Hanover’s Perspective
VRLTA Offers Resources Specific to Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Industries
The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) has represented the Commonwealth’s restaurants, hotels and travel attractions for nearly 80 years.
The Association began in the 1930s and ‘40s as three separate associations with a common goal—protecting the hospitality and tourism industries of Virginia. In 1993, the Virginia Hotel & Motel Association, Virginia Restaurant Association and Virginia Travel Council came together under the umbrella Virginia Hospitality & Travel Association.
Today, the association operates as the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association. The name honors the roots of the three originating establishments, and clearly aligns the organization’s branding with its member base to ensure clear indication of the industries it represents. Visit www.vrlta.org to learn more and join.
VRLTA has also partnered with the Virginia Tourism Corporation to develop the Virginia is for Restaurant Lovers brand and website, a portal designed to serve Virginia’s restaurant community.
During the pandemic, VRLTA has utilized the www.VirginiaForRestaurantLovers.com website to aid these industries, continually posting resources related to reopening and business operations on this site. Visit this page for the latest reopening resources, and this page for the latest news.
Specific resources for Personal Protective Equipment and other related topics found on the VRLTA website include:
PPE Resources –
- Sysco – currently in stock: masks, gloves in a variety of sizes, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, surface sanitizers, and bleach – contact your sales rep for the latest product availability and pricing; also has a NEW reopening guide here
- PFG – contact your sales rep for the latest product availability
- Safeguard Promotional Products – facemasks and shields, hand sanitizer, gloves, gowns, acrylic shields (for checkout stands) – pricing here, or visit https://www.safeguardjack.com/ or contact Anne Meagher Watson at 804.355.2679 or Anne@SafeguardJack.com
- KO Distilling is producing Bare Knuckle Hand Sanitizer. More information can be found here.
- The Hand Sanitizer Guys have bulk/wholesale hand sanitizer and hand sanitizing stations. Serving the NoVa and DC metro area.
Other Resources –
- National Restaurant Association – Has free reopening guidance available here.
- ServSafe – Has free reopening training available on demand here.
- EMR – Now through June 30, any new service call (existing EMR restaurant customers and new restaurant customers), regardless of their previous labor and travel rate for kitchen equipment service, will receive $99/hr labor, and $99 travel. Also, the company has a maintenance list for closed kitchens here. Visit www.emrco.com/locations for more info.
- Ecolab – Has a variety of cleaning and sanitizing products available (list for hospitality and list for foodservice); Contact Carey Friedman at carey.friedman@ecolab.com or 804.840.3943
- BMS Direct Inc. – for printing of restaurant placemats and menus, including washable menus coming soon! VRLTA members get discounted pricing. Visit this link for more information or email leif.aagaard@bmsdirectinc.com for inquiries.
- Push Operations – Push Operations is a labor management solution for restaurants. Push is now offering restaurants its employee health pre-screening software. The software allows contactless temperature checks for employees, customizable pre-health check questions to employees, and effortless communication to employees who’ve worked with a team member that has Covid-19. This service is complimentary for VRLTA members! More information: https://pushoperations.com/covid-19-features/ or Tommy Truong at Tommy@pushoperations.com or 778.858.6325.
- Sestra – Offers touchless beverage dispensing and hand sanitizer stations.
- Open Table – Their Open Door program, starting this month, offers new solutions and reduced or eliminated fees. Learn more here.