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Dear Peter,
Welcome to the MRA's April eNewsletter issue of "On the Table." Spring has sprung, and the MRA is hopping! It's all "On the Table" - enjoy! |
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Letter from the Chairman
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Tom Galligan | During the past few weeks, I have had the great pleasure of attending three keystone MRA events. Each of these significant programs has reinforced my convictions about the strength of the foodservice industry and the importance of the MRA.
First, on March 9, 2009, we celebrated the Stars of the Industry Awards Gala at Lombardo's in Randolph. Over 450 members attended the event. read more |
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Still Fighting: An Update on the Meals Tax
It's been over two months since Governor Patrick put the meals tax hike on the political fast track. At that point, we feared that it could get passed as part of the emergency budget legislation in a matter of weeks.
Due to an unprecedented campaign from all facets of the MRA, we have been able to prevent that from happening. In fact, this provision has been referred to the Committee on Revenue for a public hearing and review before it can advance to a floor vote. read more |
MRAEF Spring Educational Seminar Series: 
You can't afford to miss this! It's time to take a step back and focus on ways you can make a difference in your operation. The MRAEF is committed to providing you with the info you need for your future success.
The 2009 Spring Educational Seminar Series explores how to empower your staff to succeed, how to reduce your energy costs for tomorrow, and how you can use marketing strategies that really work. Each seminar is presented by industry experts, and promises to be informative while offering tangible, realistic goals to implement in your everyday business. read more
Register TODAY to reserve your seats - you don't want to miss these exciting industry seminars!
Do you have an idea for a future seminar? Click here to share your seminar proposal with the MRAEF. |
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Menu Optimization: A Case Study  Over a hundred items on the menu but nothing to order?
That seemed to be the case for a 500-unit family dining chain that needed to figure out how to strengthen its menu variety. It turns out that in the customer's mind, variety is about more than stuff; it's about the RIGHT stuff. read more |
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Federal Subsidy for COBRA Premiums: Eligible Individuals Must Be Notified by April 17th
President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 into law on February 17, 2009. Included in the Federal Stimulus Package was a special provision that would provide a 65% premium contribution for a qualified employee's COBRA benefits.
Employers are required to notify any employee who is eligible for COBRA continuation coverage as a result of "involuntary termination" since September 1, 2008 that they have a new election opportunity to continue their health insurance coverage and qualify for a 65% premium subsidy. read more |
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Employer's Liability for Emails  Following the termination of an employee, an employer sent a mass email in which he identified the employee by name and informed other employees that the termination was a result of a thorough investigation and determination that the employee was not in compliance with the company's travel and expense policies, implying the employee had engaged in illegal or unethical conducts. read more |
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New Information from the IRS:
Operating Loss Carryback Extensions  The MRA recently learned about a new program from the IRS that allows loss carrybacks to be extended to five years. This is important information for you to bring to the attention of your accountants and is summarized in a directive that we have received from our local representative.
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Tankless Water Heaters Boil Up Savings
for Restaurateurs 
Water is a substantial expense associated with operating a restaurant, which includes bills for sewage, water, gas, and electric supply.
Have you looked into replacing your hot water heater within the last year? There is new technology that has been developed to replace our regular water heater with a Tankless Water Heater or an On-Demand Water Heater. These heaters are proven cost-effective as well as environmentally-friendly, and are 22% more energy-efficient than regular heaters. read more |
Honoring Those Shining Stars in the 
Restaurant Industry The unpredictable New England weather didn't put a damper on the Massachusetts Restaurant Association's (MRA) Second Annual Stars of the Industry Awards Gala, held at Lombardo's Restaurant in Randolph on March 9th.
Approximately 450 people attended the "star-studded" event, which was developed last year by MRA's Public Relations Committee to honor those hourly employees in the restaurant industry who go above and beyond in their jobs daily. This year's event took on a new twist from last year's as two new categories were added, exclusively for the MRA's associate members. read more |
MRA Bestows Top Honors at the 
2009 Annual Awards Dinner The Massachusetts Restaurant Association (MRA) held its Annual Awards Dinner on Monday, March 23, 2009 at the InterContinental Boston Hotel. This event is one of the biggest events of the year for the MRA and is one of the highlights of the New England Foodservice and Lodging Expo. Almost 400 members were in attendance. read more
Thank you to our generous Annual Awards Dinner sponsors! |
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Calling All Caterers: Mark Your Calendars NOW
MRA Caterers Committee Meeting
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 at 11am
MRA Office, 333 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA
Featuring Guest Speakers:
William Kelley, General Counsel for the ABCC
John Coyne, General Counsel for the MRA
Learn more about:
Catering and Alcohol
Tipping and Caterers
Legislation Filed by the MRA for a Caterers' Alcohol License
This is a "must-attend" meeting for all caterers!
