(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 [email protected] 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

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present the Season Two premiere of Emeril’s Florida airing on Sunday, January 5, 2014, at 2:30 pm EST on the Cooking Channel. On Sunday’s episode, Coming to America, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse features three chefs who have moved to Florida from foreign countries. He also meets an aspiring young chef from the Dominican Republic who was named Florida’s Top High School Chef in 2013.

“Florida is home to people of culturally diverse backgrounds,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We are thrilled to have Emeril back for a second season to showcase this extraordinary diversity while learning more about FRLA’s restaurateurs and future chefs, which make our state one of the country’s top tourist destinations.”

Emeril begins this week’s show at Cress Restaurant in DeLand where Hari and Jenneffer Pulapaka manage two full-time careers during the day and, at night, still have time to run one of the best restaurants in Florida. He then visits Longboat Key where he and Chef Jose Martinez of Maison Blanche sample some of Martinez’s signature French cuisine with an American twist. Emeril then travels to meet with Chef BT Nguyen of the highly acclaimed Restaurant BT in South Tampa. Nguyen, originally from South Viet Nam, was evacuated to the United States with her sister, leaving behind her parents, during the fall of Saigon back in the mid-1970s.

Finally, he meets with Guillermo Quezada a Leto High School student in Tampa, originally from the Dominican Republic, who was named the Top Florida High School Chef in the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association’s ProStart 2013 Competition. The show also reruns on Monday, January 6th at 9:30 am EST and Thursday, January 9th at 11:30 am EST. Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida Season Two is a 13-episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the second season, 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 Cooking Channel website here. For a preview of Sunday’s episode, click here.

(TALLAHASSEE, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) today announced their 2014 Executive Committee and industry leader award winners at its annual Gala and Awards Dinner held Tuesday evening, January 7, 2014.  The installation ceremony was held during FRLA’s Winter Board Meeting January 6 – 8, 2014 at The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida.

James E. McManemon, General Manager of The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island, Florida, was named FRLA’s Chairman of the Board for the 2014 calendar year.  McManemon will preside over the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association, one of the state’s largest trade associations, representing more than 10,000 members in the hospitality industry.

“As FRLA chairman this year, I will provide the tools and resources needed to create a stronger voice and a greater impact for Florida’s hotels, restaurants and industry providers. My goals are to grow membership while also having a renewed focus on Association engagement and participation.  Additionally, I will ensure strong future leadership through education, development and succession planning,” stated McManemon during his acceptance speech. “I look forward to telling our good news stories to members in our industry and the media.”

The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association congratulates our newly elected executive board and Hall of Fame award winners.

2014 FRLA Executive Committee

James E. McManemon
Chairman, The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island

Gregg Nicklaus
Secretary-Treasurer, Sirata Beach Resort, St. Pete Beach

Lino Maldonado
New Director 2014-15, ResortQuest, Fort Walton Beach

Chau Nguyen
New Director 2014-15, Kobe Japanese Steakhouse

Don Fox
New Director 2014-15
Firehouse Subs, Jacksonville

Pam Avery
Director 2014-16
Quorum Hotels, Tampa

Andrew Reiss
Immediate Past Chair
Andrew’s Downtown, Tallahassee

In addition, Hall of Fame Awards were given to individuals representing the industry.  Qualifications for both the prestigious Restaurateur Hall of Fame Award and the Hotelier Hall of Fame Award include having a personal record of industry achievement over a period of at least 20 years.  Only those nominees who have attained career distinctions of the highest level and are held in high esteem for their distinguished service to their industry, community, charitable organizations and family were considered.

2014 Restaurateur Hall of Fame Award
The award was presented to Bill Shumate of Bella’s Italian Café in Tampa, Florida and Square 1 Burgers & Bar in various Tampa Bay locations, Sarasota and Fort Myers.  Bill Shumate opened his first restaurant in Norman, Oklahoma in 1964, a burger joint called “Across the Street.” It was located across the street from the University of Oklahoma. Eventually, in the late 80’s, Bill decided to help cultivate a vision to bring the people of Tampa authentic Italian cuisine. Twenty-four years later, he’s still running Bella’s Italian Cafe alongside his business partner and Executive Chef Joanie Corneil. Inspired by a yearning to go back to his burger restaurant roots, he began developing a new concept in 2006 for a burger restaurant in Tampa and named it “Square 1 Burgers.” Bill is back to Square 1.

