Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association

Congratulations to all of our deserving industry stars! Especially our incredible Virginia representatives - Brian Wells from The Hotel Roanoke & Conference Center, Curio by Hilton and Mark Spadoni of The Omni Homestead.

It's not every day you get invited to The White House! The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is proud to be a U.S. Department of Labor Apprenticeship Ambassador and I was honored to attend the Apprenticeship Ambassador Recognition Ceremony today! #apprenticeship

Virginia loves business, and business loves Virginia back 😎 As Katherine O’Donnell, Todd O’Leary, and Edward Harris step into leadership positions at Virginia DMOs, they arrive at an opportune time for the Commonwealth.

Members of several unions united Tuesday morning to urge the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors to support a referendum that would allow voters to choose whether a casino and entertainment district is approved for Tysons, Virginia.

"In our industries, waiting for permits and approvals is a major barrier to development to operators of all sizes, and particularly to small business operators. The Youngkin Administration’s work to make the bureaucratic state more efficient for both individuals and businesses has helped those processes move more smoothly and responsively." VRLTA applauds the declaration of Executive Order 39 by Governor Glenn Youngkin!

We're thrilled to shine a spotlight on some of our new restaurant Legacy Members, and we're kicking things off with an RVA icon - Joe's Inn! Joe's opened in 1952, and has been a Richmond staple for first dates, hearty brunch, and great times ever since. https://bit.ly/3NyHUU5

Incredible work being done by our friends over at Hilton!

This week, we managed to catch up with some important Ordinary Award winners who were unable to attend last month's dinner! Delegate Lee Ware's partnership and work on our 2024 short-term rental legislation was invaluable as VRLTA continues to advocate for a more level playing field in the lodging industry. We were honored to present him with our Legislator of the Year Award. Marcel Desaulniers was an American chef who was part-owner of the Trellis Restaurant in Williamsburg, Virginia, an accomplished cookbook author, director Emeritus of the Culinary Institute of America, and self-described "Guru of Ganache." Although he passed away earlier this year, his legacy and influence on Virginia's restaurant industry continues to resonate. His wife, Connie Desaulniers, was gracious to accept the award on his behalf.

BREAKING: The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol will open its approximately $515 million permanent facility on Nov. 14, with country music star Blake Shelton making an appearance at the ceremony.

Last week, we had the honor of recognizing four outstanding industry leaders with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF)’s 2024 Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards for their work to create community, build equity and advancement, and invest in the next generation of restaurant and foodservice talent. We presented these awards during the NRAEF’s fall board meeting, where winners joined me for a panel discussion covering their viewpoints on leadership and efforts to advance the next generation of industry leaders. While the stories of Jerome Dees Jr., Gary LeBlanc, Warren Thompson, and Dr. Tim Ryan are each unique, they demonstrate the power of our industry to lift people up and empower them to grow. My congratulations to each of them. Learn more about their stories here: https://bit.ly/4gJwzhh