Advocacy

Our ongoing goal is to become a resource to the current administration to understand how our industry is recovering from the pandemic and what we need to be successful.

Working to achieve our 2023 goals included:

  1) Make outdoor seating permanent and move the application process into the existing renewal process.

  2) Work with MA state legislature and the Department of Revenue to adjust for credit card fees restaurant owners are paying on meals tax.  

  3) Successfully file an amendment to Chapter 138, section 26 (Bill S.206) which currently requires the manager of record on a liquor license to be a US citizen. The amendment will permit those in our Commonwealth on work visa status under the federal Immigration and Nationality Act to be listed as a manager, helping alleviate staffing challenges.

Follow our progress on Bill S.206 - Manager on Record here.

  4) Help restaurateurs understand the healthcare requirements that apply to their businesses. Adopting better, more efficient programs with proven success in other states. We will continue our work to make health care available to all at the lowest possible cost to restaurant owners and employees.

5) MRU started a conversation almost two years ago about the fairness of wages between the front and back of house.  Massachusetts is again one of two states that does not allow ANY tip sharing with back of house (kitchen) staff.  We started to explore how to amend existing legislation that would allow us to create structure in our industry to make sure that our employees were all being paid appropriately.  We felt that we were on the right path. A short time later, we were asked to consider backing One Fair Wage’s ballot question. 

Follow here to see MRU’s stance on One Fair Wage and what this means for our industry.

Our accomplishments over the last couple years:

  1) We facilitated interviews with MA Governor candidate Maura Healey beginning a dialogue with them about issues that matter to our membership.

  2) We held an event with US Senator Elizabeth Warren to rally for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). Although Congress did not pass the RRF, we expect Elizabeth Warren to continue to be a valuable ally.

  3) We held webinars on topics such as: Crowdfunding and applying for MGCC Matching Grants, Mental Health, Restaurant Revitalization Fund (how to apply, forgiveness and tax implications), and All Things Take Out.

  4) We lobbied for (and achieved!) temporary fee caps for delivery services.

  5) We lobbied for (and achieved!) a year extension of the cocktails to-go program.

  6) In 2022, we contracted a third-party consulting firm that works in the non-profit sector, TD Corp, to help realign our mission to the new focus of growing back to a thriving restaurant community, restructure our board and plan for 2023.