by Marilou Halvorsen, NJRHA President

​​​Last month, I lost my mother.
 
Truth is I started losing her to her disease months before she passed away, after all treatments were exhausted and we settled into hospice care; or should I say after all treatments to which she was exhausted. My mom was a tough woman and unsurprisingly decided to leave on her own terms. She was my only remaining parent, and I her only child, so the pain felt amplified.
 
Experiencing a loss of this magnitude whether suddenly or through sickness is emotionally debilitating. There’s no saying how anyone will fare. Luckily for me, I found myself surrounded by family – but, I’m not referring to my household. Yes, my son, daughter, husband, brothers and friends were amazing beyond words, but we were all aboard the same rudderless ship navigating through the stages of her death.  
 
I’m referring to my work family.
 
Little did I comprehend how much they cared and the actions they took to help me during this time, some not appearing until long after the situation was over, in fact, I’m still discovering gems. Without me knowing, my staff, board and business friends continually picked up the slack and solved issues normally tossed on my desk. When word got out, someone would call or walk in my office daily and ask how I was doing and if they could help. You know who you are; many of you didn’t listen to my brave response and still enveloped me with food, drinks, advice, gifts and hugs. (smile)
 
Never before has the word “hospitality” meant so much. I’ve uttered these words in speeches and dozens of meetings with NJ legislators, but the next time I do, it will carry more enunciation. Because it’s true -- this industry is a true community that practices what they preach.
 
It’s been a little over six years since I took the helm of the NJRHA, the day Sandy destroyed our shoreline and the first time I witnessed the generosity of this industry: Endless restaurants and hotels along the coast opening their doors, no strings attached, to become the corner stone of their neighborhoods; a place for the community to gather whether it was to charge cellphones and laptops, break bread, or just to hug each other and cry.
 
This was my second tragedy and although I’m still floating in the boat, I’ve come to realize I’ve had oars the entire time. For this, I am thankful.

by Marilou Halvorsen, NJRHA President

330 legislative bills. That’s the daunting number: From liquor license reform and marijuana legalization, to sexual harassment and eliminating the tipped wage, we track each and every proposed bill in New Jersey that could affect, and in some cases, very seriously impact the hospitality industry’s future.

Every day I’m flabbergasted by the amount of proposed changes our government submits without any regard to our unique, labor-intensive industry.

Many times a potential member will ask me or one of my employees, what’s the benefit to joining the association? We’re fast to educate them on our vendor partnerships that provide discounts in all areas of their business, or the networking events where they’ll have fun while making valuable business connections. However, joining the association means more than that: 

There’s power in numbers.

Not only are new members joining their peers in having a chance to share their concerns, but they are also joining a battle without ever having to pick up a sword.  

We provide platforms where my members can speak out if they want but, more importantly, their dues allow me to produce materials to educate key audiences and to continually meet one-on-one with legislative members to remind them that the hospitality industry is the largest private sector employer in New Jersey.

What’s more important is having our members join in our grassroots meetings to provide legislators with the facts about how their sponsored legislation will impact local businesses and employees. 

Often, we see on social media the political extremes spouting false information. Our association, through our grassroots meetings and industry engagement, has become a credible resource for legislators.

With over 25,000 restaurants and hotels, we have the numbers—we just need to rally those numbers to make policymakers listen. Join us in our efforts to help protect our industry.

Are you a restaurant or hospitality member looking to learn more about the benefits our vendor members offer? Then check out this quarter's Digital Allied Mailer where you can learn about some of our awesome vendors and what they can do for your business!
This publication is best viewed in full-screen mode.

We would like to give a special shout-out to our Super Allied Vendors who invest substantial dollars and time each year to support the work we do. Their partnerships with the association allow us to fulfill our mission of supporting, educating, and advocating for our members.

