National Restaurant Association Urges Industry Members To "Get Out The Vote" This Election Day

10/29/2002

From: Tom Foulkes, 202-331-5902 Katharine Kim, 202-331-5939 both of the National Restaurant Association

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 -- With national mid-term elections just one week from today, the National Restaurant Association is encouraging restaurateurs to urge their employees and customers to vote on Tuesday, November 5, 2002. The Association's GO-Vote Election center, located on its Web site at www.restaurant.org, is dedicated to helping members of the restaurant industry make informed decisions by providing voter registration information, research on key races, candidate information and issues briefs.

"As the nation's largest private-sector employer, with 11.6 million employees, the restaurant industry has considerable power when it comes to participating in the political process. With a large voting bloc such as ours, it is imperative that we use that strength to our advantage," said Steven C. Anderson, president and chief executive officer of the National Restaurant Association. "The Association is committed to electing representatives on the federal, state and local levels that will promote pro-business and pro-restaurant agendas."

The National Restaurant Association's grassroots program, Grassroots Opportunities (GO) Network, provides the resources and opportunities for all industry members to learn, network and participate in the legislative process. The GO-Vote Election center provides easy-to-use voter registration and candidate information from around the country. All the relevant information needed to make an informed decision is tailored specifically to any area by simply entering the appropriate zip code.

"Election Day is yet another excellent opportunity to make our voices heard. Decisions that affect the livelihoods of restaurant operators and their employees and families are made everyday in Washington, DC. It is very important to our industry's continued success that the actions taken by Congress keep the restaurant industry competitive in a global economy, address the labor shortage issue and ensure millions of Americans have quality jobs," Anderson added.

Visitors to the National Restaurant Association's Web site at www.restaurant.org can also contact their Representatives in Washington by visiting the "GO-Network Take Action Center." Congressional directories are available, as well as various sample letters that can be customized by typing in a zip code and selecting a topic. There are many different ways and levels members can get involved in the Association's GO-Network: sign up for our free biweekly legislative e-mail update-GO-Gazette, attend events in Washington such as the Annual Public Affairs Conference or GO-Lobby Day and most importantly, vote in every election.

For more information about getting involved with the Association's GO-Network, visit www.restaurant.org/government/go/index.cfm.

------ The National Restaurant Association, founded in 1919, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which is comprised of 858,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of 11.6 million employees - making it the cornerstone of the economy, career opportunities and community involvement. Along with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to represent, educate and promote the rapidly growing industry. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.