Rio Grande Valley Chapter - Texas Restaurant Association

05/21/2026

📈 Trend or fad? Knowing the difference can make all the difference for your business.

Join the Texas Restaurant Association and Datassential for an exclusive webinar designed to help restaurant operators better understand what today’s consumers actually want — and which trends are truly worth paying attention to.

From value-driven dining to balancing health, wellness, and indulgence, this session will break down what’s gaining momentum, what’s fading fast, and what has real staying power. Backed by real consumer and menu data, you’ll walk away with insights to help guide smarter menu, marketing, and business decisions.

🎤 Panelists:
• Kelsey Erickson Streufert, Chief Public Affairs Officer, TRA
• Renee Lee Wege, Trendologist & Senior Publications Manager, Datassential

⭐ TRA Member Exclusive Webinar
Not a member yet? Email [email protected] to join today!

05/20/2026

🔥 Calling all Texas chefs! The Texas Restaurant Association and the Texas Restaurant Show are launching an exciting NEW culinary competition this year — the 𝐋𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫 𝐓𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐡𝐨𝐰𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧! 🇨🇱🍴

Chefs from across Texas are invited to apply by June 1 for the chance to compete live at the Texas Restaurant Show on July 12 in a fast-paced, two-round tapas competition highlighting creativity, technique, and bold Texas flavor.

Up to eight chefs will be selected, and the winning chef will earn the incredible opportunity to represent Texas at the Tapas of America event in Querétaro, Mexico — with a chance to advance to the World Tapas Competition in Spain! 🌎✨

This exciting new competition shines a spotlight on the talent, innovation, and culinary excellence found throughout Texas hospitality.

📣 Applications are open now through June 1!
Apply here: https://txrestaurantshow.com/Show/Explore/Lone-Star-Tapas-Showdown-Chef.aspx

05/05/2026

✨𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 ✨

Join us for the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬—an unforgettable evening honoring the talent, creativity, and leadership that define our industry.

📍 Sunday, July 12
📍 Tobin Center for the Performing Arts | San Antonio

Enjoy an incredible night featuring:
🍽️ Chef-driven bites from across Texas
🍸 Signature cocktails
🏆 Recognition of the industry’s top talent
🎶 Live entertainment + an after party with a purpose

This is more than an awards show—it’s a celebration of the people and passion driving Texas hospitality forward.

👉 Get your tickets today: https://bit.ly/4cPJ7DY

Come celebrate. Come connect. Come be inspired.

04/27/2026

We’re proud to support programs that create real opportunities and stronger communities. 💙

The Texas Restaurant Foundation’s Second Chances Program is helping individuals rebuild their lives while strengthening our industry’s workforce—giving people a path forward through training, support, and employment.

Take a moment to watch this powerful interview and learn more about the impact being made. If you’re able, consider supporting this important initiative.

👇 Watch below- donate to make a difference here: https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/donation-form/turnaround-tuesday-giving-texans-a-second-chance-to-build-a-better-future

A Texas program is training people serving time behind bars in the culinary arts. It's part of an effort to expand second-chance hiring and meet the restaura...

04/20/2026

This is an important conversation for our industry.

The Texas Restaurant Association is leading the dialogue on immigration reform—not as a political issue, but as a business reality impacting restaurants across the state. From workforce shortages to declining traffic, operators are feeling the effects every day.

This article highlights why this issue matters and how TRA is working to advocate for practical, real-world solutions that support both our workforce and our businesses.

👉 Take a few minutes to read and stay informed: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/workforce/why-texas-restaurant-association-leading-conversation-immigration-reform

Immigration declines are hurting a lot of restaurants. The Texas Restaurant Association has brought together different groups to find a

04/15/2026

We’ll see you at the TRA Show this July 👀

📅 July 13–14

If you’re a TRA member, your ticket is complimentary—so don’t miss your chance to experience everything the show has to offer, from new products and vendors to ideas that can help grow your business.

👉 Register now: https://txrestaurant.org/show/

Not a member but interested in attending for your restaurant or bar? I’d love to help—reach out to me at [email protected] for more information.

04/12/2026

🚨 Protecting Your Margins: Surcharges, Discounts & Swipe Fees Explained 🚨

Swipe fees keep climbing—and restaurant margins are feeling the pressure. It’s time to get ahead of it.

Join our upcoming webinar and learn how to take control of your payment costs with strategies that actually work.

💡 We’ll break down:
✔️ Surcharges vs. cash & debit discounting
✔️ Legal + operational do’s and don’ts
✔️ How to choose the right approach for your business

Plus, hear real-world insights from operators and industry experts so you can make confident, informed decisions.

