By: Dick Rivera
(Published: July 25, 2013 in the Tampa Tribune)

Florida has felt immigration’s impact more than most. The American dream began in Florida with the oldest continuously inhabited city in the nation, and in the past 10 years, 1 out of every 3 new people in our state has been an immigrant. Such high levels of immigration have helped catapult us to the fourth most-populous state in the nation, with nearly 10 percent of the state hailing from a foreign country.
This population boom has been accompanied by sustained economic growth. In the past two years alone, the private sector has created 325,000 new jobs, and only a small number of states beat our economic growth rate in 2012.

The link between our growing economy and immigration is undeniable. That’s why, as a Florida businessman for the past 16 years, I support the Gang of Eight’s comprehensive immigration reform that would extend the American Dream to millions of immigrants.

The Gang of Eight bill, as passed by the Senate, is precisely the type of reform we need. The key component of the reform is the path to citizenship it offers to all immigrants currently living within our borders. At a time when immigrants – legal or otherwise – are made to feel unwelcome, welcoming them with open arms is a key part of extending the American Dream to others.

For many, including myself, the American dream started in the restaurant industry. In Florida, there are more than 36,000 restaurants, which will produce $33.3 billion in sales this year while providing jobs for over 844,000 Floridians. Immigrants are important for these businesses and to the large sector of the economy they support. Our industry is expected to grow by 14.6 percent over the next decade, which means that over 100,000 new jobs will be available. Giving immigrants the legal means to fill these jobs is as important to us as it is for them.

But citizenship isn’t the only reason why immigration reform is necessary. The nation’s broken visa system encourages illegal immigration with its walls of bureaucratic red tape. With the proposed reform, the wait for obtaining a visa is cut to a mere 10 days – giving more immigrants the opportunity to come to our shores and join our society.

The Gang of Eight’s reform bill also helps businesses like mine uphold the law thanks to an expanded E-Verify system. As it stands, the laws governing employment for immigrants are so convoluted that even knowing the law is either difficult and expensive. With the right change, however, we’ll finally have a standardized and universal means of ensuring that we’re operating within the bounds of the law.

Combined, these reforms would free thousands of restaurant employees from the fear of deportation while giving restaurant owners a greater ability to do what we love best – serve customers.
The need for reform is more than just economic, however. I also believe that Ronald Reagan was correct when he said, “We lead the world because, unique among nations, we draw our people – our strength – from every country and every corner of the world.”

My own story is similar to millions of immigrants. My father grew up in Puerto Rico, and I spent my childhood in South America. I saw firsthand the difficult living and working conditions that caused the most ambitious and entrepreneurial among them to seek to improve their station in life – the same qualities and spirit that make immigrants such important members of society. What I saw in and learned from them inspired me to go into the restaurant industry. Those qualities and spirit are what make our industry so dynamic and vibrant, even in times of economic struggles.

As a result, I can completely empathize with those who desire to come to our country and achieve the American dream. That’s why I’ve been fighting for immigration reform for nearly a decade, why I applaud the Senate for its passage of the Gang of Eight bill, and why I encourage the House of Representatives to bring the bill to the floor and give it the debate it deserves.

When this happens, we’ll find that our civic life and our cultural identity are both strengthened through immigration reform, as is our economy. And if we don’t give immigrants the same rights to found new families, new businesses, and new lives on our shores, then the American dream suffers for everyone.

Dick Rivera is the chairman and CEO of Rubicon Enterprises, which is based in Florida and operates restaurants, including Friday’s and Marlow’s Tavern.

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
850.224.2250 ext. 255
ERay@FRLA.org

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida. On Thursday’s show, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse highlights Florida’s agricultural industries by traveling across the state.

“Florida’s agricultural resources provide distinctive fresh flavors that can only be found in the Sunshine State,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “Through Chef Emeril’s experiences, we hope viewers are inspired to visit our state and discover delicious Florida cuisine for themselves.”

