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MAY / JUNE 2017 VOL 6, ISSUE 8 RestaurantINFORMER.com | 1 FOR GEORGIA’S RESTAURANTS We know a thing or two about good cooking in Georgia, and as a sponsor of the GRA and Emmy award-winning TV show Atlanta Eats, Gas South proudly supports our state’s rich culinary tradition. We’re also pleased to offer GRA members customized rate plans and waived service fees on natural gas. We serve the savings — you create the flavors. It’s a recipe for success! Learn how your GRA membership saves you money: Atlanta Eats VISIT CALL WATCH gas-south.com/restaurants 1-866-512-3129 Peachtree TV: Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. or Sundays at 10:30 a.m. RI_General_Brand_Ad_GRA_AE_8_375x11.indd 1 6/16/16 1:14 PM Contents 25 May / June 2017 DEPARTMENTS 3 Editor’s Note 4 GRA News 8 ACF Update 25 Snapshots 27 Industry Events 10 14 28 Restaurant Report FEATURES 4 Things to Know About 6 Offering Gift Cards By Jill Nyboer From deferring revenue for unredeemed cards to claiming deductions, there’s a lot you may not know about how gift cards can help your bottom line. 8 Keys to a Successful 2017 Rising Stars Beverage Program 18 By Hope S. Philbrick and Nancy Wood 10 Check out these five chefs, who were selected By Lara Creasy Boosting the focus on your drinks menu can bring in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant big benefits to your restaurant. Association as the ones to watch in the state’s restaurant scene. Server, What’s in Your Broth? By Tracy Stuckrath Help Wanted! Turn This 14 Message Into an Opportunity Addressing dietary concerns is not just a matter 22 of life or death for your diners, it can affect your By Debby Cannon, Ph.D., and Charles Marvil, MS bottom line, too. Knowing how to respond and With the economy on the upswing, hiring address diners’ concerns is important, and these employees who are a good fit for your tips can help your restaurant create an safe business is getting harder. Here’s how to find environment for your food-allergic guests. the best talent in a tight labor market. MAY / JUNE 2017 VOL 6, ISSUE 8 Publisher: John Sawyer Restaurant INFORMER is the official Editor: Christy Simo magazine of the Georgia Restaurant Graphic Designer: Scott Bagley Association and is published by Sawyer Direct, LLC at P.O. Box 49053, Contributing Writers: Karen Bremer, Colorado Springs, CO 80949. Debby Cannon, Charles Marvil, Jill Nyboer, © 2017 by Sawyer Direct LLC. All rights reserved. Hope S. Philbrick, J. Stewart Singleton, Tracy Stuckrath, Nancy Wood For subscription or advertising information, call 719.599.7220 or About the Cover: Cover design by Tanya email [email protected] Shaw Jeffrey, Ginseng Creative RestaurantINFORMER.com | 1 RestaurantINFORMER.com | 1 You Wear A Lot of Hats We Are Your Full-Service POS Source from Beginning to End RDS. We Do That Seamless Integrations Using Interconnect Cloud Technology Across Multiple Platforms... Business Analysis & Solution Development... Garry Easterling Sales Director [email protected] RDS. WE DO THAT 678-279-8041 Veronica Lister Inside Sales [email protected] 678-279-8054 We can help with that.... Seamless Integrations Using Interconnect Cloud Technology Across Multiple Platforms... Encrypted Transactions for PCI Compliance... Retail Data Systems is your source IT Solutions for Large & Small Restaurants... for the well-designed POS system. We create custom integrations Skilled Help Desk Support 24/7/365... using a comprehensive list of top quality hardware and software Unmatched Pricing for Hardware and Software... products to strengthen your processes and your bottom line. In 25 offices across the country, our team of over 400 IT professionals is RDS. WE DO THAT dedicated to your success. rdspos.com HELLO WORLD, HERE WE COME used to have this T-shirt when I was a kid. I have no idea culinary world, and there are more and more restaurants I where it came from or who gave it to me. It was, in fact, opening every day. Innovative concepts. Fresh ideas. New pretty ugly in that ’80s kind of way. But I wore it all the time ways of doing things. because of what it said, and its message has stuck with me all And people across the country are starting to take notice. these years: Last year, Zagat ranked Atlanta as the No. 10 hottest food city Do what you love in the country and Savannah No. 12, both besting New York Love what you do City, Chicago, San Francisco and Nashville. And the world will come to you. What makes these Georgia cities’ restaurant scenes stand If you do what you love, inevitably you will find success, out? I can’t speak for those other places, but here in Georgia even if – especially if – you encounter failures along the way. there is a real sense of community throughout the restaurant Because if you get back up again after stumbling, if you