National Restaurant Assoc. draws 600+ FS operators to D.C.

More than 600 restaurant operators from across the country traveled to Washington, D.C., recently for the National Restaurant Association’s 37th annual Public Affairs Conference. 

The three-day event, during held the third week of June, provided opportunities for productive networking events, and attendees also attended public affairs sessions that featured addresses from Karl Rove and Robert Gibbs, members of the Bush and Obama White Houses, respectively, and current members of congress Sen. Bill Cassidy (LA-R), Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-05) and Rep. Jimmy Panetta (C-19). 

In their conversations with National Restaurant Association Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Sean Kennedy, speakers covered a range of topics and viewpoints and reached a consensus that restaurant operators’ personal stories “have the power to educate and influence policymakers,” an Association press release said.

Programming also included a presentation on the 2023 State of the Restaurant Industry by Hudson Riehle, the Association’s senior vice president of Research, and the Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards dinner. The dinner also served as venue for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation honoring those named the “best-of-the-best in industry leadership and role modeling, community service and the advancement of diversity, equity, and inclusion.”

The conference culminated in a day of advocacy on Capitol Hill, where attendees held over 150 meetings with Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate. During these meetings, attendees encouraged Congress to take steps to make it easier to hire employees and keep business costs low.

Specifically, attendees urged Congress to stem skyrocketing credit card swipe fees through the bipartisan Credit Card Competition Act, expand the restaurant workforce through the Essential Workers for Economic Advancement Act and preserve the existing tip credit and tipping system. 

“Restaurants are the backbone of every community, creating jobs and bringing residents together. To continue to play that role, restaurant operators need policies that support their success. That’s why members of the National Restaurant Association from across the country will return to Washington, D.C., next year to continue to advocate for policies to help restaurants thrive,” the release said.