On this week’s episode, Emeril starts off in Miami to learn about Florida’s agricultural industries, including a stop at the Robert is Here fruit stand. Then he tours Mac Farms in Santa Rosa Beach growing hydroponic food for restaurateurs. Afterward, he travels to Fort Pierce to attend a cattle auction at the Adams Ranch. Finally, he and Chef Justin Timineri from the Florida Department of Agriculture prepare steaks and fresh vegetables together. The show airs Thursday, August 8th, at 9:30 a.m. EST on the Food Network. Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida is a 13 episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril and on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the series, Emeril will be visiting Florida’s top restaurants and resorts. He will also prepare some of his favorite recipes which often will feature some of the best seafood Florida has to offer.  The program is sponsored by the FRLA and VISIT FLORIDA. For additional information on the series, including links to previous episodes, please go to the Food Network website. For a preview of Thursday’s episode, please click here.

# # #
About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $71.8 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.3 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks.

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850.224.2250 ext. 255

(Tallahassee, FL) –  The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Tallahassee Chapter will present an opportunity for member and non-member hospitality and tourism businesses to learn tips on quality employee training from an industry expert during a seminar hosted in Tallahassee. The event, called “Make Training Count!”, will be presented by Dugan Fry, President of L2GO LLC and is structured to provide in-depth analysis that will teach businesses how to generate measurable results.  The free seminar is scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, at 3:00 p.m. at the DoubleTree by Hilton. Media is invited to attend.

“This presentation is designed to emphasize the importance of effective employee training,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We hope it will help motivate business leaders to review their in-house instructional methods and allow them to gain valuable insight that will help make a positive impact on their establishments.”

WHAT:
“Make Training Count!” Quality Employee Training Seminar
Speaker Dugan Fry, President, L2GO LLC

WHO:
Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association’s Tallahassee Chapter

WHEN:
Tuesday, August 27, 2013 3:00 p.m.

WHERE:
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel
101 South Adams Street
Tallahassee, Florida
850-224-5000

COST:    
The event is open to FRLA members and non-members, and at no cost.

Dugan Fry specializes in helping companies develop People and Operational Systems that produce results. Prior to forming L2GO LLC, Dugan was the Director of Training and Development for Checkers Drive-In Restaurants, Inc. During his 15 years there, he was responsible for leading the training function for the chain’s 750+ restaurants at all levels of management. Dugan also created the Guest Obsessed program which ultimately resulted in Rally’s being named the #1 Drive-Thru in America by QSR Magazine, as well as developing and executing the national rollouts of Wings and an entirely new product line, Cold Creations.

For additional information about the “Make Training Count!” seminar please click this link. To learn about FRLA’s Tallahassee Chapter contact Ray Green, FRLA Regional Director at 850-545-5901 or via e-mail at rgreen@frla.org.

###

About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $71.8 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.3 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks.

Media Contact: Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850.224.2250 ext. 255
ERay@FRLA.org

(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida.  On Thursday’s show, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse will feature Florida’s beach and waterfront restaurants.

“Chef Emeril serves as an extraordinary tour guide in showcasing the tastes of Florida,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We hope that as viewers take a virtual trip throughout Florida, they will be inspired to visit and experience our incredible restaurants firsthand.”

Emeril begins the program dining on some of Chef Blake Malatesta’s best creations at Delray Beach’s “50 Ocean,” and then goes back to Santa Rosa Beach to “Stinky’s Fish Camp” to try some of their best seafood with Chef Jim Richard. He then meets up with Rick Falkenstein at his restaurant “The Hurricane” in St. Pete Beach, and finally to Key Largo to try the favorites at “Alabama Jacks” with owner Mike Sague. The show airs Thursday, August 22nd, at 9:30 a.m. EST on the Food Network. Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida is a 13 episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril and on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the series, Emeril will be visiting Florida’s top restaurants and resorts. He will also prepare some of his favorite recipes which often will feature some of the best seafood Florida has to offer.