🎤 Featuring:
• Kelsey Erickson Streufert (Texas Restaurant Association)
• Matthew Mabel (Surrender Inc.)
• Blanca Aldaco (Aldaco’s)
• Charles Southgate (Global Payments)

👉 Spots are limited—register now and start protecting your profits.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Ut6Xg0D5Qh203rVbRm4dQA

03/18/2026

Restaurants across the Rio Grande Valley—and across Texas—are navigating real challenges right now, from economic pressures to workforce uncertainty. Recent conversations highlighted in this article show just how important it is for our industry to have a unified voice.

👉 https://www.valleycentral.com/news/local-news/valley-restaurants-feel-impact-of-economy-immigration-fears-industry-leaders-say/

That’s why being part of the Texas Restaurant Association matters. Together, we advocate, we educate, and we work to find solutions that protect and strengthen our industry.

A big thank you to the McAllen Chamber of Commerce for hosting our recent town hall and helping bring operators together for these important conversations. Partnerships like this make a difference.

We’ll keep showing up, speaking up, and working on behalf of Texas restaurants. 🍽️🤝

If you’re a local restaurant and not yet involved, we’d love to connect. Being part of the Rio Grande Valley Chapter - Texas Restaurant Association means having a voice and a support system—reach out to learn more about how to get involved.

MCALLEN, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Leaders in the restaurant industry gathered in McAllen as part of the Texas Restaurant Association’s biennial tour, highlighting key concerns they plan to bring to …

02/27/2026

🚨𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭/𝐁𝐚𝐫 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 — 𝐖𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐨𝐦.🚨

The Texas Tour is headed to 𝐌𝐜𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧, and if you own or operate a restaurant in the Coastal Bend, this is your moment to lean in.

Decisions made in Austin directly impact your bottom line — from labor costs to taxes to alcohol sales. Showing up matters.

Here’s what we’re fighting for that affects you:

✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐢𝐩 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 – Keeping restaurants affordable and preserving earning opportunities for tipped employees.
✅ 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐭 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐰𝐢𝐩𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐞 𝐀𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐞 – Addressing excessive interchange fees that eat into your margins every single day.
✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐱 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬– Ensuring real relief reaches operators, not just homeowners.
✅ 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 & 𝐇𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬– Strengthening pipelines to help you hire and retain talent.
✅𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 & 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲– Supporting practical, employer-focused solutions that strengthen the legal workforce pipeline, improve work authorization processes, and help restaurants address ongoing labor shortages while remaining compliant with state and federal law.
✅ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬– Protecting against burdensome city-by-city mandates that make it harder to operate.
✅ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – Fighting lawsuit abuse that drives up costs for operators.

This isn’t political theater — it’s practical business advocacy.

If you care about:
📉 Keeping costs down
📈 Growing your sales
👥 Protecting your team
🏛️ Having a voice in Austin

You need to be at the table.

Join us in Corpus for the 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫 – 𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 and be part of the conversation shaping the future of Texas restaurants.

👉 Register today. Show up. Speak up. Stay protected.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/emily-and-kelseys-texas-tour-rgv

02/16/2026

Serving alcohol comes with serious responsibility — and serious risk. Make sure you’re protected.

Join us on 𝐅𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐚𝐭 𝟐:𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐌 for an important webinar designed for restaurant operators, managers, and hospitality industry stakeholders who want to better understand the legal and insurance landscape surrounding alcohol service.

This session will cover:
• TABC Safe Harbor and compliance requirements
• What to do after an alcohol-related incident
• Understanding defensibility
• Liquor liability insurance trends
• Practical strategies for risk management

Hear directly from industry experts:
Kelsey Erickson Streufert, Chief Public Affairs Officer, Texas Restaurant Association
John Gessner, Attorney, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC

With liquor liability rates rising and enforcement tightening, this is information every operator needs.

𝐓𝐑𝐀 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬.

Protect your business. Strengthen your compliance. Register today and join us on February 26 at 2:00 PM.

https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_kwcgmQN4RKGBSzxK0KYNJA

02/14/2026

It's Valentine’s Day, show some love to the industry that brings our communities together...𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐨 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐓𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥 ❤️

If you love local restaurants, the people behind them, and the community they serve, join us for the Rio Grande Valley Texas Tour Town Hall. This is your chance to come together with fellow restaurant owners and operators, share what you’re seeing in your business, and help shape the future of our industry.

💘 Love the industry. Love your community. Use your voice.

Texas Tour Town Hall – Rio Grande Valley
March 16th | 2:00–3:30 PM
McAllen Chamber of Commerce

Make this Valentine’s Day about more than flowers and chocolates — show up for the industry you care about.

Register now and plan to attend:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/emily-and-kelseys-texas-tour-rgv