Nicole Chapman, Northeast Chapter Director, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association

In an interview with Invest:, Nicole Chapman, Northeast Chapter Director of the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA), discussed the association’s key milestones in the past year, FRLA’s advocacy efforts, and the sector’s increasing use of new technologies to enhance customer experiences.

What have been some of the main achievements or milestones for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) in the last 12 months?

We are thrilled to represent hospitality as the No. 1 industry in the state of Florida. Jacksonville has been right there with it. Tourism has been great over the last year for our region and all our counties. We are happy to see that restaurants are still opening, hotels are being built, and we are getting our employees back. We are surpassing the pre-COVID environment for the hospitality industry.

How does the landscape look for Jacksonville’s and Northeast Florida’s culinary scene, and what trends are you seeing?

People are realizing that we are a great destination to open a restaurant. People are used to driving to a restaurant, so if you open a restaurant in a neighborhood, you will get that neighborhood pull. If you do something unique and creative, you will get a pull from around the region. We are seeing many people open second locations with new themes and new markets. New restaurants are moving into the marketplace. For instance, getting BarTaco is exciting and new for our region. Trends include a lot of taco restaurants and a move toward more fast-casual dining, where you can grab a bite to eat and have a seat quickly. We are excited that more restaurants are coming to town, and we are not seeing any slowdown.

Beyond affordability, what active measures and initiatives is the association taking to attract more tourists and visitors to the area?

FRLA is the state advocacy voice for our industry. We handle a lot of government relations and education for our members. We let our tourism bureaus, like Visit Jacksonville and St. Augustine VCB, handle the marketing of our destination. They are the true marketing experts. We support business owners and managers with the rules and regulations so they can run their businesses more effectively. We want to make sure they have the tools and resources to run their business successfully and take care of their guests. Additionally, our destination is affordable, even though we are seeing price increases.

What active measures is FRLA implementing to help members and why should new members join the association?

FRLA supports hospitality through each part of our core mission to protect, educate, and promote our industry. The protection comes at the local, state, and federal level for regulations, legislative policy, and federal rules. We are the top trainer in the state for alcohol safety, qualified responsible vendors, and food safety, to name a few. Everything we do promotes the industry so that we can help hotels, restaurants, and suppliers to thrive. We are as strong as our membership and engagement is key.

We do a lot at the state advocacy level. This year, we helped pass a bill removing some restrictions on 16- and 17-year-olds entering the workforce. For instance, there were rules requiring 30-minute breaks every four hours, but many young workers prefer to work straight through. Virtual learning has increased the flexibility for students to work and for those that wish to get into the workforce this bill allows them to get to work. This was a significant achievement for us.

We also provide information on state and national bills impacting businesses, such as service fees, ancillary fees, and the 80/20 Rule affecting restaurant servers. We are the leading provider of tools and tricks to ensure our members comply with rules. We also host educational events where members share best practices with each other.

In what ways is customer experience and satisfaction changing?

It is just the world of “now.” When you see something on Instagram, you want to experience it in real life, but that is a staged photo of a perfect hotel room on photo day. That might not be exactly what you are getting, but you are still going to get a great experience. The same goes for dining. You never know if they are fully staffed in the kitchen that day, which might be why it is taking a little bit longer to get your food out. It is really about transparency — making sure that our restaurants and hotels communicate when they’re having challenges, especially when people are making reservations. It is about finding different solutions to ensure that what people see and chat about is happening in real life.

What are the main challenges that the FRLA is facing?

FRLA is a strong association with important relationships with our members, our regulators, our policy makers, and executive state leadership, and it is our constant goal to help resolve the varying issues that face our industry. For instance,  the industry is still encountering labor struggles. It is about getting folks to come to work and overcoming cultural challenges within the workplace — like having a boomer and a Gen Z’er work together. Sometimes it is difficult because one person just wants to text while the other wants to talk face-to-face. Another challenge is the cost of goods and services. It has softened a bit now, but there was a time when, for example, guacamole – you needed avocados and they were 4 times the normal price, and Mexican restaurants had to stop serving it because it was just too expensive. The price of goods and services and staffing issues are significant struggles, though they are leveling out.

There is also a slight softening of the economy, leading to uncertain occupancy rates for hotels and reduced discretionary income for families due to inflation and other costs. This means people might dine out less frequently. For example, McDonald’s recently launched a $5 value meal. Many local restaurants will be asked about their “value meals”, but they do not have the same pricing flexibility as McDonald’s. Staying current with trends and ensuring our guests can afford what we offer is essential.

What are some of the technological trends affecting the hospitality sector or being used to foster innovation within the industry?

Hospitality is often seen as the last to adopt new technology, but that is changing. Some Quick Service Restaurants have  kiosks where you can place orders, and many restaurants have QR codes for menu viewing and new tableside payment systems. A few restaurants in Jacksonville, which is usually slower to adopt new technology, have digital robots that deliver food to tables or bus the area, assisting rather than eliminating staff.

Online ordering is big, with numerous apps helping restaurant owners operate better, track tips, and manage inventory. It can be overwhelming to choose the best one because technology and apps change daily. On the hotel side, there are various platforms to sell hotel rooms, and staying current with sites like Marriott.com or Expedia is crucial to fill hotel rooms.

What are some of the main plans or upcoming developments for the FRLA and the sector as a whole in the next two to three years?

The biggest push will be ensuring that people entering the industry know it can be a career. Many senior leaders started in entry-level positions, like a General Manager at a local resort who began as a valet. It is about educating high-school and college students that the hospitality industry is a great career path. You can own a restaurant, work with management companies, and travel the world with hotel and restaurant brands. Focusing on this education and promoting the industry as a career is vital. We are proud to host the largest high school hospitality school-to-career program in the nation through the FRLA Educational Foundation with our ProStart (culinary) and Hospitality and Tourism Management (lodging) programs for high school students.

Additionally, it is crucial to keep marketing our destinations because Florida is a large state with diverse regions, and continuous effort is needed to attract visitors. It is important to talk about the positives and not dwell on things that are not working or bills that did not pass. We are fortunate to have local governments that support tourism, unlike some other cities. For example, the Four Seasons is coming Downtown, and there is a new stadium in the works. However, until these projects are completed, we need to ensure that our hotels and restaurants remain supported, as they rely on big events for revenue.