The program is sponsored by the FRLA and VISIT FLORIDA. For additional information on the series, including links to previous episodes, please go to the Food Network website. For a preview of Thursday’s episode, please click here.

# # #
About the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association
FRLA’s mission is to ‘Protect, Educate and Promote’ Florida’s hospitality industry – which represents a $71.8 billion industry, 23% of Florida’s economy, $4.3 billion in sales tax revenue, and over one million employees, making it Florida’s largest employer. It is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, suppliers, and theme parks.

By: Commander Diane Kelsch,  U.S. Food and Drug Administration

(October 29, 2013) FDA Regional Retail Food Specialists will begin collecting data for the 2013-2023 Foodborne Illness Risk Factor study this fall.  Whether or not your facility is one of the randomly selected facilities identified to participate in the study, this article provides some general information regarding the study, the data collection process, and how the data will be used.

Background:

FDA is responsible for providing technical assistance to approximately 75 state and territorial agencies and more than 2,300 local departments that assume primary responsibility for working with the industry on preventing foodborne illnesses.

The data collected from these studies provides FDA a solid foundation for developing a national retail food program model that can be used by federal, state, local, and tribal agencies to:

●       Identify essential food safety program performance measurements;

●       Assess strengths and gaps in the design, structure, and delivery of program services;

●       Establish program priorities and intervention strategies focused on reducing the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors; and

●       Create a mechanism that justifies program resources and allocates them to program areas that will provide the most significant public health benefits.

What is the FDA Foodborne Illness Risk Factor Study?

In 1998, FDA’s National Retail Food Team initiated a ten-year voluntary study to measure trends in the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors – preparation practices and employee behaviors most commonly reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as contributing factors to foodborne illness outbreaks at the retail level.  Specifically, the study included data collection inspections of various types of retail and foodservice establishments at five-year intervals (1998, 2003, and 2008) in order to observe and document trends in the occurrence of the following foodborne illness risk factors:

●  Food from Unsafe Sources

●  Poor Personal Hygiene

●  Inadequate Cooking

●  Improper Holding/Time and Temperature

●  Contaminated Equipment/Protection from Contamination

Data from all three data collection periods were analyzed to detect trends in improvement or regression over time and to determine whether progress had been made toward the goal of reducing the occurrence of foodborne illness risk factors in selected retail and foodservice facility types.

What types of retail food service facilities will be involved and when will data collections occur?

The scope of the study includes three major segments of the retail and foodservice industries that account for over a million varied and diverse types of operations in the United States:

• Restaurants
  • Fast food and Full service
  • Retail Food Stores
• Institutional Foodservice
  • Hospitals
  • Nursing Homes, and
  • Elementary schools (Kindergarten through 5^th grade)
• Retail Food Stores
  • Deli Departments/Stores
  • Meat & Poultry Departments/Markets
  • Seafood Departments/Stores
  • Produce Department/Markets

For the 2013-20223 study, FDA will begin collecting data in the fall of 2013, with the initial data collection for select restaurant facility types, followed by the initial data collection for select institutional facility types in 2014 and select retail food facility types in 2015.  The results of the initial data collection for each of the facility types will serve as the baseline measurement from which trends will be analyzed.  Two additional data collection periods for each of the facility types are planned at three-year intervals after the initial data collection for purposes of analyzing trends.

How are facilities selected?

Facilities are randomly selected as part of a nationwide research project.  A geographical information system (GIS) database containing a listing of businesses throughout the U.S. will be used as the establishment inventory for the data collection.  The random selection of establishments from the GIS database will be performed by the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Biostatistics Branch and the sample size allows for a broad sampling of facility types throughout the U.S.

Will I be notified, in advance, if my facility was selected for participation?

Data collection visits will be unannounced.  The intent of the data collection is to observe the operation in its normal mode, without special preparation to accommodate the data collection visit.

Is participation mandatory?