2014 Hotelier Hall of Fame Award
The award was presented to Gene Prescott of the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida.  In June of 1992, a multi-national consortium led by Seaway Hotels Corporation, a Florida hotel management firm, became the Biltmore’s owners and operators. Seaway, co-chaired by Gene Prescott, is a leading hospitality organization that owns and manages quality hotels in Florida and New York. In addition to The Biltmore Hotel, the company’s portfolio includes The Alexander Hotel on Miami Beach and the Sheraton Sand Key in Clearwater Beach, Florida. In 1996, the National l Register of Historic Places designated The Biltmore a National Historic Landmark, an elite title offered to only 3 percent of all historic structures. With Gene’s leadership, Seaway embarked upon a $40 million, 10-year renovation program that has only recently been completed, restoring The Biltmore to its world-class excellence.

2014 Supplier of the Year Award
The award was presented to Herman Fernandez of Southern Wine & Spirits.  Since its founding in 1968, Southern Wine & Spirits of America, Inc. (Southern) is a nationally recognized wine and spirits distributor known for its historic commitment to delivering the highest standards of customer service and creative marketing programs and partnerships. Herman Fernandez is approaching 40 years with the company and is a key player that has helped cultivate a relationship with the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. Southern Wine & Spirits of America, lnc., is the nation’s largest wine and spirits distributor with current operations in 29 states.

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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. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org.

(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida airing on Sunday, January 12, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. EST on the Cooking Channel. In Sunday’s episode entitled ‘Orlando Farm-to-Table & Norman Van Aken’ celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse meets with some of Orlando’s leaders in the farm-to-table movement, and visits long-time friend and chef Norman Van Aken.

“Agriculture is second to tourism as our State’s economic driver.  With Florida’s ability to grow fruits and vegetables year round, the agriculture and tourism industries truly complement one another through the farm-to-table movement,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We are thrilled to have Emeril feature our FRLA restaurateurs in this episode and hope it will encourage viewers to visit these incredible establishments for themselves.”

Chef Emeril begins this week’s program in Ocoee with Dale Volkert owner of Lake Meadow Naturals, a local farm supplying eggs to some of the top restaurants in the Orlando area and beyond.  After touring the farm, he and Dale whip up an omelet in the kitchen.  Emeril then visits The Rusty Spoon in downtown Orlando where he and owners, Chef Kathleen and William Blake, talk about their leading roles in Orlando’s farm-to-table movement.  Emeril takes a tour of the kitchen and tastes some of Chef Kathleen’s signature dishes.  Finally, he heads to Norman’s at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando to meet up with old friend and fellow chef Norman Van Aken.  The two sample some of Norman’s signature dishes while sharing stories about their long history and how the Orlando dining scene has changed since Norman’s opened in 2003.

The show reruns on Monday, January 13^th at 9:30 a.m. EST and Thursday, January 16^th at 11:30 a.m. EST.  Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida Season Two is a 13-episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the second season, 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 Cooking Channel website here. For a preview of Sunday’s episode, 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. For more information, go to www.FRLA.org.

(Washington, D.C.) 2014 will mark the fifth consecutive year of restaurant industry sales growth despite a continued challenging economic landscape, according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast released today. Industry sales are projected to exceed $683 billion in 2014, up 3.6 percent from 2013’s sales volume of $659.3 billion.

For the complete NRA 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast, including graphics and video, visit Restaurant.org/Forecast.

2014 also will mark the 15^th straight year in which restaurant industry employment growth will outpace overall employment growth. The industry will continue to be the nation’s second-largest private employer with 990,000 restaurants employing 13.5 million individuals, or about 10 percent of the total U.S. workforce.

“As our nation continues its road to recovery, the restaurant industry will remain a key driver of economic growth and a leading jobs creator,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Restaurants touch every community across the U.S., and 2014 will be a year of growth and innovation as the industry focuses on inspired new ways to meet consumer demand while providing valuable careers to millions of Americans.”

