Press Release Articles
Texas Restaurant Industry Sales to See Minimum Gains in 2010
1/20/201010:15:45 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
Austin, Texas – The Texas Restaurant Association today announced that the Texas restaurant industry is projected to register modest gains in sales growth in 2010 according to the National Restaurant Association’s 2010 Restaurant Industry Forecast. Texas is projected to see sales of $34.8 billion, a 2.7% increase over 2009. Restaurants in Texas will employ 996,300 Texans, a slight decrease from 2009. However, Texas is projected to post the strongest growth in employment over the next decade, growing 16.4% to 1,159,800 employees.
“This has been a challenging year for Texas restaurateurs as effects of the economic downturn were felt across the state,” said Richie Jackson, Texas Restaurant Association CEO. “The good news is that we still see positive overall growth, albeit at a lower level than in years past.”Nationally, restaurant industry sales are expected to reach $580 billion in 2010, a 2.5 percent increase in current dollars over 2009 sales. When adjusted for inflation, 2010 sales will show a 0.1 percent decline, which is an improvement over the 1.2 and 2.9 percent negative growth in real sales that the industry experienced in 2008 and 2009, respectively.“It has been a very challenging time for our industry for the past two years, and while there are still challenges ahead, we are glad to report that the outlook is improving,” said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “With a total economic impact of more than $1.5 trillion, the restaurant industry is a strong player in the economic recovery and will continue to provide consumers with the choice and convenience they want.”In addition to containing a national, regional and state-by-state sales and employment outlook, the 2010 Restaurant Industry Forecast provides details on the latest economic, consumer, menu, operator and workforce trends. For more information, visit the National Restaurant Association’s web site at www.restaurant.org/forecast or the Texas Restaurant Association’s web site, www.restaurantville.com.Texas Restaurant Association:The Texas Restaurant Association was formed in 1937 to serve as the advocate in Texas and the indispensable resource for the hospitality and foodservice industry. Today, as a leading business association, TRA represents the state’s $34.8 billion restaurant industry, which is comprised of 45,000 plus locations and a workforce of over 996,000 employees. Along with the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation, the Association represents, educates and promotes the growing industry. www.restaurantville.com.FS Prep/ProStart Launch First Texas Culinary Competitions
1/13/201011:27:08 AM Link 0 comments | Add comment
FS Prep/ProStart Launch First Texas Culinary Competitions
33 High School Culinary Arts Teams to Compete in Regional CompetitionsAustin, Texas - For the first time, students enrolled in Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation FS Prep culinary arts programs in high schools across Texas are eligible to compete in the ultimate high school culinary competition, the National ProStart Invitational.Currently 26 teams have signed up to participate in the regional culinary competitions in Dallas, Houston and Austin in January and February. Seven management teams will compete at the same time the winning regional culinary teams are competing in the state competition at the Texas Culinary Academy in Austin in March.Each year more than $1 million in scholarships is awarded to winning culinary and management teams by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, The Coca-Cola Company and many leading colleges and universities.“We are very excited that Texas FS Prep students are competing for the first time in these competitions,” said Dean McSherry, Preferred Restaurant Management Group and TRA Education Foundation chairman. “This is a great showcase for our outstanding culinary arts students and will be a wonderful experience for all teams involved.”Teams participating in the culinary competition must demonstrate their creative abilities through the preparation of a three-course meal in only 60 minutes. Teams participating in the management competition demonstrate their knowledge of the restaurant and foodservice industry by developing a restaurant proposal, delivering a verbal presentation, and applying critical thinking skills to challenges managers face in day-to-day operations.Regional CompetitionsDallas – January 23 - Le Cordon Bleu, DallasHouston – February 20 – Westside High School, HoustonAustin – February 27- Texas Culinary Academy, AustinTexas State CompetitionTexas Culinary Academy - March 6 - AustinNational ProStart InvitationalOverland Park, Kansas April 28 – May 2The FS Prep/ProStart Regional Competitions are supported by the following partners: US Foodservice, Auto-Chlor, Preferred Restaurant Services, Tyson, Edward Don, Texas Beef Council, Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Schools and Claes and Greenoe Marketing Group.For media credentials for any of the Texas competitions, please contact Yvonne Loya at 512-457-4100 or yloya@tramail.org.Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation:It is the mission of the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation to serve as the resource arm of the restaurant industry by maintaining educational programs and enhancing the industry’s image to benefit local communities, the state and the foodservice industry. www.restaurantville.com.