No, your participation is voluntary.

Is the data collection considered a regulatory visit and how long will it take?

This is not a regulatory visit; no inspection report will be left with your facility.

The expected length of the data collection will be 90-120 minutes.  Approximate 30 minutes of the data collection will focus on obtaining information on the nature of your operation.

Should an observation be made of a food safety procedure or practice that poses a significant public health risk, every effort will be made to work with an operator to ensure that the appropriate corrective action is taken to alleviate the hazard.  Should a situation arise where a significant public health risk cannot be resolved during the data collection, the regulatory authority that has issued your permit will be contacted to work with you to ensure corrective action is taken.

An exit briefing will be provided at the end of the visit to discuss significant findings that may assist you in enhancing the effectiveness of your food safety system.  If significant food safety issues are identified, they will be brought to the attention of the person-in-charge or responsible employee to determine the appropriate corrective action based on the current FDA Food Code.

Your questions regarding the data collection process or food safety issues in general are encouraged as part of the visit to your facility.

How will the data be used?

The FDA will use this research for identifying best practices within the industry and directing limited resources to areas that will provide the most significant public health benefits.

The project is designed to protect the privacy of participating establishments to the extent the law permits.  The data collected is tabulated using broad industry segments and is not associated with any specific establishment. Your facility’s name will not appear on any reports or public documents.

If you have additional questions about the study, please feel free to contact Diane Kelsch, FDA Regional Retail Food Specialist at diane.keslch@fda.hhs.gov

Commander Diane L. Kelsch is a Regional Retail Food Specialist with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Southeast Region, State Cooperative Programs.

Members of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) are preparing for a busy holiday season. New research from the National Restaurant Association (NRA) found that 33 million Americans will rely on restaurants for all or parts of their Thanksgiving meals this year. In addition, 46 million Americans are expected to dine out while shopping on Thanksgiving Day or Black Friday.

“We are thankful Florida is home to more than 47,000 licensed food service establishments that offer exceptional dining experiences, not only during the holidays, but each and every day,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “This research shows that families here in the Sunshine State will have the opportunity to spend more time with loved ones and less time in the kitchen while they are gathered together to celebrate. Additionally, eating locally helps provide an extra boost to Florida’s economy and our members look forward to serving patrons across the state.”

The NRA’s consumer survey found that 15 million Americans plan to visit a restaurant for a Thanksgiving meal this year, an additional 14 million plan to order parts of their Thanksgiving meal from a restaurant to be eaten at their home or someone else’s home, and 4 million plan to order a full takeout Thanksgiving meal from a restaurant.

The national survey also asked consumers whether they plan to visit a restaurant while shopping on Thanksgiving or Black Friday. Of the respondents who said they plan to go out shopping on Thanksgiving Day or evening this year, 39 percent said they expect that they will visit a restaurant while doing so. Of the respondents who said they plan to go out shopping on Black Friday, 60 percent said they expect that they will visit a restaurant. Overall, 46 million shoppers are expected to dine out on November 28 and 29 this year.

The survey of 1,004 American adults was conducted on November 14-17, 2013, by ORC International on behalf of the National Restaurant Association, and asked respondents about their dining plans for the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Projections for the number of Americans who will visit restaurants or order takeout are based on economic analysis and original NRA research.

(Washington, DC)  Fueled by stronger same-store sales and traffic and a more optimistic outlook among restaurant operators, the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) rose to a four-month high in October.  The RPI – a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry – stood at 100.9 in October, up 0.7 percent from September and the strongest level since June.  In addition, the RPI stood above 100 for the eighth consecutive month, which signifies expansion in the index of key industry indicators.

“The RPI’s October gain was driven by broad-based gains in the index components, most notably solid improvements in same-store sales and customer traffic,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the Research and Knowledge Group for the Association.

“Looking forward, restaurant operators are relatively optimistic about sales growth in the months ahead, though their outlook for the overall economy remains mixed,” Riehle added.

