Action Center

Advocacy is:

• Educating lawmakers about what issues are important to you and your business.
• Sharing your story with elected officials to help them understand how the policy they create affects restaurateurs.
• Using your voice to influence change in the restaurant community.

Why is advocacy important?

CRA is the voice of the restaurant industry, but even though our Government Affairs team works tirelessly to advocate on your behalf, we still need your help.

• Lawmakers want to hear feedback directly from their constituents to help craft policy that reflects the needs of the community they represent.
• They need you to educate them on what it takes to operate a restaurant and the needs of the industry.
• They need to see that there are real people who are struggling every day to keep up with California’s growing list of mandates, regulations and pressures.

How can I advocate for the restaurant community?

Here are the top 5 ways you can practice advocacy:

1. Email, call, or write to your elected officials: These are the most common ways to reach out to lawmakers and voice your concerns. CRA will send you an email alert when we need you to take action on an issue, complete with contact information for your elected officials and talking points for your letter or phone call, but remember, personalization is key. Sharing specific examples of how an issue affects you will help make your voice heard.

2. Reach out to your elected officials on social media: This is the fastest, easiest way to advocate. It’s as simple as tagging them on Twitter and asking them to vote “yes” or “no” on a specific bill.

3. Write a letter to the editor: This is a great way to inform your community about an issue and influence others to take action. If your letter gets published in your local newspaper, don’t forget to send a copy to your representatives!

4. Schedule a Restaurant Roundtable meeting in your district: Organizing an in-district meeting is the most effective way to build a relationship with your representative and put a face to your name. These meetings can be at the representative’s district office or at your restaurant with fellow restaurateurs.

5. Attend CRA’s Restaurant Day at the Capitol: Restaurant Day is CRA’s biggest advocacy event of the year. It’s the one day of the year where restaurateurs from all over California come together to show strength in numbers at the State Capitol and share their stories with legislators.

Together, we can make an impact. To get started with your advocacy efforts, use the boxes below to find your officials, search for legislation, and sign up for CRA’s email alerts. You can also contact governmentaffairs@calrest.org or call 916.431.2774 for help on how to get more involved.

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