Author: David Klemt

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5 Bottles for June 21, World Lambrusco Day

5 Bottles for June 21, World Lambrusco Day

by David Klemt

Sparkling red wine in wine glass with condensation

On June 21, the world celebrates one of Italy’s most-famous wines, the oft-misunderstood and maligned Lambrusco.

Now, some people of a certain age chuckle and roll their eyes when someone mentions Lambrusco. After all, the most (in)famous example throughout North America was Riunite.

Of course, I mean no disrespect to that particular producer. It’s just that the world is aware of other Lambrusco labels.

People also now know much more about wine in general and Lambrusco specifically. And they know it’s not always a sweet, sparkling wine.

Lambrusco 101

Much like many, many other wines, Lambrusco is a protected designation. Think Champagne, Prosecco or Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

Lambrusco comes from five regions in Northern Italy: four in Emilia-Romagna and one in Lombardy. Cheese fans may know Emilia-Romagna for its Parmigiano Reggiano cheese production.

The five denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions each produce distinct styles of Lambrusco with their own unique characteristics.

For example, Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro from Modena are the most-tannic of these wines. They also tend to be dark purple in color.

In contrast, some Lambrusco Reggiano wines are lighter in color. These Lambruscos also tend to be sweeter on the palate and more floral on the nose.

Lambrusco di Sorbara produces perhaps the most unique Lambrusco, such as rosè.

Most Lambrusco is semi-sparkling, or frizzante, owing to winemakers using the ancestral, traditional or Charmat methods of production.

Modern Outlook

For decades, most North Americans were only aware of Lambrusco from Riunite. Therefore, North Americans only knew Lambrusco as a cloyingly sweet, fizzy Italian wine.

Of course, many people love sweet. So many, in fact, that the term “sweet sells” is well-known among beverage managers.

However, today’s consumer doesn’t necessarily want to drink what their parents or grandparents drink. And while they may not dislike sweet outright, they want to experience different flavor profiles.

For these consumers, bartenders, bar managers, servers, and floor managers should be aware of a few important Lambrusco label terms:

  • Dolce: This is the sweetest Lambrusco.
  • Amabile: Medium-sweet wines not quite as sweet as dolce.
  • Semisecco: The most common Lambrusco, off-dry wines that aren’t as sweet as amabile or dolce.
  • Secco: Dry Lambrusco with balance and savory notes in addition to fruit on the palate.

Lambrusco is a great alternative to Champagne, Prosecco and other sparkling wines in the summer. In particular, those with patios should push their guests to try it.

Where to Start

Like I said, I’m not bashing Riunite—the label has been around for quite some time.

But for those who want to fill out their wine menus, these bottles are worth a look. I’ve chosen one bottle from each of Italy’s five Lambrusco DOCs.

Fondo Bozzole ‘Incantabiss’ Lambrusco Mantovano

From the Lombardy region. A soft wine with mineral notes balance the fruit (strawberry in particular).

Vigneto SaettiRosso Viola 2019

From the Lambrusco Salamino di Santa Croce region. This bottle would definitely draw some eyes as it’s brought to a table. Dry with smoothness balanced by assertive tannins. Black cherry, red berries, and violet.

Lini 910 Lambrusco Rosso Labrusca Reggiano (non-vintage)

91 points from Vinous. Blueberry and strawberry on the nose and palate. I have to say, the label is pretty cool.

Cleto Chiarli Lambrusco Grasparossa di Castelvetro Amabile Centenario (non-vintage)

Speaking of labels, I can see where this bottle would be mistaken for Champagne. Semi-sweet and smooth with lots of fruit on the nose and palate.

Paltrinieri “Radice” Lambrusco di Sorbara (non-vintage)

High acid lends itself to this wine’s significant brightness. Along with strawberry, expect grapefruit and watermelon notes.

Image: Dirk Wohlrabe from Pixabay

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Tip Elimination is Back on the Table

Tip Elimination is Back on the Table

by David Klemt

Person holding up cash

Several operators across the country feel that as we emerge from pandemic life, now is the time to once again try eliminating tips.

Back in 2015, Danny Meyer made a decision about tips in his restaurants that sent shockwaves through the industry. Over the course of five years, Union Square Hospitality Group (Meyer’s group) implemented a hospitality included policy to eliminate tipping.

