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JANUARY 24, , 2007

California Restaurant Association Quick Bites
~ Serving up the latest news in the restaurant industry ~

Trans fat update
On the heels of the trans fat ban in New York City, California lawmakers are scrambling to introduce legislation aimed at shrinking your choices, as well as your waistline. As the California Restaurant Association (CRA) Government Affairs team prepares to take on bills the new Legislature proposes, here's a partial look at what they'll be dealing with on the issue.

Senator Gloria Romero (D-Los Angeles), Assembly member Bonnie Garcia (R-Cathedral City) and even freshman Assembly member Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk), in office for less than two months, have each jumped head-long into the controversy over trans fat, introducing legislation banning its use in restaurants by July 1, 2008.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) and Assemblyman Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) also have bills that ban public schools from selling food containing trans fat. Senator Tom Torlakson (D-Antioch) is pushing a bill that would increase funding to public schools that cut trans fats from their cafeteria menus.
Related legislation by Senator Alex Padilla (D-San Fernando Valley) would require restaurant chains to provide nutritional information - calories, fat, carbohydrates and sodium - on their menus.

As we are only one month into this legislative session, the multitude of bills on the topic suggests nutrition will be a priority for legislators. The CRA Government Affairs team is now, and will remain on top of these bills as they face various trials in the Legislature. Keep informed by reading future issues of Quick Bites and Restaurant Capitol Review and get involved by emailing governmentaffairs@calrest.org to see how you can contact your legislator. More information about trans fats can be found at www.trans-fatfacts.com .

Bravo TV's Top Chef reality series seeks new contenders
Bravo TV's highly successful Top Chef reality series is now looking for contestants for its third season. The show has become one of the top-rated shows on cable television with professional chefs competing for $100,000.

When seeking out contestants, Bravo looks for several qualities including a passion for food, solid technique, good speaking skills, strong managerial skills, an opinion about food, creativity and imagination, good sense of ingredients and flavor profiles, a quirky sense of humor, diversity in cooking styles, knowledge of chefs in the industry and personality.

Open call auditions will take place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York, Dallas and Miami. Visit www.bravotv.com/casting for more information on candidate requirements, open call dates and application procedures. The deadline to apply is February 5.

Restaurant Business Magazine "Best of Everything"
Restaurant Business Magazine is looking for restaurants that exemplify the best in foodservice and hospitality for its annual "Best of Everything" issue. The CRA is looking to nominate members trying interesting and innovative things with their menu, in wine or beverage service, in design or in the areas of marketing, hospitality, service, technology and management.

Please send a brief statement on why your restaurant should be nominated to communications@calrest.org. For more information please contact Jordan Traverso at 800.765.4842.

Association members meet with Governor
On Wednesday, December 20, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger held a business roundtable to discuss the burdens that rising health care costs put on small businesses that want to provide health care for their employees. CRA members Ted Burke of Shadowbrook Restaurant in Capitola and Michael Osborn of Pie 'N Burger Restaurant in Pasadena were in attendance.

The CRA defeated the employer health care mandate, Proposition 72, in the November 2004 election. Since then, the CRA has been committed to be a part of the right solution to the growing problem of uninsured Californians and has met with a number of stakeholders that are critical players in solving this problem. Wednesday's meeting was another example of CRA being at the table.

"We offer health benefits, but it's not about good employers and bad employers," Burke told the Governor. "It's about employers that can afford to provide health care, and those who can't afford it."

"Cutting into my already very narrow profit margin to provide health care would likely put me out of business," said Osborn. "You can only raise prices so much, and with minimum wage going up $1.25 over the next two years and gas prices rising, providing health care for my employees is just something I cannot afford to do until costs come down significantly."

"Our slips & falls have dropped 72 percent" - The Cheesecake Factory. SHOES FOR CREWS® slip-resistant footwear utilizes exclusive outsole technology to grip wet and greasy floors with amazing traction! Our footwear is available at no cost to your company via affordable payroll deduction, and you're covered by our $5,000 Slip & Fall Accident Warranty. SHOES FOR CREWS® is the proven solution for avoiding workers' comp claims. Visit shoesforcrews.com today!

