Message from Dawn Sweeney

This week, I participated in the Department of Health and Human Services and USDA 2010 Nutrition Summit. The packed, full-day session attracted hundreds of industry leaders and federal officials "to present federal initiatives that support healthy eating ... and to engage industry and government in improving access to and purchase of healthy foods."

Among the speakers were Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Thomas Vilsack, Secretary, U.S. Department of Agriculture (via video), Thomas Frieden, Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Dr. Margaret Hamburg, Commissioner, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Vice Admiral Regina M. Benjamin, MD, Surgeon General, gave the keynote address.

I presented the Association's position on menu labeling during a session titled "Improving Food Labeling for Healthy Food Choices," facilitated by Food and Drug Administration Deputy Commissioner for Foods Mike Taylor. Pam Bailey, President & CEO of the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and Michael Jacobson, Executive Director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, also presented on the subject. As you know, the Association worked over many months with members of Congress, industry leaders and consumer groups to come to an historic agreement to establish a national menu labeling standard supported by more than 77 health organizations including the American Heart Association and the American Dietetic Association.

This law creates a uniform, national standard for providing nutrition information to restaurant patrons and immediately preempts the confusing patchwork of state and local menu labeling laws. Read more about the new law here.
The National Restaurant Association commends health advocates for sharing our goal of promoting healthy living. But when local jurisdictions start proposing different standards, it becomes very confusing, very quickly — both for the industry and for the consumer. It is terribly impractical — and economically harmful — to expect companies to respond to a patchwork of different local standards and initiatives.

The new legislation, on the other hand, creates a level playing field for restaurants and is the kind of uniform approach that can really make a difference.
We at the National Restaurant Association are committed to identifying solutions while maintaining an environment that is flexible enough to accommodate different business models – while providing consumers the dining experience they have come to expect.

This Week's Highlights

>> The National Restaurant Association's comprehensive index of restaurant activity rose sharply in March. The Association's Restaurant Performance Index stood at 100.5 in March, up 1.4 percent from February. The RPI, a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry, is at its strongest level since September 2007. It is above 100 for the first time in 29 months. Restaurant operators are increasingly optimistic about growth in sales and staffing levels in the months ahead, and their outlook for the economy has soared to its strongest level in five years.Read the press release.

>> As immigration issues heat up in Washington, D.C., and around the country, the National Restaurant Association today pledged its continued support for a bipartisan process that leads to comprehensive immigration reform. See our statement here.

>> The House Judiciary Committee conducted a hearing on the Credit Card Fair Fee Act, which would provide limited antitrust immunity for merchants to negotiate interchange or swipe fees with Visa, MasterCard and card-issuing banks. The Association, which supports the bill, is a member of theMerchants Payments Coalition, a group of retailers, restaurants and convenience stores that support interchange-fee reform. For many restaurants, swipe fees are their highest non-labor cost.

>> The Association has unveiled a tool to help restaurants decipher confusing fees so they can more accurately assess their expenses and begin to control costs. Visitwww.KnowYourCardRates.com to try the card-processing calculator. A cutting-edge partnership with Heartland Payment Systems will allow our members to access critical information to improve their bottom line.

>> Ed Tinsley, former National Restaurant Association Chairman, and Dick Crawford, former McDonald's executive, presented to approximately 150 MBA students at Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif., on April 22. The four classes were focused on how trade associations and other non-governmental organizations handle their communication and their formulation of plans to engage on the issues. There was extensive discussion and information shared on the interface between these organizations and associations with Congress, regulatory agencies and world organizations. Ed Tinsley focused on the role of the National Restaurant Association and Dick Crawford shared his domestic and international experiences with McDonald's in handling so many of the challenges that they have faced over the years. The classes had been working on a case study of McDonald's. Ed and Dick both encouraged each student to engage in their respective trade associations when embarking upon their careers.

>> The Santa Clara County (Calif.) Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to ban restaurants from giving away toys with children's meals. The ordinance is believed to be the first of its kind in the United States. Representatives for the California Restaurant Association, whose members include chains that oppose the ordinance, have 90 days to offer an alternative to the legislation.

>> The April issue of Washington Report is now online. Read about the recent Public Affairs Conference and find out more about key legislative, regulatory and compliance issues.

>> Tickets are still available for NRAEF's Salute to Excellence. The May 22 gala is expected to draw more than 800 people to support NRAEF programs, including ProStart and scholarships. In addition to this year's foodservice fashion show, the event will feature a tribute to outstanding students, educators and industry legends, including S. Truett Cathy, Chick-fil-A; Ferdinand Metz, CMC; Jerald Chesser, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona; Alice Elliot, The Elliot Group; and Denise Fugo, Sammy's. Call (312) 715-5384 for information or order tickets here.

>> We're rolling out a Food Truck Spot pavilion at the NRA Show to bring attendees up to speed on this new trend. We'll also have education sessions on how operators can incorporate food trucks into their businesses.