Watch a video of Riehle summarizing the October RPI and other economic indicators.

The RPI is constructed so that the health of the restaurant industry is measured in relation to a steady-state level of 100. Index values above 100 indicate that key industry indicators are in a period of expansion, while index values below 100 represent a period of contraction for key industry indicators. The Index consists of two components – the Current Situation Index and the Expectations Index.

The Current Situation Index, which measures current trends in four industry indicators (same-store sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures), stood at 100.9 in October – up 1.0 percent from a level of 99.9 in September and the highest level in five months.  With the exception of September’s dip, the Current Situation Index remained above 100 in six of the last seven months, which represents expansion in the current situation indicators.

A majority of restaurant operators reported higher same-store sales in October, and the results were a solid improvement over September’s performance.  Fifty-four percent of restaurant operators reported a same-store sales gain between October 2012 and October 2013, up from 41 percent who reported higher sales in September.  In comparison, 30 percent of operators reported a decline in same-store sales in October, down from 40 percent in September.

Restaurant operators also reported stronger customer traffic levels in October.  Forty-three percent of restaurant operators reported higher customer traffic levels between October 2012 and October 2013, up from 33 percent who reported a traffic gain in September.  Meanwhile, 39 percent of operators reported a decline in customer traffic in October, down from 44 percent in September.

Along with higher sales and customer traffic, restaurant operators continued to report positive capital spending levels.  Fifty-seven percent of operators said they made a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling during the last three months, the sixth consecutive month in which a majority of operators reported expenditures.

The Expectations Index, which measures restaurant operators’ six-month outlook for four industry indicators (same-store sales, employees, capital expenditures and business conditions), stood at 100.9 in October – up 0.4 percent from a level of 100.5 in September.  In addition, October represented the 12^th consecutive month in which the Expectations Index stood above 100, which indicates that restaurant operators remain generally positive about the business environment in the months ahead.

Restaurant operators’ outlook for sales growth in the months ahead remains cautiously optimistic.  Thirty-six percent of restaurant operators expect to have higher sales in six months (compared to the same period in the previous year), up slightly from 34 percent who reported similarly last month.  Meanwhile, 11 percent of restaurant operators expect their sales volume in six months to be lower than it was during the same period in the previous year, compared to 13 percent last month.

In contrast, restaurant operators remained mixed about the direction of the economy.  Twenty-seven percent of restaurant operators said they expect economic conditions to improve in six months, while 26 percent expect the economy to worsen.  Operators’ outlook was an improvement over last month, when 19 percent said they expected the economy would improve and 28 percent thought conditions would worsen.

Despite an uncertain outlook for the economy, a majority of restaurant operators are planning for capital expenditures in the months ahead.  Fifty-three percent of restaurant operators plan to make a capital expenditure for equipment, expansion or remodeling in the next six months, up slightly from 52 percent who reported similarly last month.

The RPI is based on the responses to the National Restaurant Association’s Restaurant Industry Tracking Survey, which is fielded monthly among restaurant operators nationwide on a variety of indicators including sales, traffic, labor and capital expenditures. The full report and video summary are available online at Restaurant.org/RPI.

The RPI is released on the last business day of each month, and a more detailed data and analysis can be found on Restaurant TrendMapper, the Association’s subscription-based web site that provides detailed analysis of restaurant industry trends.

The National Restaurant Association (NRA) each year prepares its What’s Hot culinary forecast of menu trends for the coming year. The NRA surveyed nearly 1,300 professional chefs – members of the American Culinary Federation (ACF) – to find which food and beverage items will be hot trends on restaurant menus in 2014.

Top 10 food trends for 2014:

1.         Locally sourced meats and seafood

2.         Locally grown produce

3.         Environmental sustainability

4.         Healthful kids’ meals

5.         Gluten-free cuisine

6.         Hyper-local sourcing (e.g. restaurant gardens)

7.         Children’s nutrition

8.         Non-wheat noodles/pasta (e.g. quinoa, rice, buckwheat)

9.         Sustainable seafood

10.       Farm/estate branded items

For complete What’s Hot in 2014 results, video and downloadable images, visit Restaurant.org/FoodTrends.

