[Fort Myers, Fla] On October 15, join Lee County ProStart high schools for a delicious time at the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) Lee Chapter’s 2^nd Annual Taco Cook-Off in partnership with Uncommon Friends. Hosted at the Burroughs Home & Gardens, local ProStart culinary student and instructor teams will prepare signature tacos and side dishes for attendees and judges, hoping for a chance to be crowned Overall Winner of the Taco Cook-Off. The competing high schools are: East Lee County High School, Estero High School, Oasis Charter High School, Island Coast High School, Lehigh Senior High School and Cape Coral Technical College & Fort Myers Technical College.

“The event is a great way to give students experience in cooking for large numbers of guests and serves up a healthy dose of competition,” explains Melissa Johnson, Teacher on Assignment at The School District of Lee County, who oversees the ProStart/culinary programs locally. “Community events like this cook-off are wonderful for showcasing local student talents, but also helps raise awareness and money for these Career & Technical Education programs.”

The fiesta will begin at 5:30 PM and end at 8:00 PM. In addition to great food, there will be live music, raffles and silent auctions. Guests will not only be able to try the student and instructor’s creations, but they will also lend a hand in the judging process, picking the Fan Favorite Winner. The Overall Winner will be selected by a group of local celebrity judges including ABC7 News’ Simone Cuccurullo, Guy Clarke, James Fraser, FOX4’s Lisa Greenberg, Chef Jay Johnson, Normal Love, Chef Joe Pittman, and many more.

Proceeds from the event will go towards Lee County’s ProStart programs, contributing to student scholarships, classroom supplies and equipment as well as state competitions. In addition, FRLA is partnering with Uncommon Friends to raise money for their scholarship programs, too.

Tickets cost $30 and are available to purchase here.

For more information on the Taco Cook-Off, contact FRLA Southwest Florida Regional Director, Lois Croft at 239-339-7692 or [email protected].

FRLA staff have been working with leaders and partners at the State Emergency Operations Center in Tallahassee in preparation for the impacts of Hurricane Dorian. Take a look and see what staff have been working on to ensure that Floridians and visitors stay safe as this record-setting storm approaches the Florida east coast.

[Tallahassee, Fla] Attorney General Ashley Moody has received multiple reports of price gouging for lodging establishments throughout Florida. As Gov. DeSantis declared a State of Emergency for Hurricane Dorian, the Attorney General’s office is actively watching for price gouging to protect Florida’s consumers during this crisis.

FRLA reminds all members that price gouging is illegal and also goes against the very foundation of the hospitality industry.

We understand that some of these reports may be the result of software lodging facilities use that automatically controls pricing based on availability of rooms. Therefore, we strongly urge you to:

• Actively monitor your prices via your booking software and override pricing as needed.
• Adjust your inventory to show “no vacancy” rather than allowing the booking software to display an exorbitant price.

Report Price Gouging. Gov. DeSantis declared a State of Emergency for Hurricane Dorian. In counties where there is a State of Emergency, Florida’s price gouging law applies.Learn how to comply and/or report violations online or via the Attorney General’s Price Gouging Hotline at 1-866-966-7226. Protect yourself from price gouging with these tips.

If you have any questions or if FRLA can help you in any way, please contact [email protected].

[Tallahassee, Fla] The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association has issued the following statement from Carol Dover, CEO/President, regarding Hurricane Dorian:

“As Floridians brace for Hurricane Dorian, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association has begun work to help members, residents and visitors alike prepare for the storm and its aftermath. Members of FRLA staff are part of the official response at the State Emergency Operations Center and staff ESF-18 alongside our private sector partners to assist in response and recovery.

“Although Floridians are accustomed to storms, it’s important to ensure that we take the threat of Dorian seriously, prepare accordingly and heed all emergency orders.