To be sure, it wasn’t only Meyer’s restaurants that examined and put no-tipping policies in place. However, Union Square was certainly among the highest-profile operators to try it out.

Good Intentions

Per the CEO of Union Square and founder of Shake Shack, attempting to do away with tipping was about promoting equity in the hospitality.

Tipping has been linked to the propagation of sexism, racism, harassment, and exploitation.

Meyer has also said that he believes it leads to wage instability, and studies have shown it contributes to outright wage theft. And, as anyone who has worked in a restaurant knows, tipping can create a gap—and therefore tension, among other issues—between the front of house and back.

However, it has proven difficult to for no-tipping policies to take hold. This is in part because tipping is so ingrained in American society. And, of course, there’s also the issue of increasing menu prices; some people are fine with tipping but not with paying more for menu items.

Guests aren’t the only individuals who have pushed back against eliminating tips. Unsurprisingly, the very people Meyers and other operators are trying to help have rejected no-tipping policies.

Many servers and other FoH staff have made it clear that they’re not interested in working for an operator who eliminates tips.

Reinstatement of Tipping

Around eleven months ago, Meyer announced he would reverse course on his hospitality included policy. According to reporting, Meyer had done so not because of pushback against increased menu prices (about 15 to 20 percent to cover increased labor costs).

Rather, the five-year experiment never worked exactly as Meyer and Union Square had hoped. As he told Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Jonathan Capehart during a Washington Post Live conversation back in March of this year, the policy wasn’t sustainable.

“It worked to a degree, but it was not sustainable, and the biggest reason it wasn’t sustainable was we could never quite do all the things we wanted to do for our team members like make sure that a formerly tipped employee could make as much as she made when she was tipped, make sure that we had a 401(k) plan, make sure we had a really, really generous family leave policy,” Meyer told Capehart.

And then there was the impact of the pandemic. Meyer finally pulled the plug on his no-tipping policy after New York allowed restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining a year ago. Reportedly, Meyer didn’t see how he could stand in the way of his staff making additional money.

2021 Experiment

Interestingly, several news outlets are reporting that operators around the country are at least considering doing away with tips this summer.

Again, this is at least in part due to the pandemic. Restaurateurs who have wanted to implement policies similar to Meyers’ Hospitality Included see this year as the time to try.

We still don’t know exactly what post-pandemic life will be. However, a hospitality industry reset is certainly coming—and it’s absolutely overdue.

So, it does make sense that as operators can change guest and staff perception of tipping and living wages as we all emerge from pandemic life and face a new world.

For example, the Chicago Tribune has reported that Big Jones, owned and operated by Paul Fehribach, has implemented service fees so he can cover offer servers between $18 and $25 per hour. A 20-percent fee for in-person dining or placing an order with a live person, and a 10-percent fee attached to online orders go to Big Jones payroll.

While there has been some pushback, the Chicago Tribune reports that Fehriback says Big Jones reactions are trending toward the positive.

It’s possible that tip elimination simply doesn’t work for some restaurant categories. As an example, those policies may work out in the casual dining space but not fine dining. Time will tell if it works at all.

Image: Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

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Reopening Ontario: Patios Return Friday

Reopening Ontario: Patios Return Friday

by David Klemt

Outdoor seating on restaurant patio

There’s great news for Ontario and the province’s new reopening plan: outdoor dining is returning three days ahead of schedule.

From June 11 on—barring any governmental changes—the province of Ontario will enter Step 1, which focuses on outdoor activities.

Due to favorable indicators such as the province’s vaccination rate, Reopening Ontario will kick off early.

A Welcome Surprise

Ontario has been in under heavy restrictions for nearly two months. So, this news represents a refreshing glimpse of light at the end of a ridiculously long tunnel.

Initially, Reopening Ontario was slated to begin Step 1 on June 14.

The earlier date and announcement should help restaurant and bar operators take advantage of the coming weekend. After weeks upon weeks of living under a stay-at-home order, the decent-at-best forecast should be clear enough for Ontarians to get outside.

Step 1

Reopening Ontario is focusing on the following to progress through the three steps:

  • the provincewide vaccination rate; and
  • improvements to key public health and health care indicators.