Heartland Payment Systems • Sea Breeze Syrups • Scarinci Hollenbeck • Performance Foodservice, Metro NY • UnitedHealthcare • Allied Beverage Group • Opici Family Distributing • Fedway Associates • Delaware Valley Purchasing Group • Ecolab • MICROS Retail Systems • Casino Association of New Jersey • South Jersey Energy • New Century Health Solutions • MacLean Agency • Asian American Hotel Owners Association • True & Associates

The Edison township council is considering an ordinance that would require restaurants and caterers to identify certain food allergens on their menus. You can read more about the ordinance here.

The ordinance, which would require all foodservice operators to label every menu item for 10 allergens, will be heard on Wednesday, August 22nd at 7:00 PM during the Edison Council Meeting at the municipal complex located on the second floor (100 Municipal Blvd., Edison, NJ).

This ordinance pertains to any menu item (food or beverage) that contains: shellfish, fish, wheat, MSG, sulfites, eggs, milk, tree nuts, peanuts, and/or soy. This mandate would also require that establishments that do not currently have menus at all begin offering them with compliant labeling. If you are found not to be in compliance, you will face significant penalties and fines.

If this ordinance were to pass, it would be the strictest in the country. We encourage all foodservice operators to attend the council meeting on Wednesday to discuss your concerns.

We also encourage you to contact the members of council and the mayor. (Contact info is listed below.)

For talking points and further information, please contact NJRHA President Marilou Halvorsen at 609.599.3316.
​

New Jersey plans to loosen a new rule that restricts what drug makers can spend on meals for doctors, dentists, nurses, and other prescribers.

To recap, the rule went in to effect this past January and put a $10,000 yearly cap on what prescribers can earn from pharmaceutical companies. The perceived intent of this legislation was to reduce opioid prescriptions. Unfortunately, the vehicle that was used to carry out this intent was a rule that required meals given to prescribers be “modest” at no more than $15 a person (including tip, which leaves little room for the employees in our industry to be compensated appropriately). Being that these meals between pharmaceutical reps and prescribers act as the meeting in which a rep has the opportunity to educate prescribers on the medicine in question (which is not limited to opioids), the unintended consequences have caused confusion from the pharmaceutical industry as they attempt to find new ways to meet with and educate prescribers.

Additionally, this new limitation has caused severe revenue loss for restaurants (the longtime hosts of these events). After surveying and discussing with our members, we reached out to the Governor’s Office and Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal about the impact the regulation has on our industry.

We are pleased to announce the proposed amendments to N.J.A.C. 13:45J concerning the limitation on meals. The proposed amendments indicate that the fair market value limitation of these meals in 2018 is $15 for breakfast and lunch and $30 for dinner, excluding tip and gratuity, and will be adjusted annually according to the Consumer Price Index.

Additionally, the Attorney General recognizes the value of education, and understands that it enhances patient care. The proposed amendments remove limitations on the value of meals served at educational events provided by pharmaceutical manufacturers to prescribers.

The proposed amendments have been posted in the August 6th New Jersey Register allowing for a public comment period.

We will keep you posted on its progress.

• Casinos and racetracks (for up to seven days)
• Non-state services/properties (services/beaches/parks provided and run by local and county governments
• Essential services (state police, state correctional facilities, hospitals, NJ Transit)

We hope this information is informative and we will update you as we know more.

Are you a restaurant or hospitality member looking to learn more about the benefits our vendor members offer? Then check out this quarter's Digital Allied Mailer where you can learn about some of our awesome vendors and what they can do for your business!
This publication is best viewed in full-screen mode.

We would like to give a special shout-out to our Super Allied Vendors who invest substantial dollars and time each year to support the work we do. Their partnerships with the association allow us to fulfill our mission of supporting, educating, and advocating for our members.

Heartland Payment Systems • Sea Breeze Syrups • Scarinci Hollenbeck • Performance Foodservice, Metro NY • UnitedHealthcare • Allied Beverage Group • Opici Family Distributing • Fedway Associates • Delaware Valley Purchasing Group • Ecolab • MICROS Retail Systems • Casino Association of New Jersey • South Jersey Energy • New Century Health Solutions • MacLean Agency • Asian American Hotel Owners Association • True & Associates

By NJRHA president, Marilou Halvorsen, in response to The Star-Ledger's article published on Tuesday, May 29.