“Despite facing a range of challenges, America’s restaurants are showing continued resiliency and innovation,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president, Research & Knowledge for the National Restaurant Association. “As the industry enters its fifth straight year of real sales growth, operators are feeding consumer appetites with new technology, customer loyalty efforts, and evolving menu options. Consumers currently have a historically high pent-up demand for restaurant services, which is likely to translate into a business boost as the economy continues to improve – and our nation’s foodservice operators are rising to the challenge.”

Workforce Outlook
The NRA expects eating-and-drinking places to add jobs at a solid 2.8 percent rate in 2014, a full percentage point above the projected 1.8 percent gain in total U.S. employment.

The restaurant workforce grew at a robust rate in 2013, keeping the industry among the economy’s leaders in job creation. Eating and drinking places added jobs at a strong 3.3 percent rate in 2013 outpacing total US employment which grew at 1.6 percent.

While every state is expected to see their restaurant industry workforce expand during the next decade, states in the southern and western regions of the United States will continue to lead the way in 2014. Arizona and Texas are projected to set the pace with restaurant-and-foodservice job growth above 15 percent between 2013 and 2023. Florida (15.0 percent), Nevada (14.7 percent) and Georgia (14.4 percent) are also expected see their restaurant employment base expand at rates well above the national average during the next 10 years.

Challenges and Opportunities
While the restaurant industry is expected to grow in 2014, operators will continue to face a range of challenges. The top challenges cited by restaurateurs include food costs, labor costs, and the economy.

After increasing steadily in the last four years, wholesale food costs will continue to be elevated through 2014, putting significant pressure on restaurants’ bottom lines as about one-third of sales in a restaurant goes to food and beverage purchases.

Virtually all operators across the industry (limited-service and tableservice restaurants) saw labor costs as a primary challenge in 2013, and that will continue in 2014. Challenges with ACA implementation and minimum wage increases across the country have made a significant impact on restaurant bottom lines, as typically one-third of restaurant sales is spent on labor.

One of the primary reasons that restaurant-industry sales growth hasn’t fully taken off during the economic recovery is that consumers for the most part haven’t broken out of their recession rut. When asked in December 2013 to rate the current state of their own personal finances, nearly six out of 10 adults described their finances as either fair or poor and among those adults, nearly one-half said they are very concerned about the economy and have cut back significantly on spending.

Despite spending cutbacks, consumers have substantial pent-up demand for restaurant services with two out of five consumers saying they are not using restaurant as often as they would like; with improving economic conditions, that demand is likely to turn into sales.

Consumer Trends
Technology innovation continues to play a vital role within the industry. Nearly one-fifth of consumers say technology options are an important feature that factors into their decision when choosing a fullservice restaurant; 24 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds say they consider a restaurant’s technology options when selecting where to go, compared to 11 percent of individuals age 65 and over.

Similarly, more than one-fifth of consumers say technology options factor into their decisions when choosing a limited-service restaurant; 33 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds, compared to 7 percent of those 65-plus.

To keep up with the evolution of consumer palates, restaurant operators across segments added new food and beverage menu options throughout 2013 and will continue to do so in 2014.

Local sourcing and nutritious options (such as healthful kids’ meals, gluten-free) continue to be the top trends throughout the industry.

Eight out of 10 of consumers say restaurants offer more healthy menu options now compared to two years ago, and seven out of 10 say they are more likely to visit a restaurant that offers healthy options.

Environmental sustainability is a long-term trend among operators and consumers.  Nearly three out of five consumers say they are likely to make a restaurant choice based on its eco-friendly practices.

(Tallahassee, FL) – The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) is proud to present this week’s episode of Emeril’s Florida airing on Sunday, January 19, 2014, at 2:30 p.m. EST on the Cooking Channel. In Sunday’s episode titled, “Some Panhandle Beach & Waterfront Favorites” celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse travels to several of the Florida Panhandle’s  most beloved beach and waterfront dining spots.

“With more than 200 miles of coastline in the Florida Panhandle, fresh Gulf seafood like oysters, grouper and red snapper are a crucial part of our hospitality and tourism industries,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “We hope as viewers take a virtual trip with Emeril throughout the Florida Panhandle, they will be inspired to experience these fantastic FRLA restaurants firsthand.”