Per the plan, the province will remain in each phase of the plan for a minimum of 21 days.

The first step allows for outdoor gatherings of ten or more people. And, for restaurants and bars, outdoor dining with a limit of four people per table.

RestoBiz is reporting that there will be an exception allowing for households with more than four people. The publication also reports that nightclubs may offer delivery, drive-through and takeout as long as they only operate as food or drink establishments.

To move to Step 2, 70 percent of adults must receive at least a single dose of Covid-19 vaccine. Additionally, 20 percent of adults need to receive a second dose (of a two-dose regiment).

Two weeks after Ontario reaches that target, the province will move forward.

Step 2

In this phase of Reopening Ontario, restaurants and bars can seat six people per table outdoors.

Per Ontario’s official government website, restaurants and bars will also be able to offer karaoke. Of course, in this phase it must take place outside.

The single-dose target vaccination rate to move on from Stage 2 is 70 to 80 percent of adults. Also, 25 percent of adults must receive two doses (of a two-dose regimen).

If those targets are hit and key public health and health care indicators are favorable, the province will progress further.

Step 3

Obviously, this the least-restrictive phase of Reopening Ontario.

In Step 3, restaurants and bars can once again return to indoor dining. There will be capacity and other restrictions in place.

Also, buffets can return.

Outdoor dining capacity will focus on social distancing: there must be two metres between tables.

Should the vaccine rate and other indicators continue to improve, it’s possible that Ontario will reopen fully as soon as 21 days after Step 3 begins. Of course, we’ll monitor the situation and see what Ontario officials say about a return to “normal.”

For now, things are looking up. To review the Reopening Ontario plan, click here.

Image: Taylor Vick on Unsplash

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7 Whiskeys for National Bourbon Day

7 Whiskeys for National Bourbon Day

by David Klemt

Lux Row Distillers Blood Oath Pact No. 7 bourbon whiskey

We celebrate America’s native spirit on June 14, National Bourbon Day.

Certainly, this is a mainstream holiday more than worthy of celebrating. We definitely don’t need an excuse to enjoy a dram and a cocktail, but it’s great to have one at the ready anyway.

Of course, there are far too many labels out there for us to list and honor them all. So, we’ve chosen seven bottlings that span a decent range of prices.

Cheers!

$50 and Under

Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch (Kentucky), $20 SRP

Perhaps owing to their affordable prices, a lot of people tend to sleep on Evan Williams. However, their bottles routinely end up on bartender go-to lists. Their 1783 Small Batch pays homage to the year Williams founded Kentucky’s first distillery,

Wyoming Whiskey National Parks Limited Edition American Whiskey (Wyoming), $50 SRP

Are you and your guests big fans of our beautiful national parks? If so, Wyoming Whiskey National Parks Limited Edition is the perfect whiskey! This straight bourbon, which features Wyoming’s Grand Teton National Park on its label, is a five-year-old, 92-proof homage to our natural resources. For every bottle sold, Wyoming Whiskey is donating $50 to the National Park Foundation.

$51 to $99

Woodford Reserve Double Oaked (Kentucky), $57 SRP

If you and your guests are looking for one of the smoothest expressions of Woodford, Double Oaked is the one. This whiskey starts its life as Distiller’s Select but receives a second barreling in virgin, charred-oak barrels. And Double isn’t smooth enough for you, there’s always Double Double

Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Bourbon (Kentucky), $69.99 SRP

The Russell’s Reserve label is part of the Wild Turkey portfolio and honors Master Distiller Jimmy Russell’s legacy. Master Distiller Eddie Russell is Jimmy’s son, has been producing whiskey for Wild Turkey for 40 years, and, like his father, is Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame inductee. The Russell’s Reserve 13 Year bottling is, of course, 13 years old, and it rings in at 114.8 proof.

Blood Oath Pact No. 7 (Kentucky), $99 SRP

The Blood Oath series is part of the Lux Row Distillers portfolio. Like Orphan Barrel releases, each Blood Oath release, known as a Pact, is highly sought after. In fact, if you don’t get your hands on one right away, the prices can double or more on the secondary market. Blood Oath Pact No. 7 is a blend of three Kentucky bourbons: one 14 year and two eight years.