“Today’s consumers are more interested than ever in what they eat and where their food comes from, and that is reflected in our menu trends research,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president of the National Restaurant Association’s research and knowledge group. “True trends – as opposed to temporary fads – show the evolution of the wider shifts of our modern society over time, and focus on the provenance of various food and beverage items, unique aspects of how they are prepared and presented, as well as the dietary profiles of those meals.”

“The American Culinary Federation chefs who took part in the survey understand that sourcing locally and environmental sustainability tie in with ongoing efforts to provide more-healthful foods for everyone, especially children,” said Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, HGT, AAC, ACF national president. “Chefs recognize that nutrition is a vital component of the foodservice industry, and constantly revise and update recipes to reflect the concerns and desires of a diverse group of consumers who are looking for good food choices to best meet their nutrition and other needs.”

The What’s Hot in 2014 survey also found that the top five alcohol and cocktail trends will be micro-distilled/artisan spirits, locally produced beer/wine/spirits, onsite barrel-aged drinks, culinary cocktails (e.g. savory, fresh ingredients), and regional signature cocktails.

When asked which current food trend will be the hottest menu trends 10 years from now, environmental sustainability topped the list, followed by local sourcing, health-nutrition, children’s nutrition and gluten-free cuisine.

The five items with the highest ranking as a waning trend in 2014 were foam/froth/air, bacon-flavored chocolate, fish offal, gazpacho, and fun-shaped children’s items. The five items with the highest points as perennial trends next year were fried chicken, Italian cuisine, frying, barbeque, and Eggs Benedict.

The five items that gained most in trendiness since last year in the annual survey were nose-to-tail/root-to-stalk cooking, pickling, ramen, dark greens, and Southeast Asian cuisine. The five items with the largest drop in “hot trend” rating were Greek yogurt, sweet potato fries, new cuts of meat, grass-fed beef, and organic coffee.

Compared with five years ago, items that have remained top 20 food trends include locally grown produce, healthful kids’ meals, gluten-free cuisine, sustainable seafood, and health/nutrition. Items that have dropped substantially down the list from the top 20 food trends in 2009 include gelato, micro-greens, flatbreads, tapas/meze/dim sum, and dessert flights.

Also included in the What’s Hot in 2014 survey were questions about other trends. Nearly six out of 10 (59 percent) of the chefs said they always make efforts to adjust dishes and recipes to be more healthful, while one-third (33 percent) said they cook with nutrition in mind, but that not all recipes are easily adjusted.

When it comes to technology trends, the chefs ranked menus on tablet computers as the top trend, followed by smartphone apps for consumers (ordering, reservations, daily deals, etc.), smartphone apps for chefs (recipes, table management, POS tracking, etc.), mobile payment and social media marketing.

The NRA surveyed 1,283 American Culinary Federation members October-November 2013, asking them to rate 258 items as a “hot trend,” “yesterday’s news,” or “perennial favorite” on menus in 2014.

These and many other restaurant trends will be showcased at the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show (May 17-20 at Chicago’s McCormick Place) and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (May 18-19 in conjunction with NRA Show 2014).

Governor Rick Scott today announced that the statewide unemployment rate for November 2013 was 6.4 percent. The statewide unemployment rate has remained below the national average of 7.0 percent since March 2013. Florida added 6,000 private sector jobs in November 2013 and the state has created a total of 446,300 private sector jobs since December 2010.

Governor Scott said, “We haven’t experienced an unemployment rate this low in over five years. At 6.4 percent, we’re well below the nation’s 7 percent unemployment rate, and we added another 6,000 new jobs in November. We’ve cut taxes, made government more efficient and provided more services to families. The result: we are creating an opportunity economy that supports more than 446,000 new private sector jobs since December 2010. Today’s news is great, but we’re not finished. We’re proposing to cut automobile taxes and fees by $401 million in our next budget. In 2009, those fees were raised, and we’re going to undo that 54 percent increase on Florida families.”

