🍽️ PITTSBURGH FOODIES, YOUR VOTE COUNTS! 🗳️ Cast your vote by May 31st to help crown the best new restaurant in the Pittsburgh region. This year’s finalists are:
• @maileysprovisions
• @seamonkeypgh
• @senzapgh
• @shamrockwhiskeyandcigarbar
🔗 VOTE NOW: link in bio
Then, join us to celebrate the heart & soul of Pittsburgh’s vibrant restaurant scene at the Pittsburgh Spirit of Hospitality Awards Celebration:
📅 Monday, June 15, 2026
🕠 5:30–9:00 PM
📍 @riverscasinopgh
This week, PRLA members and staff joined hoteliers from across the country at the American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Hotels on the Hill in Washington, D.C., meeting face-to-face with Members of Congress to champion the issues that matter most to our industry, our guests, and our workforce.
From tax policy to labor issues, your voice makes a difference—and our advocates proved it. A huge thank you to everyone who made the trip to D.C. and dedicated their time to represent Pennsylvania’s hotel industry at the highest level. We are stronger together! 💪
#AdvocacyToSustain #HotelsontheHill
🎓 Congratulations to our 2026-27 PRLAEF Scholarship Recipients! 👏 The PRLA Educational Foundation is proud to award 18 scholarships totaling $37,000 to deserving Pennsylvania students pursuing education in hospitality and culinary arts.
Here’s what this support means to one recipient, Evangeline:
“I work two jobs in the summer and have been saving for years in hopes of affording the education that will help me accomplish my dream. This scholarship will give me a huge head start in paying for my tuition. I can move forward with confidence and peace of mind knowing that I can accomplish my goals and people believe in me and my dream.”
📚 Applications for the PRLAEF Scholarship Program will re-open October 1. Know a student who could benefit? Learn more at prla.org/scholarship
#WorkforceWednesday
☝️ Your business might be sitting on money you already paid. #TipTuesday
Two recent federal court decisions could allow small business owners to recover penalties and interest assessed between 2020 and 2023. If you were charged, there’s a chance you could recover some of it, but time is limited. We’ve partnered with Adesso Tax Services to help.
With deadlines approaching, now is the time to review your eligibility and claim any potential refund.
Tap the link in our bio to complete Adesso’s 3-minute eligibility check today: /penalty-refund
Three weeks away! 👉 Meridith Elliott Powell, CSP, CPAE is bringing her signature energy to PRLA’s inaugural Women in Hospitality Leadership Forum on June 2 at the @pennharrishotel with a message every woman in our industry needs to hear.
In “Claiming Your Seat—Confidence, Leadership & Belonging in Hospitality”, you’ll walk away with:
✨ The confidence to own your voice and your space as a leader
✨ Practical tools to overcome self-doubt and lead with conviction
✨ A renewed sense of belonging in an industry you’ve worked hard to be part of
Whether you’re early in your career or already leading an organization, Meridith will meet you where you are, and challenge you to go further.
🔗 Register today: Link in bio.
As we celebrate National Travel & Tourism Week, PRLA is proud to represent and support the hospitality & tourism professionals who make Pennsylvania a destination worth visiting. 🙌
The energy at our recent chapter socials—from @muralcitycellars in Philadelphia to @waltzvineyardsestate in Lancaster to Stoney Creek Inn in Dauphin, plus our World Cup Ready: Hospitality Briefing for Philadelphia with @fwc26philly at @brauhausschmitz —show how engaged and ready our industry is to welcome vistors from around the world in a big way this year.
A heartfelt thank you to the dedicated travel & tourism professionals across Pennsylvania who make it happen! 👏 #NTTW26
PRLA joined @poconotourism at @kalahariresortspoconos yesterday for their annual Tourism Day Summit, coinciding with National Travel and Tourism Week. #NTTW26
It was an honor to present our Spirit of Hospitality Poconos Region Awards, recognizing the outstanding local professionals who go above and beyond in service, leadership, and community impact.