$100 and Over

Heaven’s Door & Redbreast 10-Year Master Blenders’ Edition (Tennessee), $99.99 SRP

Alright, so this one is only a penny under $100—we’re rounding up for this one. As the name of this straight bourbon suggests, this is a collaboration between Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door and Redbreast Irish Whiskey. Master Blender’s Edition features 10-year-old Heaven’s Door bourbon given a 15-month finishing treatment in 12-year-old Redbreast casks.

Copper Tongue Orphan Barrel (Tennessee), $100 SRP

As with Lux Row Distillers releases, Orphan Barrel is highly sought after and highly collectible. Aficionados and fans in the know will go out of their way to score a dram if they can find it. Coppper Tongue will be no different, a 16-year-old, cask-strength straight bourbon weighing in at 89.8 proof. The distillery recommends enjoying it neat or, interestingly, with a slice of pear.

Image: Lux Row Distillers

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Prepare for a Luxe Life Summer

Prepare for a Luxe Life Summer

by David Klemt

BMW M cars parked next to private airplane

When we think of restaurant and bar tech and platforms, we tend to think of POS and inventory solutions. But what about guest-facing services?

We’re all familiar with online ordering, reservation, and review platforms. What I’m talking about is guest-facing tech that focuses on the luxury lifestyle.

For those living the high-roller life, every convenience is at the tap of an icon, including private jets, helicopters, yachts, and luxury and exotic vehicles.

What does any of this have to do with hospitality? Anyone who serves or courts high-net-worth guests needs to understand how they live and what they expect. This is even more important as summer approaches, vaccine rates improve, and pandemic guidelines relax.

Additionally, there are partnerships and marketing opportunities for operators and luxury lifestyle platforms.

Flight

Flying private isn’t solely the domain of those who can afford to shell out several million dollars for the plane of their dreams.

The proliferation of the sharing economy means people can hop on a charter flight for a fraction of the cost.

Blade

Do you hate waiting in traffic, even if you’re not the one doing the driving? Wish you could just jump into the air and leapfrog a sea of cars keeping you from, say, an airport? With Blade, you can summon a helicopter and make your flight in minutes.

JSX

Formerly known as JetSuite X, JSX serves the western region of America and Texas. If the thought of flying commercial is unbearable at the moment, JSX makes it easy to jump onto a 30-seat set via private terminals for non-stop flights.

NetJets

We’ve all been there: We want our own private jet but it’s just slightly out of reach at the moment (by many millions of dollars). NetJet gives people fractional ownership of private jets and provides top-notch, personal service. The company’s fleet includes everything from six-passenger Embraer Phenom 300 jets to the high-speed, long-range 14-passenger Bombardier Global 7500.

Wheels Up

This company offers three levels of membership: Connect, Core and Business. Wheels Up is more than a transportation app—they’re a lifestyle brand. The company offers membership perks such as exclusive events and concierge services, which should be of particular interest to hospitality operators.

Float

There are a couple of tropes that come along with boat ownership. One is that the two happiest days for a boat owner are the day they take possession and the day they get rid of it.

And then there’s the classic “definition” of a boat: “A hole in the water into which one throws money.”

However, much like one can dial up a helicopter or grab a seat on a Gulfstream, people can now charter a yacht for a fraction of boat ownership. Choose the yacht that meets your yachtin’ needs, board it, and crank the yacht rock.

Float

Any boat that someone uses for cruising, leisure, pleasure or racing is a yacht. So, the yacht life isn’t exclusively for ocean-going vessels. Float lets customers “rent the lake life,” connecting boat owners with people who want to rent boats on lakes. One of the best parts of Float is that it doesn’t, as far as we can tell, cost thousands of dollars per day to rent a boat via the platform.

GetMyBoat

This is a huge platform. We found more than 12,100 boats available in America, more than 4,400 in Australia, and well over 28,000 in Europe on GetMyBoat. Given the size of the platform, there’s a large swing when it comes to rental costs, which makes sense. For instance, there was a 21-inch Sea Hunt Ultra 210 for $44/hour (four-hour minimum) in Virginia and a 40-foot VanDutch Ultra Luxury Yacht for $4,000 for eight hours.

