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  • From The Chairman
  • Legislative Rally in Charlotte Set for April 20
  • Restaurant Survival Tips
  • Officers & Board of Directors

From The Chairman
BY Mike Vaughn

“If we’re not at the table, we’ll be on the menu!” So in an effort to showcase the impact that our industry has on the economy, our elected officials have all been “invited to the table” at our legislative Rally in Charlotte, scheduled for April 20. The event will be a modified town hall format where our elected officials will address questions and concerns that affect the hospitality industry. In addition to representatives being on hand from our local and state government, we have also invited Senators Burr and Hagen and Representatives Myrick and Watt. Additional details can be found in this issue of Charlotte Hospitality News.

Also, May 17 is NCRLA Hospitality Education Foundation Golf Day and two tournaments will be played simultaneously in Raleigh and Charlotte to benefit this educational foundation. Charlotte’s event will be held at Charlotte Golf Links so mark your calendar now to sponsor and play in this event. As the tournament has historically been a sellout, you’re urged to make your reservations early. Special thanks to our golf committee for orchestrating this event: Clyde Gilfillan, Dory Pell, Scott and Pauline Echols, Jon Abbott, Sandy Hulbert, Sam Sakwa, and Tom Stroozas.

So until next time, I wish everyone a successful month as we all work together towards becoming one community, one vision, one voice. If you’re not a member, come aboard our train and help us make a bigger difference!

 

Legislative Rally in Charlotte Set for April 20

Mark your calendar for the afternoon of April 20 and join your NCRLA colleagues for our “Rally in Charlotte” with legislative leaders! You’ll come away armed with up-to-the minute information on the legislative issues affecting your operation, gain insights into the political climate nationally, and have the opportunity to talk with legislators about the things that concern you most.

The rally will be held at Jocks and Jills Sports Grill, 4109 South Stream Boulevard, 4-6pm, and will address issues affecting the hospitality industry with a networking reception to discuss issues one-on-one with our elected national and state representatives and hospitality industry peers. Some of the issues that we will be discussing include:

  • Mandated paid sick leave
  • Increase fees for health inspections
  • Menu labeling
  • Franchise tax
  • Card check (EFCA)

The positive response from our key legislative leaders promises to make this a must-attend event! So you definitely don't want to miss it. If you’re interested in submitting legislative questions for this event, contact the NCRLA Charlotte office at 803-548-9969.

To learn more about the rally, or to register, please contact Tom Stroozas, NCRLA Charlotte Chapter regional director, at 803-548-9969 or toms@ncrla.biz.

 

Channeling Your Inner Green Instincts
Restaurant Survival Tips

By Ross Howard, SYSCO Charlotte

There are literally dozens of ways that you can improve the environmental impact of your restaurant, many of which involve simple changes or alterations to your daily habits. You don’t have to be a tree-hugger or hippie to channel your inner green instincts—you simply have to be business savvy and resourceful. Channeling your inner green will help you save money, resources, and time.

Think about the daily operation of your restaurant. What are some of the key things that happen each day? How can you slightly alter these activities so that they happen more efficiently or, better yet, in a way that helps your restaurant take steps in a greener direction?

Waste Grease and Wasted Grease
Most restaurants produce waste vegetable oil, and all of these restaurants are required to dispose of it properly. Because there is so much of it, waste vegetable oil has become a valuable bi-product of the restaurant industry. Thanks to modern ingenuity, there are a handful of ways a restaurant can make even better use out of this green-colored gold. The majority of biodiesel companies out there don’t charge for pick up of waste vegetable oil. In fact, sometimes they even pay restaurants for it! If you have to give it away, why not give it to a company who will pay you for it and turn it into a new resource?

Another option is to use it. Waste vegetable oil is used to fuel converted diesel engines. Conversion kits work by using a duel-tank to blend waste oil with diesel fuel (different from biodiesel, which comes already blended at the pump). Sound difficult? It’s not. Chef Jose Duarte, owner of Taranta Restaurant in Boston, was looking for ways to save when he decided to convert his Chevy pick-up to run on WVO. Duarte purchases fresh, local seafood from a nearby coastal town every day and was feeling the burden of rising fuel costs when he decided to convert his truck to run on his waste oil. Now, he’s saving a few thousand dollars a year on fuel costs and he’s organized a program with his local restaurant friends to gather their WVO, too. This process allows the restaurant to directly see where their waste oil is going, and to reap the benefits of this valuable resource.

