The National Restaurant Association (NRA) in the US has sought federal government assistance to mitigate supply chain challenges in the restaurant industry.
In a statement, the NRA said that the association has sent to letter to US President Biden stating that the supply chain issues and inflation are impeding the recovery of the restaurant industry.
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The step comes after a recent NRA survey found that around 95% of restaurants have faced supply delays or shortages of key food items in recent months. Around 75% of restaurants made changes to their menus as a result of such difficulties.
The NRA also noted that wholesale food and restaurant commodity prices have recently soared, further exacerbating the situation.
In the letter to the White House, the NRA made certain suggestions that it believes would help in resolving the supply chain challenges.
One of these suggestions included addressing labour shortages through immigration reforms and expanding employment opportunities. The letter also proposed allowing more young people to enter the trucking industry, which is currently suffering from a massive shortage of drivers.
The NRA also urged the US Government to remove burdensome tariffs on equipment that is used across the supply chain, as well as food and beverage products.
NRA public affairs executive vice-president Sean Kennedy said: “Faced with these very challenging times, our industry is doing its level best to protect employees and customers, while restaurants are struggling to keep their doors open.
“Taken together, these recommendations can work to help our nation’s restaurants that are being crippled as the pandemic rages on and supply chain challenges grow.”
A business association for the restaurant industry, the NRA represents more than 500,000 businesses and provides advocacy on their behalf.