YachtLife

Serving an array of locations with a rather impressive portfolio of boats, YachtLife offers three membership levels catering to various needs. Beyond living the yacht life, the company provides perks and specials from their partners. This platform should be of particular interest to our Florida and Eastern Caribbean clients.

Four Wheels

So, someone grabs a helicopter to a private hangar, looking forward to lounging on the their rental yacht.

Sure, they could take a limo to the marina, or they could use the car service their plane or boat membership offers.

But they could also decide to drive themselves. Obviously, not just any car rental will do.

Turo

There are various Porsches and Mercedes listings on Turo that cost well under $200 a day. But for those looking for something exotic, a Lamborghini Huracan is around $1,000 per day, and an Aventador is around $1,400. You can’t show up to the marina behind the wheel of just anything, right?

Image: Jakob Rosen on Unsplash

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Stand Out with Weird Holidays: June

Stand Out with Weird Holidays: June

by David Klemt

Stay Weird neon sign with purple background

Want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Then commit to keeping it weird.

Several “holidays” are set against every date on the calendar, and June is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to food-centric to weird.

Focus on the latter to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing?

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, weird or otherwise. And this month’s list in no way includes every odd holiday.

Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

For last month’s list, click here.

June 3: National Egg Day

How are your sour cocktails? Celebrate the egg on this day by featuring your egg white-powered drinks.

June 7: National VCR Day

Leverage nostalgia by showcasing an outdated way to enjoy movies and TV shows. If you really want to immerse yourself and your guests in this holiday, find a VCR and some movies on VHS, come up with some themed cocktails, and lure in nostalgia-thirsty guests. (Make sure you have the proper licenses in place to play music, movies, TV shows, etc.)

June 8: National Name Your Poison Day

Talk about a perfect holiday for a bar! This is an excellent day to design a call promotion around or to highlight your bar team’s ability to create delicious cocktails on the fly based on guests’ spirits preferences.

June 13: International Axe Throwing Day

Are you one of the operators who has introduced axe throwing to your restaurant, bar or eatertainment venue? Then do we have the holiday for you and your guests…

June 16: Bloomsday

This holiday honors revered Irish writer James Joyce. The story goes that Joyce’s favorite dram was Jameson, so get those bottles and specials ready.

June 18: National Splurge Day

Have some high-dollar spirits, beers, wines and dishes? Promote them loudly on this day and encourage your guests to truly treat themselves.

June 24: National Bomb Pop Day

There’s more than one way to celebrate this fun, refreshing and nostalgic holiday. For instance, there are various versions of the Bomb Pop cocktail. Another example is offering housemade boozy Bomb Pops. And then you can always simply garnish drinks with Bomb Pops.

June 25: National Take Your Dog to Work Day

If you have a dog-friendly restaurant, bar or lounge, encourage people who have brought their dogs to work to pop in for a well-deserved bite and drink.

June 30: Social Media Day

Feel like your social media savvy could use some work? Want your guests to plaster your business all over social? Use this holiday to improve your social media skills, add followers, and increase engagement with the help of the people who support your business.

Image: Dan Parlante on Unsplash

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Play with High West, Protect the Plains

Play with High West, Protect the Plains

by David Klemt

Prairie Dash mobile game from High West and American Prairie

For a limited time, you can help help protect the Great Plains of Montana just by playing a fun mobile game.

High West and American Prairie are partnering for a short time to raise $50,000.

The money from playing Prairie Dash will go toward conserving Montana’s Great Plains.

A Dash of Conservation

High West has long been supportive of conservation efforts throughout the West. For every game of Prairie Dash people play, the distillery will donate $1 to American Prairie, up to $50,000.

Proceeds from sales of High West American Prairie Bourbon from the distillery’s online store or Drizly will also go to American Prairie.

The game is simple but, of course, challenging to play. Using your thumbs, you’re trying to get a pronghorn to its actual, real-world top speed: 61 MPH.

Interesting aside you can share this month while you’re serving guests or out for a drink, the pronghorn is known as the American antelope. However, the Great Plains mammal is most closely related to giraffes.

Each time you get the pronghorn to its top speed, you’ll be presented with a different obstacle-clearing challenge.

The Leaderboard

Players are given a number of entries depending on their scores. So, the higher you score, the more entries you’ll have the opportunity to submit.