Chef Emeril begins this week’s program at Captain Anderson’s in Panama City Beach, a local family restaurant voted number one Seafood Restaurant by Southern Living readers every year from 1996 to 2006.  Emeril meets with both the new and old operating members of Captain Anderson’s in Panama City Beach – the Patronis family. He then chats with the one of the founders over some ouzo about how the restaurant began before trying some of Captain Anderson’s classic seafood dishes. Emeril then visits 723 Whiskey Bravo Bistro and Bar in Seagrove Beach where he talks with friend and operations manager George Barnes about their new concept.  Emeril tastes some of Executive Chef Baltazar’s seafood creations overlooking the gulf at 723 Whiskey Bravo’s rooftop bar.  He then heads to Destin Harbor.  There Emeril sits down with owner of Harry T’s, Dan Empson, and talks about Harry T’s Lighthouse – a Destin institution.  Later, he tries some of Harry T’s new and old favorites: Diablo fish tacos, stuffed chicken, crab claws, and their reinvented famous crab cakes.  Finally, Emeril heads to a unique Apalachicola restaurant, Up the Creek Raw Bar, a casual restaurant with a laid-back atmosphere serving up some of the best oysters in the world straight from Apalachicola Bay.

The show reruns on Monday, January 20^th at 9:30 a.m. EST and Thursday, January 23^rd at 11:30 a.m. EST.  Please check local listings.

Emeril’s Florida Season Two is a 13-episode series highlighting the Sunshine State through the eyes of Emeril on-location with a focus on food, cooking, events and activities around the state. Throughout the second season, 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 Cooking Channel website here. For a preview of Sunday’s episode, click here.

Media Contact:
Elizabeth Ray
FRLA Press Secretary
850.224.2250 x255
[email protected]

(TALLAHASSEE, FL) – The restaurant industry in Florida is expected to post 4.5% sales growth in 2014 to reach $34,695,955,000 according to the National Restaurant Association’s (NRA) 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast. Florida restaurants will employ 899,000 this year, and create an additional 134,600 jobs in the next decade.

“We take great pride in Florida’s restaurant industry, which under Governor Rick Scott’s leadership and pro-business initiatives is continuing to expand its workforce and in turn, spark economic growth in our state,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “This industry forecast indicates that the Sunshine State’s foodservice industry is among the top in the nation, creating more employment opportunities for Florida families and multiplying choices for consumers across the state.”

This year will mark the fifth consecutive year nationally of restaurant industry sales growth despite a continued challenging economic landscape. Overall, industry sales are projected to exceed $683 billion in 2014, up 3.6 percent from 2013’s sales volume of $659 billion.

2014 will also mark the 15th straight year in which restaurant industry employment growth will outpace overall employment growth. The industry will continue to be the nation’s second largest private employer with 990,000 restaurants employing 13.5 million individuals or 10 percent of the total workforce. The NRA expects restaurants to add 1.3 million new positions in the next decade, pushing industry employment to 14.8 million by 2024.

“As our nation continues its road to recovery, the restaurant industry will remain a key driver of economic growth and a leading jobs creator,” said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Restaurants touch every community across the U.S., and 2014 will be a year of growth and innovation as the industry focuses on inspired new ways to meet consumer demand while providing valuable careers to millions of Americans.”

“Despite facing a range of challenges, America’s restaurants are showing continued resiliency and innovation,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president, Research & Knowledge for the National Restaurant Association. “As the industry enters its fifth straight year of real sales growth, operators are feeding consumer appetites with new technology, customer loyalty efforts, and evolving menu options. Consumers currently have a historically high pent-up demand for restaurant services, which is likely to translate into a business boost as the economy continues to improve – and our nation’s foodservice operators are rising to the challenge.”

While the restaurant industry is expected to grow in 2014, operators will continue to face a range of challenges. The top challenges cited by restaurateurs vary slightly by industry segment, and include food costs, labor costs, and the economy.

For more information about the NRA’s 2014 Restaurant Industry Forecast, visit http://www.restaurant.org/forecast.