In response to the recent article by The Star-Ledger, titled “Sex, harassment and abuse: An inside look at the dark side of N.J. restaurants,” on May 29, 2018, the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association (NJRHA) and our partner, the National Restaurant Association, are leading the way on addressing and educating our industry regarding appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. The issue of sexual harassment is a very real and very serious problem. Since the Harvey Weinstein allegations, we’ve seen just how widespread and prevalent this behavior can be.
 
Sadly, no industry is immune.
 
The most advantageous move any industry can make is to educate and train their workers at all levels to recognize inappropriate behavior and to adopt a zero-tolerance policy if harassment occurs. Announced last month, we are offering educational classes, webinars, and other online training for hospitality workers to ensure a safe work environment for all employees. 
 
We want to correct a statement made in the article that says restaurant workers “often earn $2.13 an hour.” The truth is, it is illegal for any tipped employee to make less than the state minimum wage of $8.60 an hour. Sexual harassment cannot be a platform to propel the argument that tipped workers are not making minimum wage; this is a falsehood and a distraction from the issue at hand.
 
Restaurants are not the only workplaces where sexual harassment and assault are occurring. This problem happens in boardrooms, bedrooms, movie sets, and, yes, restaurants. Our association is working hard to abolish sexual harassment in every way we can, and we believe this issue is too serious to be used as a platform for any other political agenda.

Article originally published by NJBIZ on April 23, 2018. 

By Gabrielle Saulsbery

Marilou Halvorsen’s resume makes it clear she’s good at getting things done. The president of the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association has a long track record in event management and advocacy for her industry.

After starting her career working on big-ticket events at Radio City Music Hall, Halvorsen traveled the country with other Radio City expats, running events such as Welcome America, Philadelphia’s weeklong Fourth of July celebration, through their events management outfit Entertainment on Location.

Marriage and child-rearing brought her back to New Jersey, where she became the executive director of the New Jersey Amusement Association. Her connections there led her to a 15-year career at Jenkinson’s Boardwalk in Point Pleasant, a member of what then was known as the New Jersey Restaurant Association. She took over as president of the NJRA in 2012 and changed it to the NJRHA in 2015 to acknowledge its lodging members. There she’s led the charge in advocating for 27,000 food-service businesses in the Garden State.
When she recently spoke to NJBIZ, Halvorsen was in Washington, D.C., for the National Restaurant Association’s Public Affairs Conference, gearing up to talk to lawmakers about important issues in the industry.

NJBIZ: What issues are you addressing in D.C.?
​
Halvorsen: Immigration is obviously one on our list. A lot of restaurant employees are first-generation immigrants. And the job market is tough. Having the visa program — H-1B visas, or J-1 visas that a lot of our seasonal businesses rely on — it’s important. We’re concerned about making sure the Trump administration understands how important these visa programs are for the restaurant industry.

NJBIZ: What makes these visa programs so important for the restaurant industry?

Halvorsen: The J-1 visa is a work-travel visa. They come here, work for a few months, travel for a month, and go home. A lot of our seasonal businesses rely on that. But the agriculture industry scoops up a lot of those visas, which doesn’t leave a lot for hospitality. So they’re approving an additional 67,000 H-1B visas. Visas help seasonal businesses operate on their shoulder seasons. They’ll open in April before school’s out, and they stay open until September when school is back in session. Having those visas available helps these business operate in a time when the majority of their domestic employees aren’t yet available.

