NJRHA Hosted an Industry Roundtable with Congressman Andy Kim

The New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association (NJRHA) hosted another “Kitchen Cabinet” legislative roundtable recently, this time at Redz Restaurant in Mt. Laurel. The purpose of NJRHA’s free Kitchen Cabinet grassroots initiative is to promote effective engagement and discussion among member businesses and public officials within their district. The event featured a Q&A discussion between Congressman Andy Kim (NJ-03) and hotel and restaurant owners from neighboring communities.

No topic was left unsaid by guests working in the restaurant and hospitality industry, which has still not fully recovered from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of particular interest to restaurateurs in attendance were topics on new pending legislation that could again turn the industry on its head, such as predictive scheduling – paying servers and bartenders for a fully scheduled shift rather than releasing them if not busy – and the possibility of eliminating the tip wage and replacing it with minimum wage.

“During the pandemic, hotels and restaurants got hurt the most, especially in the state of New Jersey,” said NJRHA Chairman Bhavesh Patel, who added that 33% of NJ restaurants closed during Covid and may not reopen at all – especially if predictive scheduling and minimum wage come to light.

Dana Lancellotti, president and CEO of NJRHA, noted that restaurants were affected differently than other industries because restaurants were forced to fully shut down, and thus still require specific consideration from the government. Hotels, too, have a long road ahead, according to Lancellotti, with social distancing still in place and a vaccine mandate “looming”.

“There is a tremendous amount of things down the road that are threatening the continuation of business as usual,” she said.

Other topics included the new U.S. infrastructure bill to the interruption to the J1 Visa program, which is imperative for many shore businesses that rely heavily on foreign workers for the summer season.

Kim was headed straight to Washington, D.C., after the event and said that he was going to keep pushing these issues there.

Lancellotti, who serves as the voice of New Jersey’s restaurant and hospitality industry, appreciated the discussion between the industry and Kim and stated, “Working together and continuing this dialogue with the industry and our legislators is the best way for both parties to learn from one another and figure out solutions to get back to business.”

Recently the NJRHA hosted a roundtable at Alosi’s in Wildwood Crest with Sen. Michael L. Testa Jr., Assemblyman Antwan McClellan and Assemblyman Erik Simonsen. There will be one more scheduled for 2021 that has yet to be determined. For information, go to NJRHA.org/events.

About New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association

New Jersey Restaurant and Hospitality Association (NJRHA) was founded in 1942 to support, educate and advocate on behalf of the hospitality industry throughout the state. Representing over 25,000 foodservice establishments and 350,000 employees, NJRHA represents the state’s largest private-sector employer and generates $18.1 billion in tax revenue for the state. Visit www.njrha.org.