Congratulations to this year’s recipients:
🏆 Industry Supporter Award: Colin Smith, Owner & Operator at @johnsmilford
🏆 Newcomer of the Year: @thefrogtowntavern
🏆 Manager of the Year: Kailey Knorr, Event Coordinator at @cc_scranton
🏆Employee of the Year: Katie McKee, Executive Assistant & Special Projects Manager at the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau
These regional winners will advance as finalists for the statewide PRLAEF Spirit of Hospitality Awards this November in State College.
We’re also grateful to the Pocono Mountains Visitors Bureau for honoring PRLA with their Valued Partner Award. We appreciate your partnership and shared commitment to elevating hospitality and tourism in the Pocono Mountains and across Pennsylvania. 🤝
#WorkforceWednesday spotlight on one of our incredible Restaurant Ready program partners, @ardellashouse .
👉 Founded in 2010, Ardella’s House is a service and advocacy non-profit organization committed to helping women and girls with criminal justice histories realize new possibilities for themselves and their families. Their programs make it possible for women and girls to obtain work, housing, and health care; to rebuild their families; and to participate fully in civic life.
Last week, PRLA Workforce Development Specialist Andrea Trubiano, alongside HR leaders from @atlasrestaurantgroup , met with Ardella’s House founder Tonie Willis and Workforce Development Coordinator Jordan Cohen to learn more about the meaningful work their organization is doing in Philadelphia.
This is exactly the kind of partnership that makes Restaurant Ready so powerful—connecting people who are ready to work with an industry that’s ready to welcome them. 🤝
Your seat at the table is waiting. 🙌 Join us in Camp Hill on June 2 for the inaugural Women in Hospitality Leadership Forum—designed to elevate professional growth, leadership, and connection for women across Pennsylvania’s hospitality industry.
Here’s what’s in store:
✨ Keynote by @powellmeridithelliott | Claiming Your Seat: Confidence, Leadership & Belonging in Hospitality
✨ Empowered Voices Panel—real talk on confidence, burnout, career growth & lifting others
✨ Breakout sessions on financial confidence & developing the next generation of leaders
✨ Networking lunch to close the day with the connections that count
Whether you’re just starting out or leading the way, there’s a seat here for you. Don’t miss Pennsylvania’s newest leadership event for women in our industry.
🔗 Register today—link in bio.
As #NationalApprenticeshipWeek winds down, we’re spotlighting @atlasrestaurantgroup , a multi-state leader using the @nraefoundation apprenticeship program to upskill their current employees at #PRLAmember @lochbarphilly and locations across Pennsylvania, Delaware, Texas, and Maryland.
Atlas has branded their apprenticeship program as Navigate—a name chosen by their own apprentices that reflects the program’s mission:
“Navigate is about giving our people the tools, guidance, and support to navigate their careers within Atlas Restaurant Group and across the hospitality industry, helping them move forward with clarity, confidence, and purpose. It reflects our commitment to developing talent from within by equipping our teams to grow meaningful careers while strengthening the future of our industry’s workforce.”
- Cheryl Buynak, Vice President of Human Resources, Atlas Restaurant Group
This is how forward-thinking employers invest in their people and build stronger teams! 👏 #NAW2026 #ApprenticeshipUSA
PRLA’s Taste of the State reception is one month away! 🍽️ This is your chance to meet your lawmakers face-to-face at the PA Capitol in Harrisburg, represent your business, and show the strength of Pennsylvania’s hospitality & tourism industry while enjoying bites & beverages from across Pennsylvania’s regions.
📍 PA Capitol, East Wing Rotunda | June 1 | 5–6:30 PM
✅ Free to attend — registration required: link in bio
Special thank you to title sponsor, @mcdonalds , and our additional sponsors & partners for helping make this event possible:
@visit_hersheyharrisburg , @aahoaofficial , @pacamping , @poconotourism , @visitdelcopa , @discover_phl , @doordash , @go_laurelhighlands , @grubhub
