly 8,000 eating and drinking establishments report a fire each year according to the National Fire Protection Association. The NFPA also reports that the leading area of origin for structure fires in hotels and motels is the kitchen, which is where 41 percent hotel and motel fires start.

A fire can devastate your business and harm your guests and staff, possibly leading to permanent closure. But there are steps you can take to prevent fires and minimize the damage.

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE Install an automatic fire-suppression system in the kitchen. More than half of restaurant and hotel fires involve cooking equipment, and these systems automatically dispense chemicals to suppress the flames. They also automatically shut down the fuel or electrical supply to nearby cooking equipment. Have your fire-suppression system professionally inspected semiannually.

The manufacturer can refer you to an authorized distributor for inspection and maintenance.

Keep portable fire extinguishers as a backup. You’ll need Class K extinguishers for kitchen fires involving grease, fats and oils that burn at high temperatures. Class K fire extinguishers are only intended to be used after the activation of a built-in hood suppression system. Keep Class ABC extinguishers elsewhere for all other fires (paper, wood, plastic, electrical, etc.).

Schedule regular maintenance on electrical equipment, and watch for hazards like frayed cords or wiring, cracked or broken switch plates and combustible items near power sources.

Have your exhaust system inspected for grease buildup. The NFPA Fire Code calls for quarterly inspections of systems in highvolume operations and semiannual inspections in moderate-volume operations. Monthly inspections are required for exhaust systems serving solid-fuel cooking equipment, like wood- or charcoal-burning ovens.

STAFF TRAINING Training your staff on fire safety is critical, and Washington Hospitality Association’s incipient firefighting course is a great place to start. Certified fire personnel will teach your employees how to use portable fire extinguishers and train them on appropriate response skills that are necessary to fight and control fires that are in the beginning or incipient stage. (Learn more at www.wraef. org/training/incipient-fire-fighting-training).

The National Restaurant Association also offers these recommendations on its website: Have the right fire extinguishers in the right place, and make sure staff is trained on using them appropriately.

Clean up grease and properly clean exhaust hoods, walls and work surfaces; ranges, fryers, broilers, grills and convection ovens; vents and filters.

Never throw water on a grease fire.

Make sure cigarettes are out before dumping them in a trash receptacle. Do not allow smoking in or near storage areas.

Store flammable liquids properly in well-ventilated areas away from supplies, food, food-preparation areas or any source of flames.

Stay tidy to avoid fire hazards. Store paper products, linens, boxes and food away from heat and cooking sources.

Properly dispose of soiled rags, trash, cardboard boxes and wooden pallets at least once a day. Note: Washing machines designed for home use do not have hot enough water to adequately remove oils and solvents from soiled rags.

Use chemical solutions properly. Use chemicals in well-ventilated areas, and never mix chemicals unless directions call for mixing. Immediately clean up chemical spills.

You should also have an emergency plan and teach every new employee about closest exits, evacuation procedures and the proper usage of fire-safety equipment. Give veteran staff members a refresher course at least annually. On every shift you should have at least one worker training in how to shut off gas and electrical power in case of emergency, and have an evacuation manager on every shift who is in charge of calling 911, determining when an evacuation is necessary and ensuring that everyone exits the restaurant safely.

Source: National Restaurant Association January 2017 │ 21

EVERYONE WINS WITH PROSTART — THE STUDENTS, THE COMMUNITY AND OUR INDUSTRY

AV –D

ProStart : Building Our ®

E

LU M

BER G, ECOLAB

Industry’s Future

By Paul Schlienz

ProStart helps young adults build a careers in hospitality, and in doing so it is investing in the future of our industry.

Established in response to a labor shortage in the 1990s, ProStart helps develop skilled, focused and ready-to-work employees for our industry. It is a nationwide, two-year hospitality program that develops culinary techniques and management skills in high school students.

ProStart’s industry-driven curriculum links classroom learning with hands-on experience to develop the best and brightest talent in tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice leaders. With support of community-minded industry members, Washington’s ProStart program reaches more than 1,500 high school students each year.

