With the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020, many changes and opportunities are on the horizon. Happy New Year! I hope your holidays were profitable and your January gives you some rest. We’re welcoming new members as we always do and holding tight to long-time members. To all of you we say thank you! KRA is preparing for an interesting legislative session with a new Governor and new cabinet officials. What will the legislative agenda look like? Will a restaurant tax be in play? Will other fees or taxes be proposed that impact our industry? We spend a lot of time every January through April monitoring the language in every bill, talking with legislators about how the restaurant industry works and contributes to the state’s and cities’ economic engines. Did you know Kentucky has over 7,500 eating and drinking places, over 200,000 restaurant and foodservice jobs – that’s 10% of the employment in the state! – with an estimated $8.5+ billion in annual sales? That’s jaw dropping! So I’ll ask you, if you get a message from me in the next few months asking you to contact your state Senator or Representative, please do so and remind them of the strength of our industry. Tell them that every dollar spent in quickservice/limited-service restaurants contributes $1.54 Kentucky’s economy, and every dollar spent in tableservice restaurants in Kentucky contributes $1.69 to the state economy. Armed with this information, and adding specifics about how your business runs, gives you a position of power and knowledge to communicate with legislators. When city officials say they “need” a restaurant tax to solve their budget woes, we must show the tremendous contributions restaurant sales and employment taxes generate, and the need we fill for busy families. Please be alert and watch for updates, and if you have the opportunity to talk with legislators who may visit your restaurant please do!
On January 20 we’ll welcome a new slate of KRA Board of Directors members at their first meeting, and that night we’ll celebrate Kentucky’s vibrant restaurant industry at the 2020 Restaurateur’s Gala at Savor at River House in Louisville. We can’t wait to honor our industry stars, and hope you’ll be with us! Visit www.kyra.org to purchase tickets. On February 1, our Kentucky ProStart program and Educational Foundation Trustees are hosting Chefs for Hope sponsored by US Foods. Please go to www.chefsforhope.com to learn more and buy tickets to this multi-course/multi-Chef dinner led by Chef Josh Moore of Volare Restaurant. We’ll close out February with our Kentucky ProStart Invitational (KPSI) with competing schools from all over the state. It is one of my favorite days of the year watching dozens of students, volunteer judges and proud parents.
I hope to see you soon in your establishment or at an event, and I wish you all the best in 2020!