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Save the Date: MRAEF Scholarship Awards Gala  The MRA Educational Foundation will be holding its annual "Making the Future Bright" Scholarship Awards Gala on Wednesday,
May 20. Details will be forthcoming.
Click here to see photos from last year's Gala celebration. |
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ProStart Students Enjoy "Showcase of the Stars"  On March 5th, the MRAEF and Boston University Dining Service collaborated with the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance to present "Showcase of the Stars," an interactive hospitality career-exploration event for high school and college students.
Over 100 ProStart students attended Showcase of the Stars at Boston University (BU). During the program, successful industry leaders participated in a panel discussion about their career paths in the industry. read more
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ProStart Spotlight: Student of the Month!  Mary Lonzo is a senior at Tri-County Regional Vocational High School, where she has been a Culinary Arts major for the past four years. Within this time, Mary has distinguished herself as a straight A student. read more
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2009 ServSafe® Class Schedules
Available from the MRAEF ServSafe® Sanitation is the highest standard in food safety training and certification and is recognized more than any other sanitation training program. Click here for the 2009 ServSafe® Sanitation training class schedule, which prepares managers for the ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification exam.
ServSafe® Sanitation is also offered in Portuguese. Click here for more information.
Does your certification expire soon? Learn more about the MRAEF's 4-hour Recertification classes.
The ServSafe Alcohol® program outlines effective and responsible alcohol service practices for all of your front-of-the-house staff. Click here for the 2009 ServSafe® Alcohol class schedule to help ensure every drink served is a safe one. The ServSafe Alcohol® Fundamentals of Responsible Alcohol Service are now available in English & Spanish.
You can call the MRA to order products at 800-852-3042, or you can order online. Remember, MRA members receive a discount when ordering ServSafe® products from the MRA.
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MRA Food Handlers' Course Online (only $10!)  The MRA is pleased to offer a Food Handlers' Course online for only $10. This course should not be confused with the ServSafe® certified food protection manager-required certification. Instead, this course is aimed at your hourly employees, who spend a great deal of their time handling food.
Click here for more information and to register. |
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"Fork it Over" - A Culinary Explosion!  "Fork It Over" brings together some of the region's top chefs and technical school students to support Girl Scouting in a fun and appetizing endeavor, and they need your help!
Each chef, or team of chefs, prepares an appetizer or dessert using one of the eight varieties of Girl Scout Cookies.
Click here to find out how you can become involved. |
Get to know Liz Hildreth - MRA Receptionist She's the first person you reach when you call the MRA office with a question, comment, or suggestion, and she's always ready to connect the MRA's members with the answers they need.
She's the voice of the MRA office, but who is she? Read on to learn more about the MRA's Receptionist, Liz Hildreth.
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Hospitality Mutual Insurance Company Serves Up Competitive Liability Coverage for MRA Members  As the flagging economy continues to impact Bay State businesses, companies across the Commonwealth are looking for new ways to cut expenses and offset declining revenues.
Now, MRA members have an opportunity to save money while ensuring that their establishments are protected from unexpected liability claims. read more |
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Welcome to the MRA's Newest Members!  The MRA is proud to announce 14 new regular members and 22 new associate members who have recently joined. Won't you extend a warm welcome to the MRA's newest members? read more |
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MRA Membership Through the Years  The MRA is proud to recognize all of our members who are celebrating a 1-year to 4-year membership anniversary in 2009. We acknowledge your accomplishments as restaurateurs in this tough industry, and we salute you. Here's to many more successful years! read more |
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The Census is Coming, the Census is Coming! 
The U.S. census is taken every 10 years to count every resident and defines who we are as a nation. Census data inform critical decisions on the national, state and local levels - from Congressional representation to the allocation of more than $300 billion annually in federal funds. This means the 2010 Census will directly impact your organization and those you serve. read more | |
Thank
you!
Thank you for keeping up with the MRA! As always, visit www.marestaurantassoc.org for member
news, legal and industry updates, and exciting, upcoming events.
Sincerely,
Peter Christie
Massachusetts Restaurant
Association |
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