ProStart gives students a platform to discover new interests and talents, and it opens the doors to fulfilling careers in the hospitality industry. Industry professionals serve as mentors and provide support for ProStart students by helping them find a passion, develop goals and get started on their future.

To earn a ProStart Certificate of Achievement, students participate in the two-year program and gain 400 hours of work experience. They also must pass two national exams

22 │ wahospitality.org

to demonstrate proficiency in more than 50 workplace competencies.

But to really understand ProStart’s impact, you need to actually talk with the students who have had their lives enriched through their participation.

Genevieve Boushey is one such student.

Even before she entered high school, Genevieve loved to cook, thanks to the time her mother invested in teaching her about everything in the kitchen. Once she entered Oak Harbor High School, she was drawn to the culinary program and ProStart.

There, 2015 ProStart Teacher of the Year Mary Arthur was an inspiration to Genevieve.

“She’s the best mentor I’ve ever had,” Genevieve said of Mary.

“She taught me not just about culinary arts, but about life. She was more than a teacher. She’s also been a real friend to me, and we remain in contact today. She’s one of the main reasons I am where I am now.”

While in ProStart, Genevieve also got to know ProStart Mentor Scott Fraser, a respected Oak Harbor restaurateur who won Washington Hospitality’s 2016 Cornerstone Humanitarian Award and whose restaurant, Frasers Gourmet Hideaway received the 2014 Restaurant Neighbor Award for its many charitable activities.

“Scott Fraser is just amazing in the kitchen,” said Genevieve. “He had so much to teach us. He really did help me evolve in the kitchen. He also taught us time management and the importance of teamwork. It was a great experience and opportunity to learn from him.”

Genevieve was a 2015 ProStart scholarship winner and is now studying at The Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York. Once she has graduated from CIA, she plans on getting involved with the farm-to-table movement and eventually opening a restaurant of her own. She is where she is today, in part, due to her involvement with ProStart.

ProStart is, indeed, a great pipeline for producing passionate, job-ready employees for our industry. Smart employers know this, and support ProStart. Some, like Scott Fraser, devote time to mentoring ProStart students.

Others, like Ecolab, a provider of water and hygiene technologies to the hospitality industry, support ProStart financially.

“ProStart graduates have a leg up on everyone else out there,” said Dave Lumberg, Ecolab’s water services manager for its western region. “Everyone wins with ProStart - the students, the community and our industry. If we can help the restaurant be more successful, it’s to our own advantage and everyone else’s gain.”

2015 ProStart Teacher of the Year Mary Arthur

SEE PROSTART IN ACTION 2017 ProStart Invitational takes place on Feb. 18, at Clover Park Technical College, in Lakewood.

ProStart teams from high schools around the state will compete for the Washington title and a place at the 2017 National ProStart Invitational.

Visit the Washington Hospitality Association Education Foundation website to learn about how you can get involved with ProStart, either as a mentor, a financial or in-kind sponsor or as a volunteer at the upcoming invitational. www.wraef.org/ProStart Prepare to be amazed.

January 2017 │ 23

Employee Safety Alert Systems for Hotels

By Jillian Henze

Here’s a quick overview of technology options that can help Seattle hotels comply with the city’s recently approved hotel initiative.

Seattle voters passed Initiative 124 on Nov. 8, 2016, introducing new standards for Seattle hotel employers.

I-124 requires certain-sized hotel employers to provide employees with additional protection from assault, sexual harassment and injury. It also requires maintaining lists of guests accused of harassment, greater access to health care, limits on housekeeping workloads and limited job security for employees upon hotel ownership transfer.

In addition, the initiative requires Seattle hotels with 60 or more guest rooms or suites of rooms to equip employees who work alone in guest rooms with a safety alert system. The system must be able to summon immediate, on-scene assistance from another employee, security guard or representative of the hotel employer.

Here are some alert system options currently available for hotels: An App: GuardianMPS GuardianMPS is an app that provides the location of the device with the app when a button is pushed. It also gives the staff member’s last assignment and live audio feed when the panic alarm is sounded.

