Communications
The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association Speaks Out Against Stuart Blumberg’s Proposed Restaurant Tax
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) – Florida’s only statewide representative of the American Hotel & Lodging Association and the National Restaurant Association – is deeply disappointed and shocked to learn that Stuart Blumberg, president-ceo of the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, is publicly advocating a new tax on Florida’s hospitality industry. At this morning’s Florida Senate Commerce Meeting, FRLA voiced strong opposition to Blumberg’s proposed statewide two percent tax on food and beverage sales at restaurants.
“FRLA remains adamantly opposed to any new taxes on either lodging or foodservice operations in Florida, and we are appalled that such a proposal has been made at a time when our industry is facing serious economic challenges,” said Carol B. Dover, president-ceo of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association.
Florida’s only state association representing the entire Florida hospitality industry (from lodging to restaurants and attractions), FRLA has successfully battled the spread of the Miami-Dade County meal tax and has fought diligently to protect the integrity of local option tourist development taxes against those who would divert them to purposes other than those for which they were created. “FRLA has listened to the voices of our more than 10,000 members who oppose increased taxes and will never stop fighting to protect Florida’s hospitality industry against such further taxation,” said Dover.
At this morning’s Senate Commerce Meeting, Senator Evelyn Lynn questioned Blumberg’s proposed tax on the restaurant industry by stating, “If you’re really looking at coming up with a solid answer for the state of Florida, it seems to me you’d need to look at everything…It may be different in Miami, but I represent a different area of the state where many of our residents eat out more than tourists. If you look at tourism, then you’re going to have to look at all possible tourist attractions. I wonder, why are you particularly looking at restaurants?”
The impact of our country’s economic downturn is felt by tourism-related businesses across Florida as the American public takes fewer and shorter trips and economizes on their daily expenses, including dining out. The hospitality industry is currently reeling from rising costs of energy, labor and basic operating commodities. The impact on businesses that operate on relatively low profit margins, like most small, independent restaurants and motels, is devastating.
The hospitality industry is struggling to maintain the jobs of close to one million Floridians and keep the doors open in more than 83,000 Florida businesses – businesses that contribute more than $3.9 billion annually in state sales taxes, local property taxes and the ad valorem taxes that support our schools.
“At a time when the American public is desperately trying to decrease its spending, we cannot afford to compensate by significantly increasing our prices,” said Dover. “Singling out restaurants for additional taxation is ill-advised, unfair and counterproductive and could cost establishments and their customers millions of dollars per year.”
In existence since the 1940’s, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association is Florida’s premier non-profit, hospitality industry trade association. FRLA safeguards the needs of the hospitality industry, improves the business climate, promotes the highest levels of quality and safety for our patrons, provides legislative advocacy, and eases navigation of government regulation. The Association represents and serves more than 10,000 independent and household name members, including theme parks and the largest casual theme restaurant company in the world.
For more information or to schedule an interview with President-CEO Carol Dover, please contact Jennifer Garner at the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association at 850-224-2250 or jgarner@frla.org.
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