push industry. Sure there’s friendly competition, but in general, forward because you know you love what you do and you will we all recognize that lifting others up so that they, too, can find a way to do it, you will succeed. And eventually, others succeed on their own terms is fundamental to accomplishing will start to take notice. big things. After all, none of us would be in this industry if we This year, in partnership with the Georgia Restaurant didn’t love it. Association, we’ve selected five people we see as Rising Stars Perhaps it’s part and parcel of Atlanta’s philanthropic DNA, for 2017. For these chefs, it’s clear that they’re doing what they or maybe it’s just plain ole’ Southern Hospitality. Whatever love, and it shows. it is, I’m glad we have it, and for these five Rising Stars and It was hard to narrow down the choices to these five. There everyone else out there, it will only lead to bigger and better are so many new voices and talented people in the state’s things to come. Christy Simo Editor RestaurantINFORMER.com | 3 NEWS MESSAGE FROM THE CEO Restaurants Open Doors he Georgia Restaurant Association The first day of the conference was a Care Act’s employer mandate. The ACA’s Trecently brought a group of Geor- crash course in advocacy, lawmaking and definition of full-time employment of gia restaurateurs to Washington, D.C., to why it’s important to fight for policies that 30 hours a week is forcing restaurants join more than 600 other restaurateurs help our businesses prosper. The second to change how they hire and staff their and foodservice operators from across the day, restaurateurs ventured to Capitol Hill operations. The mandate’s definition of country for the National Restaurant Asso- to educate lawmakers about top public seasonal employment is also confusing, ciation Public Affairs Conference. policy issues affecting our businesses. The and employers face daunting paperwork This annual two-day conference is a mission was to help the 115th Congress rules with new requirements for tracking chance for the restaurant industry to understand what it takes to run a restaurant and reporting data to the IRS. make a difference and lobby on behalf of business. The debit card tax: We strongly oppose the industry. The theme of the conference The three biggest issues on the table Congress’s potential plan to repeal the this year was “Restaurants Open Doors” that affect our industry and other small debit card swipe-fee protections in place and highlighted the many opportunities businesses include healthcare, tax reform since 2010. A repeal of these protections the restaurant industry provides. We are and retaining debit card swipe-fee would result in skyrocketing transaction the country’s second largest private-sector protections. fees for restaurateurs, which would hurt employer, with more than 14.7 million Healthcare reform: We continue to business and job growth. employees in more than 1 million locations support healthcare reform that addresses Tax reform and 45B: We support nationwide. the problems created by the Affordable legislative efforts to pursue comprehensive tax reform that lowers rates for individuals and corporations while retaining the 45B THANK YOU FICA reimbursement that is so important to the following members for their continued support! to many of America’s restaurants. It is important that restaurateurs share 15C, LLC dba Shane’s Rib Shack LegalShield Business Solutions their experiences with legislators on Abbotts Bar and Grill Metro Diner C&S Coastal, Inc. dba Wild Wing Cafe Mix’d Up Burgers Capitol Hill to help them understand how CohnReznick, LLP No Mas! Cantina our industry works and how the legislation CompostWheels Papa’s Bar-B-Que & Seafood they pass affects business. It is our chance Dahlonega-Lumpkin County Chamber of Commerce Peach & The Porkchop to make a difference in our industry and & Visitor Center PWC Training then turn around and open the doors for Delta Chen Foods Inc. dba Ah-Ma’s Taiwanese Kitchen Red Diamond, Inc. others to succeed. ■ Dreams R Us, Inc. dba Bradley’s Bar & Grill, Reveille Cafe Dogwood Catering and Paradise Delights S&S Cafeteria Endive Sizzling Steak Concepts, Inc. Firehouse Corporation Franchise dba Ruth’s Chris Steak House Sincerely, Flourish Restaurants dba Foundation Social Eatery Slater Hospitality LLC dba Nine Mile Station Karen Bremer, Ford Fry Restaurants SmartPlan Investing CAE, CEO FPL Food, LLC The American Pasta Factory, LLC Georgia Restaurant Georgia Bob’s Barbeque Company dba American Pasta Factory Grub Burger Bar The Oak Brewpub Association Kennesaw State University The Silver Moon - Culinary Apprenticeship Program TSC Associates 4 | Restaurant INFORMER May / June 2017 2017 Board of Directors and GRA Staff Georgia Restaurant Association Staff Executive Committee Mike Dixon, Focus Brands, Inc.