GuardianMPS monitors panic alarms 24/7 and alerts the hotel team in an emergency. www.guardianmps.com.

Contact Ron Bleakney at 781.697.8841 or Ron.Bleakney@ guardianmps.com.

24 │ wahospitality.org

A Button: RF Technologies PinPoint RF Technologies PinPoint is an easyto-conceal panic button that uses the hotel’s Wi-Fi to communicate with a server. When the pendant button is pushed, location information is collected from the Wi-Fi network and reference tags in the area. The signal passes through a server to all security monitoring computers and available mobile devices. www.rft.com. Contact Marina Willis at 262.373.5122 or MWillis@rft.com.

Two-Way Radios: Bearcom Wireless Worldwide Another option for hotels is to equip staff members with twoway radios that can be used like walkie-talkies in the case of an emergency. www.bearcom.com.

Contact Eric Lyon at 206-262-3629 or Eric.Lyon@bearcom.com.

In the Cloud: Amadeus HotSOS HotSOS is a cloud-based, service-optimization enterprise solution that enables staff members to virtually connect and manage their department from anywhere on any device. Employees can send alerts in real time to report any guest or staff incidents or service delays. www.amadeushospitality.com/amadeus-serviceoptimization. Contact Sarah Taveprungsenukul at 615.613.8663 or saraht@amadeus.com.

The systems listed above are only some of the safety alert systems currently on the market. Some systems may put you at greater risk for liability than others. We recommend working with an attorney and your team to find the system that works best for your hotel and complies with the law.

Education Foundation

2017 ProStart Invitational As the state’s leading solutions for development and training we’re excited about introducing young people to amazing careers in the restaurant and hospitality industry. ProStart is a special program for high school students that gives our young people the opportunity to learn about the art of cooking and managing restaurants by training with professional chefs and getting valuable classroom instruction. We support ProStart, a school-to-career program, in more than 30 schools throughout Washington. ProStart students will compete for thousands of dollars in scholarships at the ProStart Invitational and the chance to go the the NRA Nationals in Dallas, TX.

February 18th, 2017 Open to all! Come join the excitement and support the hospitality industry!

WRAEF.ORG Contact: Naja Hogander │ najah@wahospitality.org │ t: 877.695.9733 x 108

Five Social Media Resolutions for Your Business

By Wendy Hughes

Having trouble engaging your social media followers? Do you know how to handle bad social media reviews? No matter the size of your communications team, with a little bit of extra effort you can improve the effectiveness of your social outreach. Here are five tips to set you on the right path in 2017.

Build your brand through your guests.

Today’s customer wants to know where their meats come from, if their bedding is eco-friendly or if the restaurants they patronize maintain sustainable practices. Because of this, you have the power to use social media to build a narrative with your customers. Whether it’s posting about the local farms or organizations you are supporting, or advertising your business’ sustainable practices, you can make a sizable impression on guests.

Manage your reputation.

You strive to give guests excellent experiences every time they come through your door, but sometimes a guest will have a bad experience. The next thing you know they are blaring negative reviews on Facebook or Twitter for all the world to see. Businesses cannot control these occurrences, but how you respond to the situation can actually improve the image of your business. Here’s how to handle negative reviews and come out like a champ.

01

Check your social media channels at the end of each day. Look for any reviews or mentions of your business.

02

Promptly respond to all negative AND positive reviews or comments.

03

If a review is negative, graciously apologize, invite the customer back for an improved experience and offer your contact information to speak with them offline. Taking the conversation offline means the customer can continue to air grievances and you can offer solutions without the public as an audience.

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Keep it frequent.

The frequency of your posts gives followers something to rely on. Maintain daily interaction with your social media channels and share original content three to four times a week. This regular interaction provides insight into your brand and creates a dialog for followers and potential customers.

Budget ahead of time.

In today’s social media environment, it’s hard to get noticed. Large companies like Amazon and Boeing have dedicated marketing teams and significant budgets for social media, but small businesses can gain a lot from a minimal investment in targeted advertising on social media channels. Budgeting and planning will maximize your efforts, but you may only need $100 a month to boost the effectiveness of your social media efforts. This, partnered with strategic post scheduling and targeting, will get you seen by the customers who matter.

