Working diligently to provide a crystal clear roadmap designed to restore normal operations in the Michigan hospitality industry, the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) this morning has released a comprehensive plan to get that job done allowing a return for businesses that have been struggling mightily through shutdowns, restrictions and more.
The new two-pronged, metric-driven roadmap, designed to eventually restore normal operations within the hospitality industry, has been proposed and authored by the MRLA, and aspires to provide a clear, metric-driven solution for elected officials that will in turn enable hotel and restaurant operators to remain in business, restore jobs, and return to a more Pure Michigan.
The plan has already gained the support of the National Federation of Independent Business in Michigan, and the Small Business Association of Michigan.
As a continuation of the MRLA’s #MISafeDining initiative, the first step of the plan is the creation of a reintegration schedule that directly ties restaurant and event space occupancy to the COVID-19 “Daily Positive Test Rate,” reported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). The data is clear, easy to understand and available to the public through the “MI Safe Start Map.”
Justin Winslow, President & CEO of the MRLA, says, “We have long advocated the need for a more comprehensive strategy for the economic reintegration of our restaurants, banquet centers and entertainment venues in Michigan,” and adds, “Through this plan, we are putting our metrics where our mouth is and hope it proves a useful tool to elected leaders as we enter a new phase of the pandemic.”
The second step of the plan focuses on the importance of a systematic and expedited vaccination of the hospitality industry as “Other Essential Frontline Workers” under Category 1b established by MDHHS. There is precedence in prioritizing hospitality workers for the vaccine. States with similarly prolonged industry shutdowns like Colorado, New York, Massachusetts and Washington D.C. have already begun the targeted vaccination of the hospitality industry, arguing it is necessary to the successful reintegration of the very public-facing industry in their states.
Winslow contends, “There is no faster way to build back our restaurants and hotels than through the systematic, expedited vaccination of Michigan’s hospitality industry,” adding, “Vaccination will provide safety to frontline workers, allow for the stable reintegration of Michigan’s second largest employer and restore public confidence that they may safely dine and travel once again.”
Immediately following the release of the MRLA plan, one of the state’s leading small business advocates, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), announced its support for it.
NFIB State Director Charlie Owens says, “The hospitality professionals at the MRLA have worked hard to offer up a sensible plan for getting Michigan’s most beleaguered segment of small business back to work,” and adds, “The plan relies on the metrics being used by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services for making pandemic related decisions.”
Owens said that giving business owners a clear benchmark for making decisions is something that they have been asking for since the start of the economic shutdowns in the spring of last year.
Owens says the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association released details of the proposed plan this morning as a clear, metric-driven solution for elected officials that will enable hotel and restaurant operators to remain in business and restore jobs.
Also backing the move is the Small Business Association of Michigan. SBAM President Brian Calley issued the following statement in response to the Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association’s reopening plan:
“The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association plan provides a strong, data-driven approach to reopening for some of the hardest-hit industries. Restaurants, lodging, and event/meeting-based businesses need to know what the standards are that keep them closed or limited in their operations, and when restrictions will be eased. These metrics establish those standards in an objective way, keeping public health and safety front and center.”
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association is the recognized leader of Michigan’s hospitality industry, providing essential services to the foodservice and lodging community. Founded in 1921 as the Michigan Restaurant Association and now known as the MRLA, the Association represents over 5,000 Michigan foodservice and lodging establishments. The industry plays an integral role in Michigan’s economy, employing more than 595,000 people and creating nearly $40 billion in annual sales. For more information, visit online at http://www.mrla.org