Run Your Restaurant on Waste Vegetable Oil
Owl Power, the Massachusetts-based developer of clean energy systems, recently launched Vegawatt, a cogeneration system that uses waste vegetable oil as fuel to generate on-site electricity and hot water. Yes, it’s true; you can now run your restaurant on waste vegetable oil! Vegawatt is not run on biodiesel that needs to be processed, but rather it’s run on straight used vegetable oil. Any restaurant with fryers can use the Vegawatt system to save as much as $800 monthly. This fully automated system requires no maintenance by restaurant staff, no additional chemicals, and produces no liquid byproducts. With restaurants being the largest consumer of electricity in the commercial sector, a product like Vegawatt has the potential to greatly reduce the restaurant industry’s energy demands.

Turning Table Scraps into Cash
Restaurants are charged for trash hauling based on the weight and amount of what’s being picked up. Plastic bags filled with food weigh a lot. Composting is simply another way of disposing of food waste. Don’t be scared—if it was hard we wouldn’t suggest you do it! The Green Restaurant Association works with hundreds of restaurants all over the United States, many of which might strike you as unlikely composting candidates:

• Famed chef and restaurateur, Mario Batali, composts in his New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas restaurants. His restaurants are fine-dining, upscale establishments, proving that composting fits in any restaurant environment.
• Grendel’s Den, located in historic Cambridge, Massachusetts, thought composting wasn’t possible because of its tight back-of-house quarters. GRA consultants helped the restaurant get on a steady pick-up schedule so that bins don’t linger in the limited space.
• Even chains can compost! Le Pain Quotidien, a multi-unit concept in New York and Los Angeles, composts its food waste through commercial composting programs in both cities.

Making the Most of it All
Every restaurant produces waste. Every restaurant has old furniture, equipment, and grease. Every restaurant will always have stuff they need to get rid of. The question is, are you getting rid of it in the best, most sustainable way you can? Do you know where it’s going when it leaves your restaurant, or is just going “away?” Make the most of what you have, and then let it become something else—or let it be of use to someone else.

One of the best ways to begin greening your restaurant is to implement the age-old practice of efficiency, and channel your inner green instincts. Making the most of waste vegetable oil, implementing good green behaviors, and composting are all great places to start. These habit changes will set you off on the right foot. For more information, visit www.dinegreen.com.

 

NC Restaurant & Lodging Association
Executive Committee

Chairman
Mike Vaugh 131 Main Restaurants 704-975-5110
mavaughn@131-main.com
Vice Chair
Wayne Shusko Summit Hospitality Group 919-279-3030
wshusko@shgltd.com
Secretary
Ann Baum OSAAT Enterprises,d/b/a McDonald's 704-341-3054
ann.foxbaum@partners.mcd.com
Treasurer
Craig Utt Axis Marketing Group 704-759-0872
craig@axismg.com
NCRLA Board
Frank Scibelli Mama Ricotta's 704-614-8916
fscibelli@aol.com
Government Relations
Ed Tubel Sonny's Tricor 704-541-9316
ed@tricorinc.com
NCRLA Ex-Officio
Tom Stroozas T. Stroozas & Associates 803-548-9969, 704-488-3779
tom@bluewateraviation.com
Board of Directors
John Scharer Charlotte City Club 704-334-3200
jcsharer@charlottecityclub.com
Tom Sasser Harper's Restaurant Group 704-375-9715
tom@harpers-rest.com
Jim Alexander Zebra Restaurant 704-442-9525
jim@zebrarestaurant.net
Emma Farmer SREE Hotels 704-364-6008
emma.farmer@sree.com
Wendy S. McCauley Park Place Hospitality Group, Inc 704-927-1940
wendy.mccauley@parkplacehg.com
Randy Davis Episode XI Studios 704-451-5073
rdavis@e11studios.com

NCRLA Mission

To protect, promote, inform and improve the restaurant and lodging industries in North Carolina.

The restaurant and lodging industries are continuously evolving, and the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association has a responsibility to its members to adapt and respond to those changes. The core values listed below are the association’s constants; guiding NCRLA in a direction that strengthens the industry and delivers genuine value to members.

Integrity: NCRLA believes our words must echo our deeds. We maintain a steadfast adherence to a strict ethical code in all the work we do and encourage the same from our members, staff, vendors and all other associates.

Professionalism: NCRLA is the steward of the hospitality industry. We serve as a powerful industry advocate with state and federal legislative/regulatory agencies and in other arenas in which we are called upon to represent the interests of our membership. NCRLA leaders, staff and individual members, when called upon to represent the association, do so with professionalism and conviction.

Expertise: NCRLA is passionate about serving North Carolina’s hospitality industry. We strive to be experts in industry knowledge and service, becoming an indispensable resource that provides top-level benefits to help our members succeed.