News Release

New Orleans Restaurateur Ralph Brennan to Testify on the Gulf Coast Oil Spill’s Impact on Tourism

July 26, 2010
Contact: Sue Hensley (202) 331-5964, Annika Stensson (202) 973-3677

(Washington, D.C.) New Orleans restaurateur and National Restaurant Association Board member Ralph Brennan will testify before Congress on the impact of the Gulf Coast oil spill on travel and tourism in the region, including concerns about consumer misperceptions.

Tourism is critical to the restaurant industry, with restaurants dependent on travelers for a significant portion of sales. The hearing will focus on damages to businesses along the Gulf and tourism-related claims to the Gulf Coast Claims Facility.

WHAT:
Hearing on “The BP Oil Spill and Gulf Coast Tourism: Assessing the Impact”
U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection

WHO:

  • Ralph Brennan, President, Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, LLC, and National Restaurant Association Board member

  • Kenneth Feinberg, Administrator, Gulf Coast Claims Facility

  • Roger Dow, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S. Travel Association

  • Rip Daniels, Chief Executive Officer/Manager, WJZD-FM; Vice President, Mississippi Gulf Coast Tourism Commission

  • Herb Malone, President and Chief Executive Officer, Alabama Gulf Coast Convention and Visitors Bureau

  • Keith Overton, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Tradewinds Resort; Chairman, Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association


    • WHEN:
    Tuesday, July 27, 2010
    10 a.m. ET

    WHERE:
    2123 Rayburn House Office Building
    Washington, D.C.

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    Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 945,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a work force of nearly 13 million employees. Together with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, the Association works to lead America’s restaurant industry into a new era of prosperity, prominence, and participation, enhancing the quality of life for all we serve. For more information, visit our Web site at www.restaurant.org.


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    Media Contact

    • Michael Donohue, (202) 331-5902

    • Sue Hensley, (202) 331-5964

    • Maureen Ryan, (202) 331-5939

    • Annika Stensson, (202) 973-3677

    E-mail: media@restaurant.org