NJBIZ: Is minimum wage going to be part of the conversation?
​
Halvorsen: We’re not talking about it in Washington, because this is state issue. We’re having our advocacy day in our state May 10 where this will be addressed. Locally, we just went through addressing [the New Jersey Paid Sick Leave Act]. We actually worked really hard having the New Brunswick Ordinance model used, where employees accrue one hour of paid time off for every 30 hours worked, because we understand that you don’t want people coming sick in a restaurant but you still have to allow the businesses to operate. When the New Brunswick ordinance happened [in 2016], we participated in getting some of the language drafted that helped the hospitality industry. We work to make sure that those more business-friendly amendments are present in the legislation. We thought it was a great compromise between business and the people.
 
NJBIZ: So political advocacy is important.

Halvorsen: Yep. State, local, and national obviously since I’m here [in D.C.] right now. Bills and legislation going through the Legislature, and working with state agencies of Department of Health, Alcoholic Beverage Control. Most regulations affect the restaurants in some way, so we just make sure we keep all the restaurants represented and updated.

NJBIZ: The NJRHA’s official opinion on a minimum wage hike is opposition to an automatic $15, but in support of incremental increases. What would be a good alternative for the industry?

Halvorsen: You need to look at the affordability of the state of New Jersey. Even at $15 an hour, it’s hard to survive. I think people get confused with living wage and minimum wage. Minimum is supposed to be just for young kids starting out. You can look into having other types of wage like youth wage or training wage. Additionally, say all of a sudden the economy is going terribly. Obviously you don’t want to decimate business because it’s already suffering. [Build something into the legislation that will] put the automatic increase on hold so that the industry can catch its breath.

The restaurant hotel industry hires at a 5-10 mile radius within the community. When you hurt restaurants, you hurt the community. That’s where kids get their first jobs; people get jobs to put themselves through school; mom gets a part-time job while kids are in school. Doing things in a slow methodical fashion, so you’re not hurting the businesses and people. That’s the way you have to do it.

NJBIZ: In your previous position of director of marketing at Jenkinson’s, you were the first woman to become chairman of the Legalized Games Chance Control Commission, which regulates raffles and boardwalking. How did you get there?

Halvorsen: Their board is made up of people from the industry, and I was appointed by three governors. They needed a secretary, and of course they looked at me, the woman. But when the board chairman passed away, I automatically became the chairman. I think it was in the bylaws that my position would replace it, or maybe policy. They gave me the role of secretary thinking ‘she’s the female,’ but then I became chairman. It was pretty funny.

NJBIZ: Hurricane Sandy hit the first day you started as president, right?

Halvorsen: My very first call was Chef David Burke, who was in Rumson at the time. He had all this food to feed the first responders, and they needed to keep refrigerators running for it. He needed generators. Everything was crazy with that hurricane.

NJBIZ: Have you ever worked in a restaurant yourself before?

Halvorsen: A few. I’ve been a hostess and a bartender. … Most people, either themselves or someone in their family, have worked in a restaurant. It’s the largest private sector employer in the state. The government is the largest employer in the state, the hospitality industry is the second.

NJBIZ: Does your experience in the restaurant inform you now?

Halvorsen: Well, those kind of jobs do two things. They teach young kids work ethic, showing up on time and also how to deal with the public. Kids learn how to have good customer service. Now, even behind a desk, you still have to deal with people. I don’t care how long you work in one, if you work in a restaurant, the skills you learned there will carry you throughout your career. Whether it’s dealing with your customer or your boss, how to show up on time, accountability ... I think every kid should have that. You learn your eye contact and your ‘please and thank yous.’

NJBIZ: Do you have any favorite restaurants in the state?

Halvorsen: We have so many good ones. In New Jersey, we have every kind of restaurant, so much ethnic food. We have more ethnically diverse restaurants than anyone. And it’s authentic. You know when you walk into a Korean restaurant, if you see Koreans in there, that’s the Korean food you want. And you see Mexicans in a Mexican restaurant. That’s where you want to eat. I am not a picky eater, though. I love all kinds of food. I’ll try anything.

NJBIZ: Sounds like this job is perfect for you then.

Halvorsen: It is. New Jersey is a culinary destination. That’s what makes this state so great.