Keep it personal.

Finally, keep your messaging simple and personal. Provide a personal touch whenever possible. You can do this in a variety of ways on social media. Share when customers tag your business in posts or photos. Put on guest-driven promotions that give customers who interact with your page a discount. Offer a prize for the best selfie. Above all else, have fun with your guests and break down the barrier between business and friendship.

Ask your broker today for your Washington Hospitality Association member UnitedHealthcare quote UnitedHealthcare, the National Restaurant Association and the Washington Hospitality Association offer easy access to health care coverage and other valuable resources and tools, including:  Exclusive savings on standard medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans*  Lower-cost preventive medical plans  Resources and tools for Hispanic/Latino owners, operators and employees  Online modular platform for easy Affordable Care Act administration and compliance

Save with rate discounts up to*

Medical 5% on Plans Specialty 5% on Benefits *Some restrictions apply.

Contact your broker or UnitedHealthcare representative today and ask for your Washington Hospitality Association member UnitedHealthcare quote. Or visit uhctogether.com/wra.

For more information, contact John Stallsmith at (317) 513-5496 or john.stallsmith@optum.com. *Some restrictions apply. ©2016 United HealthCare Services, Inc. Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates. Health Plan coverage provided by or through a UnitedHealthcare company.

D30010 10/16

Put your best

fish forward.

Food waste is bad enough. Contamination is worse! How do you stop a bad fish from reaching the table? You make sure that your line staff knows the rules, knows how to how to detect bad product, and absolutely knows how to rotate your walk-ins so that you are always putting your best ingredients on the plate. Do your people know how to do that? Let’s hope so.

Safe service is good service.

ServSafe is the best service.

Train your staff today!

VISIT WRAEF.ORG for more info.

SERVSAFE MANAGER HOSPITALITY TRAINING SOLUTIONS ServSafeManagerhalfPageAd.indd 1

12/20/2016 10:15:16 AM

INDUSTRY CALENDAR January/February TRAINING Jan. 23

ServSafe® Manager, FSA Kent

Feb. 7

ServSafe® Manager, Bargreen Ellingson

Feb. 21

ServSafe® Manager, Sysco Kent

Feb. 27

ServSafe® Manager, FSA Everett

MEETINGS Jan. 17

Finance Committee

Feb. 7

Board Meeting

Feb. 8

MSC Board Meeting

Feb. 8

EF Board Meeting

UPCOMING EVENTS Jan. 24

Spokane Chapter Awards Gala

Feb. 6

Hill Climb & Taste Our Best

Feb. 18

ProStart Invitational

NEW HOSPITALITY MEMBERS 12 Hawks Bar & Grill, Ephrata Artfetti Cakes, Kennewick Asadero Sinaloa, Seattle Bacco, Seattle Baja Burrito, University Place, Auburn Bananas Grill, Seattle Bite Teriyaki and Pho, Mount Vernon Brunswick & Hunt, Seattle Cafe Velo, Bellingham Candlewood Suites, Lacey Cash Brewing, Silverdale Chan, Seattle Chelsea Farms Oyster Bar, Olympia Chico’s Tacos, Kennewick Chili’s Grill & Bar, Spokane Crossland Economy Studios, Kent Crossland Economy Studios, Puyallup Crossland Economy Studios, Spokane Valley Crossland Economy Studios, Tacoma Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, Spokane Valley Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Bellevue Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott, Spokane Fire and Brimstone Wood Fired Eatery & Frankenburger’s Fry Lab, Kennewick Freedom Market, Longview, Kelso, Ilwaco Fremont Dock Sports Bar & Grill, Seattle Gallucci’s Catering Co, Tacoma Garibaldi, Pasco Georgetown Ballroom, Seattle

