Texas Restaurant Association

05/28/2026

We recently attended the National Restaurant Association Show to meet with restaurant industry pros from across the country! We loved getting to see industry friends all in one place (and, of course, to sample some delicious food!)

A special thanks to the California Restaurant Association and Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association for co-hosting another fantastic Restaurants Connect event with us. We were honored to share insights that are shaping the future of hospitality!

05/26/2026

Join us in celebrating this year’s TRA Hall of Honor inductees!

Robert & Laurie Lozano, F&P Group
Tap Bentz, Another Broken Egg Cafe
Jerry Walker, Conference Hospitality Group (Retired)

Nominated by their peers, these incredible individuals will receive the Association's highest honor in recognition of a lifetime of work and contribution to our industry.

They will be honored at this year's Texas Restaurant Awards in San Antonio the evening of July 12. Get your tickets now to join us in person!
https://tinyurl.com/ykmkjkzk

05/21/2026

A huge thank you to the Brazos Valley Chapter - Texas Restaurant Association and the Greater Austin Chapter - Texas Restaurant Association for hosting us during our latest Texas Tour stops!

Now through June, our CEO and president, Dr. Emily Williams Knight, and our chief public affairs officer, Kelsey Erickson Streufert, are traveling the state to meet with public policy officials, lawmakers, and industry pros at these town halls curated for you. Thank you for making your voices heard.

We want to see you at our next stops! View the full tour schedule at: https://www.txrestaurant.org/texastour

05/19/2026

It’s official: TRA has received its award as one of the Fastest-Growing Trade Shows in the United States in Trade Show Executive ’s 2025 Fastest 50 rankings!

Don’t miss your chance to attend the biggest Texas Restaurant Show yet! https://fthr-content.txrestaurant.org/Show26social

05/18/2026

One of our longest-standing partners, Heartland, is now operating under the Global Payments name as part of a unified brand transition. While the name is changing, your services, support, and partnership remain the same.

Learn more about how Global Payments and Genius can help your business succeed: https://go.heartland.us/sra?utm_source=partner_platform&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=sra_channel_partner_texas&utm_content=partner_page

05/15/2026

It’s time to celebrate the 5-year anniversary of a major legislative victory for Texas restaurants!

Thanks to your support of TRA, alcohol to-go became permanently legal in Texas as of May 12, 2021, thanks to the passage of HB 1024 to support restaurants during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.

While many other states only made this a temporary measure, TRA helped make it PERMANENT in Texas.

We couldn’t have done it without YOU.

Don’t miss your chance to attend the Texas Restaurant Show, with the new Bar and Nightclub Showcase featuring an additional 100 exhibitors!

Get your badge at https://fthr-content.txrestaurant.org/Show26social

05/14/2026

How do you give back to your community?

Recently, some of our TRA office team volunteered with the Austin Parks Foundation to remove 50 sq. ft. of invasive vegetation, seed some much-needed native plants, and collect two 5-gallon buckets of bamboo for Austin Parks and Recreation's "Cities Connecting Children to Nature" program.

Learn more about upcoming volunteer events here: https://austinparks.org/event-calendar/

05/13/2026

Texas restaurants are busier than ever, and every missed call can mean a missed opportunity.

That’s why we’re partnering with Maitly.ai to help Texas restaurants capture calls, answer guest questions, and support teams with a 24/7 AI receptionist, allowing staff to stay focused on hospitality.

An Austin AI startup wants to help Texas restaurants stop missing calls during busy shifts.

05/13/2026

Join us in congratulating TRA’s Kelsey Erickson Streufert and Ben Knorr for being selected as Austin Under 40 Awards 40 finalists! We are thrilled that you’re being recognized for your achievements and fortunate to have you both represent the TRA.

05/12/2026

ONLY 2 MONTHS UNTIL THE TEXAS RESTAURANT SHOW! What are you most excited to see there?

P.S. If you don’t have your badge yet, NOW is a great time to grab it. Early bird pricing for restaurant operators ends soon: https://fthr-content.txrestaurant.org/Show26social