The COVID-19 pandemic devastated Texas’ restaurant industry — and for many, the recovery has been painfully slow. As profitability plummeted, restaurant owners across Texas joined forces with the Texas Restaurant Association, pushing for change at the state level. Their voices were heard.

“Texas restaurants are more than businesses. They are employers, economic engines, and cultural anchors for every community,” Emily Williams Knight, Ed.D., president and CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, said.

The Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) is expressing concern over the impact of rising tariffs on the state's foodservice industry, which employs 1.4 million workers. The TRA highlights that increased tariffs could elevate food prices, thereby increasing business costs for local restaurants, particularly affecting smaller operators. They emphasize the importance of strategic tariff use and advise businesses to discuss pricing with suppliers and consider alternative products. TRA urges consumers to support local restaurants to help sustain the industry and the communities it serves.

As Houston residents recover from the damage and power outages caused by Hurricane Beryl, the Texas Restaurant Association is working to help area restauranteurs with the TX Restaurant Relief Fund.

The Barn Door restaurant during dinner service in San Antonio on May 18, 2020. Credit: Christopher Lee for The Texas TribuneThe Texas House on Wednesday gave initial approval to legislation that would allow restaurants to sell alcohol to go beyond the coronavirus pandemic. AdHB 1024 was filed by Republican state Rep. Charlie Geren, a restaurant owner in Fort Worth, and co-authored by Democrats. His wife, Texas lobbyist Mindy Ellmer, has been paid for lobbying work by the Texas Restaurant Association, which is backing the legislation. According to the Texas Restaurant Association, 700,000 restaurant employees in Texas lost their jobs in the early days of the pandemic, and thousands of Texas restaurants have closed. Disclosure: Texas Restaurant Association has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors.

HOUSTON – The Texas Restaurant Association is calling the governor’s executive order to reopen the state a light at the end of the tunnel for the restaurant industry. “Any opportunity to get more people into the restaurants is increased revenue, more opportunity for some of these restaurants that are holding on. Greg Abbott announced that all Texas businesses can open at 100% capacity beginning March 10. It is now time to open Texas 100%,” Abbott said. Abbott explained that a business is not mandated to reopen at 100%, but now it is the restaurant owner’s choice.

Some businesses have even had to close for good due to the financial strain, said Kelsey Erickson Streufert, vice president of Government Relations and Advocacy for the Texas Restaurant Association. “When our small businesses close they’re no longer paying taxes to the state and so you see this shrinking of the economy,” Erickson Streufert said. “They basically said because I haven’t paid the rent they don’t want to take my rent,” Nicholson said. The Texas Restaurant Association is working to help protect businesses from evictions as part of their Restaurant Survival Plan. “I think one of the hardest parts about this is we don’t know where the bottom is,” Erickson Streufert said.