Don't leave money on the table - save energy in the kitchen! Did you know over the course of a year one commercial cooking appliance can use as much energy as an entire house? When it comes to saving energy in the kitchen, how you use your appliances can be just as important as which appliances you use. For example, cutting just one hour each day of a broiler's "on" time can translate to savings of around $450 annually. For more tips like this one, read the Appliances and Food Preparation chapter in Boosting Restaurant Profits with Energy Efficiency, Flex Your Power's guide to saving money and energy for restaurant owners and managers. Find it here www.fypower.org/com/bpg. Over $2 billion in utility-sponsored energy-efficiency programs are available throughout the state, and many even offer financial incentives to help offset the cost of efficiency upgrades. Click here to find incentives and services in your area.

State Fund announces seventh straight rate cut; cumulative 49 percent decrease since 2004
Effective January 1, 2007, for new and renewal policies, CRA-Endorsed Provider State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) will cut its workers' compensation insurance rates further. California's dominant nonprofit insurer has proposed a nine percent average reduction in workers' compensation rates.

For many hospitality industry insurance categories, SCIF slashed rates even deeper. For example, the January 2007 rate decrease for the restaurant/tavern group (class 9079) fell 15.8 percent from January 2006's premium average, as did the restaurant subclass (9558) ? for sit-down restaurants with annual receipts of $12,000 per seat and $1.2 million per location. The hotel classification (9050) decreased by 13 percent.
Small employers (annual premiums between $1,000 and $75,000) with superior safety records will continue to receive a 10 percent workplace safety credit, according to State Fund.

SCIF's rates have fallen steadily since 2003. The rate cut marks the seventh straight reduction in three years for policyholders insured through SCIF.

For more information about the CRA's group workers' compensation insurance programs, please contact the the CRA's Insurance Services Department at 877.644.9232.

L.E.A.D. Training Seminar
Join the CRA's San Diego County Chapter for a free Licensee Education on Alcohol and Drugs (L.E.A.D.) training seminar on Tuesday, January 30 from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. at The Oceanaire Seafood Room in San Diego. Benefits include a reduction of risk of liability, possible reduced insurance premiums and ways to deal with difficult situations. Agenda topics include community relations, laws and liability, checking identification, alcohol facts, intoxication and illicit drugs. L.E.A.D. program trainers are experienced investigators with the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control who are sworn California law enforcement officers. Space is limited.

For more information, please contact Tina Summers at 619.297.8200 or tsummers@calrest.org.

Do you want to avoid drive-by-lawsuits?
Don't miss the opportunity to learn access compliance from a recognized expert! Are these elements of your business compliant: restrooms, doors, aisles, tables, counters, accessible counter, accessible parking, path of travel from parking, curb ramps vs. pedestrian ramps, detectable warnings/truncated domes and other elements? ARA Training Institute introduces a series of specialized trainings for access compliance. These trainings will teach you about access and what you need to know about your obligations under the ADA and CA Title 24 Regulations. Don't be a business caught off guard and have to pay for the defense of a drive-by-lawsuit! Register now at ARA Training Institute (http://www.adaresource.info/train_events.html) to attend the workshop that starts you on your way to access compliance. Space is limited to better serve attendees. Special rates for California Restaurant Association members. "Our slips & falls have dropped 72 percent" - The Cheesecake Factory. SHOES FOR CREWS® slip-resistant footwear utilizes exclusive outsole technology to grip wet and greasy floors with amazing traction! Our footwear is available at no cost to your company via affordable payroll deduction, and you're covered by our $5,000 Slip & Fall Accident Warranty. SHOES FOR CREWS® is the proven solution for avoiding workers' comp claims. Visit www.shoesforcrews.com today!

CRA to host bioterrorism workshop.
The Los Angeles Chapter of the CRA, in collaboration with the Los Angeles County Public Health Department requests you save the date for an environmental health bioterrorism tabletop exercise on Thursday, January 11, 2007 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the California Endowment Center for Healthy Communities, 1000 N. Alameda Street, Los Angeles.

What is the real threat? What are the risks involved? What should restaurants do to prepare? This exercise will prepare you for the unexpected in food safety and security in the restaurant industry.

For more information, please contact Andrew Casaña at 562.432.8291 or acasana@calrest.org .

Upcoming CRA Events and CRAEF Seminars:
01/07
San Diego Restaurant Week
San Diego

01/11
Bioterrorism Workshop
Los Angeles

01/15
ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Class and Exam
Los Angeles

01/16
ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Class and Exam
Sacramento

01/16
Human Resources Roundtable/2007 Legal Update
San Diego

01/17
ServSafe® Alcohol: Responsible Beverage Service
Los Angeles

For more information or to register for CRAEF seminars, please contact CRAEF at 800.765.4842 or click here.

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