LRA Advocacy
Protecting the Restaurant and Hospitality Industry
The Louisiana Restaurant Association (LRA) has significantly strengthened its Advocacy Team over the last decade to effectively navigate the complex and highly regulated environment in which restaurants operate. Our Advocacy efforts extend beyond the walls of any single establishment, focusing on the broader climate that impacts the restaurant and hospitality industries.
Restaurants often find themselves at the center of regulatory attention, targeted for increases in taxes, fees, labor, insurance, and other regulatory burdens. The LRA Advocacy Team actively engages with lawmakers and policymakers, educating them on the unique business model of restaurants and ensuring that the industry is fairly represented. Our team works year-round to prevent harmful legislation, support beneficial policies, and secure positive outcomes for our members.
Explore the highlights of our recent legislative successes and understand how the LRA Advocacy Team continues to be the voice of Louisiana's restaurants.
1. Legislative Wins
- Successfully shapes legislation to protect and advance the restaurant and hospitality industry.
- Team works year-round to block harmful bills and support beneficial policies.
- Secures favorable outcomes for LRA members.
- Defeats restrictive regulations and promoted fair laws supporting business growth.
- Demostrates the LRA's commitment to representing Louisiana’s restaurants at the state Capitol.
2. Policy Education
- Educates policymakers on the unique challenges of the restaurant industry is central to LRA’s advocacy.
- LRA provides government officials and regulators insight into the restaurant business model.
- Addresses misconceptions and prevents unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies.
- LRA shapes a regulatory environment that supports the success of restaurants.
3. Targeted Advocacy
- LRA focuses on opposing mandates and ensuring regulatory fairness.
- The Advocacy Team seeks collaboration to develop solutions for the restaurant industry.
- Ensures regulations are fair, clear, and aligned with industry realities.
- LRA's targeted advocacy creates a more favorable business climate for members.
Advocacy News
Latest News Recently, ten seafood restaurants received warning letters from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) over misleading advertising practices. These warnings focused on restaurants falsely promoting their seafood as “wild-caught” or “American-sourced” when, in reality, it was farm-raised and imported from foreign sources. This crackdown comes in response to increasing complaints from the U.S. seafood…
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Latest News Restaurants across the U.S. are grappling with rising food and labor costs, and Louisiana operators are facing even greater pressure due to skyrocketing insurance premiums. According to the National Restaurant Association, food costs have surged 29% over the past four years, and labor costs have increased 31%. Together, these two expenses account for…
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Latest News The International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) strike has come to an end following a tentative agreement between the union and the United States Maritime Alliance (USMX). The strike, which disrupted ports along the East Coast and Gulf Coast, will now see workers returning to their jobs, with ports expected to reopen October 4, 2024. …
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