“FRLA has asked members to prioritize safety in a variety of ways beyond basic storm preparation. We encouraged members to waive cancellation fees as the storm approaches as our primary goal is always the safety of visitors, and we want to keep them out of harm’s way. Additionally, we have urged all members to extend hospitality to pets by relaxing any pet restrictions they may have. Many people are reluctant to leave their feathered and furred friends behind, and some will refuse to leave unless they can bring their pets with them. We hope that relaxed restrictions and pet-friendly accommodations will help motivate those in the path of the storm to heed evacuation warnings.

“We are directing members and travelers in the Sunshine State to VISIT FLORIDA’s Florida Now page for the most up-to-date information regarding the storm as well as accommodations availability via a partnership with Expedia.

“To help after the storm, FRLA asks members to register with FEMA’s Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which provides short-term lodging assistance to evacuees who cannot return home immediately following a disaster.

“FRLA will continue to monitor the storm and stands ready to assist members, residents and visitors however we can before, during and after Hurricane Dorian.”

For additional resources before, during and after the storm, please visit FRLA’s Hurricane Resource page.

[ORLANDO, Fla.]  Universal Orlando Resort is building a new, fourth, theme park to be called Universal’s Epic Universe. The vision: create an entirely new level of experience that forever changes theme park entertainment. Universal’s Epic Universe will take guests on a journey where beloved stories expand into vibrant lands – and where that journey is as much a part of their adventure as the ultimate destination.

“Our new park represents the single-largest investment Comcast NBCUniversal has made in its theme park business and in Florida overall,” said Brian L. Roberts, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Comcast Corporation. “It reflects the tremendous excitement we have for the future of our theme park business and for our entire company’s future in Florida.”

The new theme park will also feature an entertainment center, hotels, shops, restaurants and more. It will be located within a larger 750-acre site that nearly doubles Universal’s total available acreage in Central Florida. Universal’s Epic Universe is just a few miles from the existing resort in Southwest Orange County. Specifically, it will be south of Sand Lake Road and east of Universal Boulevard.

“Our vision for Epic Universe is historic,” said Tom Williams, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Universal Parks & Resorts. “It will build on everything we have done and become the most immersive and innovative theme park we have ever created. It is an investment in our business, our industry, our team members and our community.”

The new park was announced Thursday in an event attended by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings, Tom Williams and Brian Roberts.

“We look forward to the new level of entertainment and innovation Universal’s Epic Universe will bring to one of our state’s most important industries,” said Governor DeSantis. “We look forward to Universal’s continued contribution to our state’s economic growth and development. And we are especially grateful for Universal’s partnership in improving Shingle Creek, which plays a critical role in serving the Everglades.”

“The investment Universal is making in our community and the benefit all of us will see is substantial,” said Mayor Demings. “This will benefit nearly every segment of our economy – from tourism to high-tech.”

Mayor Demings also spotlighted Universal’s role in the Kirkman Road extension. This is a 50/50 public-private partnership in which Universal is investing $160 million to extend Kirkman into the area where the new park will be located.

“The Kirkman extension will improve transportation through a busy and growing portion of our county and open up the entire area for additional development – including an important expansion of our Convention Center,” he said.

During the announcement, Governor DeSantis, Mayor Demings and Tom Williams released information about Universal’s economic contribution to the state and local economy.
Universal Orlando currently employees 25,000 people and will hire an additional 14,000 team members as part of Epic Universe, including professional, technical, culinary and other specialized positions. The company currently contributes more than $302 million in annual state and local taxes – a number that will nearly double when the new theme park opens.

The majority of the businesses Universal relies on are either regional firms or national firms with a large regional presence. An economic impact study for Universal conducted by UCF Economic Professor Sean Snaith found that Universal Orlando’s combined direct and indirect economic benefit to the Florida economy since Universal Studios opened in 1990 is $73 billion.

He also found that construction of the new park alone will contribute a total of $11.5 billion in direct and indirect economic benefit into the Florida economy.
More details about Universal’s Epic Universe will be revealed over time. For more information, visit UniversalOrlando.com.