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

Governor Schwarzenegger to Speak at Lobby Day
Registration deadline this Friday, April 20

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger will be the keynote speaker at the California Restaurant Association's Lobby Day on Tuesday, May 1. This event will also feature great guest speakers, including Fabian Nùñez, Speaker of the state Assembly, Duf Sundheim, immediate past Chairman of the California Republican Party, and former Senator Art Torres, Chairman of the California Democratic Party. Lobby Day will also include a legislative briefing, legislative visits and our annual seafood reception co-sponsored by the California Fisheries and Seafood Institute.

Lobby Day will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Sacramento Convention Center, 1400 J Street. The Legislative Reception will follow at 5:30 p.m. at the CRA Headquarters. For an event registration form, please click here .

For more information or to RSVP, please contact the CRA Government Affairs Department at governmentaffairs@calrest.org.

S ullivan named CRA Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
The CRA this week announced Chris T. Sullivan, Chairman of the Board of OSI Restaurant Partners, Inc. (formerly Outback Steakhouse, Inc.), as this year's Lifetime Achievement Award winner.

The CRA Lifetime Achievement Award was established by both the CRA Board of Directors and Educational Foundation (CRAEF) Board to honor extraordinary individuals who have greatly influenced, made outstanding contributions to, and provided exceptional leadership for the California restaurant and hospitality industry.

Sullivan will be honored at the CRA Chairman's Ball, a black-tie event that will bring together the leaders in the restaurant and hospitality industry on Sunday, August 19 in Los Angeles. Sullivan will also be recognized later that evening at the CRA's CRAVE event, an elaborate celebration of cuisine, culture and creativity, also in Los Angeles. Both events take place in conjunction with the Western Foodservice & Hospitality Exposition (www.westernfoodexpo.com).

For more information regarding sponsorship opportunities for these events, please contact Enid Gallegos at 916.431.2738 or marketing@calrest.org .

Community service awards to honor nation's restaurateurs
Applications are now available for the 2007 Restaurant Neighbor Awards.

The awards recognize outstanding community service among the nation's restaurants. In addition, the Cornerstone Humanitarian Award is presented to an individual for his or her personal dedication and long-term commitment to community service.

Each year, four national winners are chosen from a pool of state award recipients to receive $5,000 each to support their favorite charity or community project. They also receive an all-expenses-paid trip to Washington, D.C., to be honored at a special awards ceremony during the National Restaurant Association's (NRA) Public Affairs Conference in September.

Applications must be submitted to the NRA by Friday, June 15. For more information and an application, please click here.

Big Savings From Energy Efficient Steamers. Your restaurant could save up to $1,500 in energy costs and 174,000 gallons of water annually by replacing an older steamer with an ENERGY STAR qualified model. These more efficient steamers offer shorter cook times, reduced heat loss and a more efficient steam delivery system for your busy kitchen. For a free guide to Boosting Restaurant Profits with Energy Efficiency, click heree.

"SHOES FOR CREWS has helped reduce our slips & falls by 80% within the last two years." Fatburger Corp.

SHOES FOR CREWS Slip-Resistant Footwear grips wet and greasy floors with amazing traction! There is NO COST to your company; employees make easy payments via Payroll Deduction. Ask us about free test samples. Call 866.218.9792 or contact us today!

California ProStart® Teacher to be Recognized by the NRAEF
Janet Dukes, a ProStart teacher from Newport Harbor High School, will be one of the 34 top ProStart teachers honored by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) for their innovation in teaching the ProStart program. Dukes is the California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation's (CRAEF) 2006 Inspirational Leader Award recipient and coached the 2007 state culinary cup winners. Dukes will be honored at a luncheon held at the Embassy Suites in Chicago on Saturday, May 19, during the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.

Brisbane ServSafe® Alcohol: Responsible Beverage Service Training
ServSafe Alcohol is a four-hour program that presents the material in an interactive way, and lessons are reinforced with guides, charts, exercises and case studies to make concepts memorable. The session concludes with a secured examination. It will be held Tuesday, April 24 from noon to 5:00 p.m. at BiRite Foodservice Distributors, 123 South Hill Drive, Brisbane. Early registration is $55 for CRA members and $75 for nonmembers. Registration less than two weeks prior to the event costs $95. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. Please contact craefinfo@calrest.org or 916.431.2757 for more information.