The prize, beyond helping conserve the West during Outdoors Month, is incredible.

One winner will head to High West’s distillery in Park City, Utah, for a one-of-a-kind, curated experience.

So, click this link to play Prairie Dash—the game will only be available through the end of June.

“We are committed to celebrating and conserving the beauty and nature of the West, the place we call home. With the launch of Prairie Dash, we’re excited to bring that mission to life and provide both High West loyalists and new brand fans with a chance to take part in the efforts,” says High West general manager Daniel Schear. “American Prairie is truly one of the most fantastic projects of our time, and it’s been an honor to work alongside their team to protect today’s Western habitats for future generations to come. We invite our community to join in on the movement, too, all while enjoying a little friendly competition and sipping on one of our favorites, American Prairie Bourbon.”

Good luck! See you on the leaderboard.

Image courtesy of High West

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5 Books to Read this Month: June

5 Books to Read this Month: June

by David Klemt

Flipping through an open book

This month’s fun and informative book selections will help you develop next-level culinary, beverage and leadership skills.

To review last month’s book recommendations, click here.

Let’s dive in!

The Japanese Art of the Cocktail

Available as of today, this is the first cocktail book written by Masahiro Urushido, the award-winning bartender from NYC’s Katana Kitten. After just one year with Urushido at the helm, Katana Kitten took home a 2019 Spirited Award. The Japanese Art of the Cocktail features 80 recipes and serves as a deep dive into a unique approach to cocktails and technique.

Hennessy: A Toast to the World’s Preeminent Spirit

In a nod to today’s episode of the Bar Hacks podcast, we’re happy to share this amazing book that has something between its covers for everyone. Hennessy is equal parts history, humor, lifestyle, recipes, and illustrative and photographic work of art. Shepard Fairey, Nas, Fab 5 Freddy, and others contribute stories and insights in this amazing bar book.

Cocktail Dive Bar

The subtitle of this recently published book is “Real Drinks, Fake History, and Questionable Advice,” which should tell you this is going to be a fun read. In Cocktail Dive Bar, T. Cole Newton, the operator behind NOLA’s Twelve Mile Limit, mixes classic and original cocktail recipes with essays, advice and coloring book elements. Bars are supposed to be fun, and this book is a welcome reminder of that fact.

Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails: Mixed Drinks for the Golden Age of Agave

Robert Simonson is a New York Times writer and James Beard Award-nominated author who has written an impressive amount of cocktail and spirits books. His latest, Mezcal and Tequila Cocktails, shares more than 60 recipes that feature—you guessed it—mezcal and tequila. Most of the recipes aren’t at all complicated but they’re still full of agave flavor and an array of profiles. Whether you’re a neophyte or an aficionado, this book is for you.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

Yep, I’m 0nce again promoting a book from KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey. Hey, I didn’t mention one last month, so cut me some slack. Bar Hacks is Doug’s first book and the title of the eponymous, KRG-produced podcast. Looking to hone the fundamentals? Want to develop effective strategies? Eager to open or grow a profitable, scalable, sustainable, consistent and memorable venue in one of the most cut-throat industries in the world? Grab this book today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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EEOC Clarifies Vaccine Stance

EEOC Clarifies Vaccine Stance

by David Klemt

Covid-19 vaccine vial on blue background

American employers have the right to require Covid-19 vaccination as a condition of employment.

This is according to recent clarifications from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Perhaps learning from yet more missteps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the EEOC is making their position clearer.

Requirements

Per the EEOC, requiring workers to get a Covid-19 vaccine doesn’t violate federal law.

However, an employer failing to provide “reasonable accommodation” in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act would be illegal.

According to the EEOC’s guidance update:

“Federal EEO laws do not prevent an employer from requiring all employees physically entering the workplace to be vaccinated for COVID-19, so long as employers comply with the reasonable accommodation provisions of the ADA and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and other EEO considerations. Other laws, not in EEOC’s jurisdiction, may place additional restrictions on employers.”

Additionally, employers who offer on-site vaccinations take on an additional responsibility. They must keep confidential any personal medical information gleaned during employee pre-vaccination screenings.

Of course, the agency’s guidance isn’t only for employers. Employees can access a fact sheet explaining pandemic-specific protections that are in place.

