National Restaurant Association Welcomes the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance to the Association

Partnership Strengthens Commitment to Increasing Diversity in the Restaurant Industry

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Nov 21, 2016, 01:43 ET

WASHINGTON, Nov. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today the National Restaurant Association marked a major milestone in its commitment to promoting and elevating diversity in the restaurant industry by welcoming the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance (MFHA) to the Association. The partnership is a result of the Association and MFHA's long history in working together to advance and promote the career and business opportunities for people of all color in America's second largest private sector employer- the restaurant industry.

"For America's one million restaurants, promoting diversity is the key ingredient to our industry's success and we are thrilled to welcome MFHA to our Association family. Through this partnership, we will work together to showcase the incredible opportunity and real pathways to success restaurants provide to Americans of all backgrounds. We are proud to represent an industry that welcomes every American to our table," said Dawn Sweeney, President and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

"Since our inception, the NRA and the NRA Educational Foundation have supported MFHA's mission to increase cultural awareness and advance diversity throughout the hospitality industry. This represents a homecoming as we return to the organization that helped us get started to form a natural partnership. MFHA's Cultural Intelligence content will now be made available to the industry through the NRA's vast network. We are proud to partner with NRA and look forward to furthering our mission across the entire restaurant and hospitality community," said Gerry Fernandez, President and Founder of the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance.

"As chair of Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance and a National Restaurant Association Education Foundation board member, I am proud to see our two organizations join forces with renewed commitment to increase cultural awareness and showcase the tremendous opportunities the hospitality industry provides to millions of Americans," said Roy Jackson, SVP, Business Development & Industry Affairs Foodservice & On-Premise Coca-Cola North America.

"As a proud partner of MFHA, Johnson & Wales is excited to see NRA and MFHA come together to promote and elevate diversity in the culinary community. We look forward to continuing our work with MFHA as they begin a new chapter," said John J. Bowen, Chancellor, Johnson & Wales University.

Founded in 1996, MFHA's mission has been to promote the economic benefits of diversity and inclusion in the restaurant, foodservice & lodging industry. In addition to advocating for career opportunities for people of color, MFHA is developing Cultural Intelligence training modules that help the industry improve business results in culturally diverse markets. MFHA delivers products and solutions around the "Dinner Table of Opportunity", which include recruiting and retaining a multicultural workforce, building an inclusive supply chain, engaging diverse multicultural communities and helping companies engage multicultural customers.

Additionally, MFHA's award winning Showcase of the Stars™ program, which was launched in 2000, is designed to promote the industry as a great career option for minority students. Since its first event, Showcase has consistently delivered valuable career advice to nearly twenty thousand students nationwide, through the inspiring success stories shared by guest panelists, or "Stars"- MFHA's leading members from today's most recognizable brands.

As part of this new partnership, Association members will have full access to MFHA's Cultural Intelligence solutions, webinars, conferences, roundtables and consultation services.

The Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance is a non-profit organization committed to being an educational resource on multicultural diversity issues for the restaurant, foodservice and lodging industry. Visit www.mfha.net for more information.

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SOURCE National Restaurant Association