Hilton Garden Inn Olympia Home2Suites by Hilton, Tukwila Island Country Inn, Bainbridge Island Kimo’s Restaurant & Sports Bar, Kennewick La Quinta Inn & Suites, Vancouver Lovitt Fairhaven, Bellingham Marketplace Grille, Gig Harbor Mary’s Bar & Grill, Longview Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, various locations Mia’s, Eastsound MOD Super Fast Pizza LLC, Bellevue Monticello Hotel, Longview Nothing Bundt Cakes, Spokane Nudo Ramen House North, Spokane Oak Table Cafe, Silverdale Pizza Pizazz, Federal Way, Lakewood Point Casino & Hotel, Kingston Rendezvous Cafe, Seattle RF McDougall’s, Kennewick Rocco’s Pizza, Pasco Rusty Bucket Pub & Grub, Sumas Smitty’s In & Out, Elma Sogno Di Vino, Poulsbo Swim Club Bar & Cafe, Bellingham Tacos Chukis, Seattle The Folded Pizza Pie, Richland Top Burger Drive In, Camas Wingate By Wyndham, Spokane

As one of the oldest businesses in Pike Place Market, we know what visitors & tourists are looking for in food and lodging, and have long advised many thousands of people of what is available in the Seattle downtown area. We have been advisors to a number of like businesses and have also helped out in decor of such businesses.

Narrows, American Brewing, Puyallup River Brewing, Lazy Boy Brewing, Gig Harbor Brewing, and Northwest Brewing Company, as well as non alcoholic options including Humm Kombucha, Hubert’s Lemonade, Cabana Coconut Water, Old Fashioned New York Seltzer, and Pulse Beverages, plus water from Icelandic Glacial and Crystal Geyser.

Limantzakis Properties Johnny Limantzakis johnny@lproperties.com 704 NE Northlake Way Ste 100 Seattle, WA 98105 6430 206.632.1222 Local investor real estate long term hold.

SurfaceTech Northwest, LLC Ron Eshman surfacetechnw@gmail.com PO BOX 111703 Tacoma, WA 98411 1703 206.305.6785 www.surfacetechnw.com

Olympic Eagle Distributing Neil Pearson Neil.Pearson@olympiceagle.com 1101 N Levee Rd Puyallup, WA 98371-3236 253.256.0200 www.olympic.publishpath.com

Specialty repair and restoration of stainless steel brushed finish including “sanitary” and “biotech” level finishes. Scratch removal and repair for applicances and kitchen equipment.

Special Offer: 15% off

NEW ALLIED MEMBERS ADP Justin Reiter justin.reiter@adp.com 20700 44th Avenue West, Ste 600 Lynnwood, WA 98036-7743 509.270.8590 www.adp.com Leader in human capital management, helping small business with cash flow, employee solutions and compliance, with all payroll and HR needs. Special Offer: 20% discount on all payroll package services.

CPR Training Center Dawn Jones dawn@dawnjones.net PO Box 55806 Seattle, WA 98155-0806 206.621.3560 www.cprtr.com Safety training, CPR, AED, First Aid, Blood Borne Pathogens, Disaster Preparedness 3 additional students free after the minimum 1 7 (savings of $135).

Golden Age Collectables Roderick Dyke gacollect@gmail.com 1501 Pike Place Market Seattle, WA 98101 206.622.9799 goldenagecollectables.com

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Olympic Eagle is a beer wholesaler that currently services the Washington counties of King, Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Mason, Gray’s Harbor, Lewis and Pacific.

We currently distribute brands from the breweries of Anheuser Busch/InBev, Constellation, Redhook, Widmer, Kona, Goose Island, 10 Barrel, Elysian, Golden Road, and Blue Point. Local craft beers from Elysian,

UBER EATS David Rutenberg david.rutenberg@uber.com 1000 2nd Ave. Ste 1300 Seattle, WA 98122 1082 503.307.8996 ubereats.com/seattle UberEATS is the Puget Sound’s #1 food delivery service. We work with hundreds of restaurants to imrove their sales by delivering to new and existing customers at lightning speed.

Ask the Expert | Restaurant Profit Coach

Your New Advisory Network Video Library The Washington Hospitality Association’s mission is to enhance the success of its members, and one of the ways we do this is by providing educational resources and one-on-one consultations with industry experts through our Advisory Network.