Incentives

The EEOC’s update also addresses the right for employers to offer employees vaccine incentives.

In short, the agency says incentives are legal as long as they’re not coercive. Of course, legal experts will argue that one person’s perception of coercion will differ from another’s.

Really, the only example the EEOC provides for what may constitute a coercive incentive is “a very large incentive” that may make an employee “feel pressured to disclose protected medical information.”

Per a survey by Arizona State University and the Rockefeller Foundation, two-thirds of employers plan to offer vaccination incentives rather than mandates. However, nearly half say they’ll implement mandates if incentives don’t work. Only one-third of survey respondents don’t plan to impose vaccination requirements on employees.

Challenges

Look, we all know America is a litigious society. Given that, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that some states have already banned vaccine requirements and passports.

Nor should it be a shock that lawsuits have been filed by employees challenging the legality of vaccine requirements. At least half of US states have introduced bills seeking to seek to limit COVID-19 vaccine mandates.

Operators have a lot to consider when it comes to vaccine requirements and incentives. For example, offering the incentive that fully vaccinated employees can go maskless at work while non-vaccinated workers must wear masks can be a form of discrimination.

Beyond legal challenges, operators must also contend with public perception and backlash. With the divisions plaguing America currently, operators have a lot to think about before requiring Covid-19 vaccines for employees. While some guests will view such requirements as a responsible move that protects employees, guests and the public, others will see it as a massive violation of personal freedoms and a form of tyranny.

Truly, this is a time when operators must seriously draw on their leadership abilities, empathy, and emotional intelligence.

Clearly, the topics of vaccine requirements and vaccine incentives necessitate careful consideration. This is an important leadership moment that hinges on an operator’s understanding of their team, their guests, and the market in which they operate.

Do not make vaccine decisions lightly.

Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only, and should not be used as legal or other advice. This article does not constitute legal advice, nor does any information constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law. This information is of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of a specific individual or entity. The reader of this information alone assumes the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information before making any decisions based on such information.

Image: Daniel Schludi on Unsplash

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State of the RRF: By the Numbers

State of the RRF: By the Numbers

by David Klemt

Wad of dollar bills with red rubber band

The “tale of the tape” of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund tells a clear story: the RRF needs an injection of tens of billions of dollars.

Clearly, $28.6 was nowhere near enough to award every eligible restaurant and bar with a grant.

In fact, the RRF would need at least another $50 billion to serve all eligible applicants.

The Numbers

First, the Small Business Administration is to be commended for setting up the RRF portal, making the application process clear, and handling applications well.

However, there’s one glaring issue with the RRF and the review and awards process. I’ll get to that in the next section.

Per the National Restaurant Association, more than 362,000 applications were submitted via the RRF portal.

In total, the applications add up to $75 billion in grant requests. Again, the RRF was funded by the government with $28.6 billion. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see that the fund was severely underfunded.

Controversy

Last week, a number of Republican members of Congress sent a letter to the SBA. The gist of their message was that the RRF’s closure was premature. Therefore, the group concluded, non-priority applicants wouldn’t receive grants or even have the opportunity to apply for grants.

In the letter, which can be reviewed here, the authors also took shots at Democrats, the Biden Administration, and undocumented immigrants.

Setting politics aside, the announcement of the RRF’s portal closure was inarguably premature. The application process was first opened on Monday, May 3. For the first 21 days, the SBA announced that while all eligible entities could apply, only priority applicants would be processed and awarded grants.

However, the RRF portal closed to applications on Monday, May 24…21 days after it first opened. The members of Congress who penned the letter to the SBA have a point: the SBA closed the RRF portal after only operating within the priority window.

Now What?

There’s no other way to put this: The RRF needs more funding.

Essentially, it needs twice the funding it had when it was first seeded. There’s zero guarantee that Congress will address this matter, but at least a handful of lawmakers are aware of the dire situation.

Two weeks ago, the NRA launched a petition urging the government to replenish the RRF. Of course, the RRF also needs to be reopened for applications, and the application process needs to be open to all eligible applicants.

There’s no promise the petition will achieve the desired result but we must do something. Click here to sign the petition and tell Congress the RRF needs to be replenished and reopened.

Image: Karolina Grabowska from Pexels

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