San Diego ServSafe® Food Protection Manager Certification Class and Exam
The ServSafe Food Protection Manager Certification Course is a full-day session that provides a review of the important concepts from the Fourth Edition ServSafe textbook, followed by a certification exam. Certificates earned before July 1, 2007, are valid in California for three years. Certificates earned July 1, 2007, or later will be valid for five years. A class in Spanish will be held Tuesday, April 24 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. A class in English will be held Wednesday, April 25 from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Both sessions will be at Town and Country Resort, 500 Hotel Circle, San Diego. Early registration is $95 for CRA members and $170 for nonmembers. Registration less than two weeks prior to the event costs $190. Space is limited, and preregistration is required. Please contact craefinfo@calrest.org or 916.431.2757 for more information.

San Diego County Chapter Gold Medallion Awards Banquet and Auction
The CRA San Diego County Chapter will honor the local restaurant industry at the 23rd annual Gold Medallion Awards Banquet and Auction on Wednesday, May 9 at the Town and Country Resort. The festivities will begin with a reception and silent auction at 5:30 p.m. Tickets cost $125. For more information, please contact Tina Summers at 619.297.8200 or tsummers@calrest.org.

Shast Chapter Golf Tournament
The CRA Shasta Chapter Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, June 4 at the Riverview Country Club in Redding. Registration begins at 8:30 a.m., with the putting contest following at 9:00 a.m. and shotgun start at 10:00 a.m. This four-person scramble is $125 per golfer and includes golf, cart, lunch, two drink tickets and two tickets for the player-only drawing. Soft spikes only on course. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, please contact Rhonda Powell at 800.765.4842, ext. 2775 or rpowell@calrest.org.

CRAEF Seminars
The California Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (CRAEF) offers high-quality instruction, training seminars and products for you and your staff to help protect your guests and your operations throughout the year. CRA members receive significant discounts on all CRAEF products and services! For a complete listing of CRAEF seminars, please click here.

Please click here for a complete listing of all CRA events.

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 to attend the workshop that starts you on your way to access compliance. Space is limited to better serve attendees. Special rates for CRA members.

BMI - Music licensing. Special rates for CRA Members. Contact Cleve Murphy at 800.925.8451 or visit www.bmi.com.

eGroupBenefits.com - Employee benefit programs and group individual health, dental, and life insurance. Contact Taylor Thorne at 888.878.2065 or visit www.egroupbenefits.com.

Carlton DiSante & Freudenberger, LLP. - Labor and employment law related services. Contact Mark Spring in Northern California at 916.391.0991 or David Osborne in Southern California at 858.646.0007 or visit www.cdflaborlaw.com.

HCareers - The restaurant industry's leading online job site. Contact Steve Scott at 800.832.3738 ext. 412 or visit www.hcareers.com.

National Tax Credit Group, LLC. - Specializes in maximizing hiring and equipment tax credits, with an average saving of $250,000 per EZ location. Logon to: www.ntcgtax.com or call Chuck Swenson, CPA, MBT at 800.791.3589 or Deborah Van Horn, CPA at 415.955.2661.

Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc. - Pacific Handy Cutter, Inc. is a world leader in the manufacture of Disposable Safety Cutters, Hook Knives, Film Cutters and Bag Cutters. For more information regarding our products please visit us on the web at www.pacifichandycutter.com, via email: safety@pacifichandycutter.com, or contact us at (800) 229-2233.

Payless Shoe Source - Protect your employees and your business.
Getting your workers into safer, slip-resistant footwear just got a whole lot easier. That's because Safe T Step® from Payless ShoeSource® eliminates the hassles associated with work shoe programs while stepping up the benefits. Featuring a unique tread design and chemically modified rubber soles, Safe T Step® footwear helps protect workers from injury and helps protect you from lawsuits, workers' comp claims and absenteeism. Contact Payless ShoeSource at 1-800-231-9415 for information about our Employee Discount Program or visit our website www.safetstep.com.

State Compensation Insurance Fund - California's leading workers' compensation carrier. Contact Dennis Gad at 800.252.0419 or visit www.scif.com.

UCA General Insurance Services, Inc. - Discounted property and liability insurance for the restaurant industry. Call Paula Moore at 877.644.9232 or email pmoore@calrest.org

For more than a century, Alsco has offered a complete line of linen, chef coats and dining service uniforms, a variety of floor mats to provide a safe and professional image for your guests and employees as well as the latest in restroom technology and hygiene with the new All Fresh Facility Services program. For more information, visit www.alsco.com.

California Restaurant Association
1011 10th Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
phone: (800) 765-4842
fax: (916) 447-6182
http://www.calrest.org

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