Now we are building a series of short videos that tackle common challenges faced by our members. They feature our Advisory Network consultants and can help you get started on increasing sales, reducing costs and avoiding legal issues.

Legal Implementation of Service Charges

Hospitality Attorney Sandip Soli reviews the advantage of switching from tips to a service charge and outlines the basic steps restaurants need to follow when making this change. Other consulting network videos by Sandip include: Are You ADA Compliant?

Tip Pooling in Your Restaurant Negotiating Your Restaurant’s Lease

Reducing Food Costs: Where Are You Losing Money?

Kathy Chaffee Groff of Restaurant Solutions outlines the steps you need to take to ensure that you’re not incurring unnecessary food costs.

How to Build Sales: New Customer Acquisition

Rick Braa, principal at AMP Services, offers three videos on the most important aspects of building your sales. Rick’s expertise includes financial & accounting management, information technology, business expansion and lease. Other videos in this series include: How to Build Sales: Increasing Guest Frequency How to Build Sales: Increasing Your Check Average.

Find our library of Advisory Network videos at www.wahospitality.org/advisory-network-videos. And if you have a question for one of our experts, please reach out to your area coordinator or call 800.225.7166. In addition to the topics covered in the videos above, they can help you with alcohol compliance, business taxes questions, concept design and development, healthcare coverage issues, HR compliance, information technology, insurance and risk management, operations, workplace safety and succession planning. Be sure to take advantage of this great member benefit!

ADVISORY NETWORK

WWW.WAHOSPITALITY.ORG/ADVISORY-NETWORK-VIDEOS 30 │ wahospitality.org

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www.wahospitality.org

CREDIT CARD PROCESSING

Meet or Beat

Washington Hospitality Association credit card processing offer:* If we cannot match or improve your rate, YOU will receive a $500 Visa® Gift Card!!

• All we need is your two most recent months’ merchant account statements and we’ll make you an offer that can’t be beat.

• You have nothing to lose by having our Payment Solutions Market Manager provide you with a free evaluation and comparison of your current rates and services. We are confident that the end result will save you money.

• Get your funds faster with deposits to a U.S. Bank Business Checking Account — as quick as same day credit, next day funds availability.

Terms and Conditions* Other terms and conditions apply: • Offer applies to new U.S. Bank merchant customers only.

• Offer requires deposit of settlement funds to U.S. Bank Business Checking Account.

• Offer not valid if customer’s current rates are set to be competitive for a large franchise or association members under corporate pricing, government or non-profit entity pricing, warehouse pricing, petroleum merchants, merchants processing through a third party network, Elavon or U.S. Bank Partner, or other U.S. Bank group offers. Offer requires merchant processing a minimum of $50,000 in annual credit card sales.

• Written processing agreement required. Service may be provided by a U.S. Bank group company.

• Merchants must provide their two most recent complete credit card processing statements.

• Meet or Beat promotional campaign is available for a limited time only. Offer subject to change, modification, or termination without notice.

To take advantage of this offer a rate evaluation must be requested by 12/31/2016.

• Our meet or beat offer is limited to total processing costs excluding equipment/software costs. Offer limited to one per business entity or related business.

• The U.S. Bank Visa Gift Card cannot be reloaded with additional funds, nor can it be used at an ATM. For use in the U.S. only. Terms and conditions apply and other fees may apply. For complete details visit www.usbankmyaccount.com. Card is issued by U.S. Bank National Association, pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. Deposit and credit products offered by U.S. Bank National Association. ©2016 U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC. 7502-A (1/15) MMWR59364

We can help you with so much more.

Our suite of product solutions are designed to help you grow your restaurant business. We offer: > Loyalty, promotional, and gift card programs > Mobile and tablet solutions > Layered security technology offering the powerful combination of encryption, tokenization, EMV and PCI coverage > Business cash and travel rewards credit cards — ask about our Encore rewards program

Let’s Talk Ken Wells Director of Business Development Washington Hospitality Association 425.457.1458 kenw@wahospitality.org powered by