The state gained 6,000 private sector jobs in November 2013. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 2.5 percent in October and November 2013 was the fastest since June 2006. The state’s annual job growth rate has exceeded or been equal to the nation’s rate since March 2012.

DEO Executive Director Jesse Panuccio said, “The economic news just keeps getting better for Florida. We’ve had another significant drop in the unemployment rate, continued job growth, and job demand is at an all-time high. The policies of the Scott Administration are working to create an opportunity economy for all Floridians.”

Since December 2010, Florida’s statewide unemployment rate has dropped 4.7 percentage points, from a rate of 11.1 percent to November’s rate of 6.4 percent. The current rate of 6.4 percent represents the lowest statewide unemployment rate since July 2008. It is also a decrease of 1.6 percentage points from November 2012, when the rate was 8.0 percent. Florida’s unemployment rate has now declined year-over-year for 37 consecutive months.

More Jobs Being Created

• Florida experienced positive annual job growth for 40 consecutive months.
• Florida’s job growth month-to-month has been positive for 27 of the last 29 months.
• Florida has created 446,300 new private sector jobs since December 2010.
• Florida is expected to create more than 1 million new jobs by 2018, according to the Florida Economic Estimating Conference.
• Florida job postings compiled by the Help Wanted OnLine data series from The Conference Board showed 279,789 openings in November 2013. This was an all-time high in the data series that began in May 2005.
Home Sales Robust
• Home sales remain robust as the backlog of existing homes on the market is down by 48 percent from February 2011 (Florida Realtors).
• Florida median home prices were up 13.3 percent over the year in November 2013.

Economic Growth Trends Up Across State
• A recent U.S. Census Survey reported that Florida experienced an influx of people moving into the state. Florida also led the nation in migrations from Puerto Rico.
• Florida is running a trade surplus of over $18 billion – with $90.4 billion in exports and $71.8 billion in imports in 2012, up from $86.8 billion in exports in 2011 and $62.4 billion in imports in 2011.

Workforce Boards Assisting in Employment
• In November, Florida’s 24 Regional Workforce Boards reported more than 42,100 Floridians were placed in jobs. An individual who receives employment and training assistance through a One-Stop Career Center and finds a job within 180 days is deemed a placement and may be reported by a regional workforce board. Of these individuals, 12,091 previously received Reemployment Assistance.
• In 2012, more than 426,000 Floridians were placed in jobs, with 111,173 former claimants finding employment.

To view the November 2013 monthly employment data visit:
www.floridajobs.org/labor-market-information/labor-market-information-press-releases/monthly-press-releases.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi to Address Board on Human Trafficking

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850-224-2250 ext. 255

(Tallahassee, FL) The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is hosting their annual Winter Board Meeting and Installation Gala at the Ritz-Carlton in Amelia Island, Florida from Monday, January 6 through Wednesday, January 8, 2014. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi will speak to the Government Relations Committee on Tuesday, January 7th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Bondi will address the FRLA on the issue of human trafficking which includes children, women and men subjected to sexual exploitation or forced labor through violence, fraud or coercion. As a supporter of Pam Bondi’s dedication to making Florida a zero- tolerance state for human trafficking, the FRLA is proud to welcome the Attorney General to talk about this initiative with hospitality and tourism leaders.

Media is invited to attend this open portion of the Government Relations meeting and is asked to please contact Elizabeth Ray at 850.224.2250 x255 or ERay@FRLA.org for confirmation and additional information.

What:
Attorney General Pam Bondi Remarks on Human Trafficking
FRLA Government Relations Committee

When:
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

Where:
The Ritz-Carlton
4750 Amelia Island Parkway
Amelia Island, FL 32034
904.277.1100