Florida Restaurant Lodging & Restaurant Association

What Florida Restaurant Lodging & Restaurant Association does

The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association (FRLA) is a non-profit 501(c)(6) hospitality industry trade association founded in 1946 and headquartered at 230 South Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida. It represents over 10,000 member businesses across Florida's restaurant, lodging, and allied supplier industries, covering a workforce of approximately 2 million hospitality employees within a state hospitality market valued at roughly $111.7-$112 billion. The association operates through 24+ regional chapters covering major Florida markets including Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Monroe (Keys), Northeast, Suncoast, Space Coast, and Northwest FL, among others.

FRLA's core products and services include legislative advocacy, regulatory compliance training through subsidiaries SafeStaff (food safety/foodhandler certification) and RCS Training (alcohol compliance), the ServSafe program administered via its Educational Foundation, workforce development programs (ProStart and HTM for high school students), and a portfolio of signature events including the FRLA Summit, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, Tourism Day at the Capitol, Golf Invitationals, and the multi-chapter ROSE Awards (Recognition of Service Excellence). The organization also operates a Political Action Committee (PAC), the FRLA Educational Foundation providing scholarships (over $2.1 million awarded), and the FRLA Disaster Relief Fund.

FRLA's business model is subscription/dues-based with tiered pricing calibrated to annual revenue (restaurants) or room count (lodging), supplemented by event registration and corporate sponsorship fees, training/certification program fees, and optional PAC and Educational Foundation contributions. Distribution occurs through direct membership sales, 22+ regional chapters with localized regional directors, online training platforms, and partner-driven advocacy and education. Carol Dover has served as President & CEO for over two decades, providing institutional continuity alongside a 2026 Executive Committee chaired by Greg Cook (The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island) with Henry Delgado (Smith and Wollensky Restaurant Group) as Vice Chair.

Name

Florida Restaurant Lodging & Restaurant Association

Legal name

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association

Website

https://frla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FRLA is a non-profit Florida hospitality trade association, founded 1946, representing 10,000+ restaurant, lodging, and supplier member businesses across 24+ regional chapters via legislative advocacy, training, and events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tallahassee

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership dues structured by business type (restaurant, lodging, allied) and scale (annual sales volume for restaurants, room count for hotels). Duies range from under $375,000 annual sales to $20M+ with additional unit pricing.
2. Event Registration and Sponsorships: Revenue from chapter events, annual summits, golf tournaments, ROSE Awards ceremonies, and the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, including attendee fees and corporate sponsorships.
3. Training and Certification Programs: Fees from SafeStaff and RCS Training programs including food manager certification, foodhandler training, alcohol compliance, and human trafficking compliance training.
4. PAC and Foundation Contributions: Optional political action committee contributions ($25-$100+) and educational foundation contributions from members during membership renewal.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association is a non-profit trade association that delivers membership services, legislative advocacy, and training/certification programs to Florida's hospitality industry. Its core offerings include tiered annual membership for restaurants, hotels, and allied suppliers; food safety, alcohol compliance, and human trafficking training through subsidiaries SafeStaff and RCS Training; signature events such as the FRLA Summit and Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show; and the Educational Foundation's ProStart and HTM high school programs.

Product overview

FRLA is Florida's premier non-profit hospitality industry trade association offering a comprehensive portfolio of member services, training programs, and advocacy initiatives. The organization operates training and certification products through subsidiaries including SafeStaff® (food safety) and RCS Training (alcohol compliance), alongside the ServSafe® program administered through the Educational Foundation. The association provides career-building education programs (HTM and ProStart) for high school students, annual signature events (FRLA Summit, Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show), and multi-chapter ROSE Awards recognition programs. Member benefits include disaster relief funding, legislative advocacy through a Political Action Committee, and the TIPSA safety initiative. The 22+ regional chapters host local events, networking, and scholarship programs like the Claude Collins Hospitality Scholarship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SafeStaff Food Safety Training Regulatory compliance and food safety training program for hospitality workers, including Food Manager and Foodhandler certifications, delivered through FRLA's SafeStaff subsidiary.
• RCS Training Alcohol Compliance Alcohol compliance training program operated as FRLA's subsidiary, offering certification for hospitality staff serving alcoholic beverages.
• ServSafe Food Handler Certification Food handler certification program administered through FRLA's Educational Foundation, covering food safety best practices.
• Human Trafficking Compliance Training Human trafficking awareness and compliance training program for Florida hospitality operators.
• ProStart Education Program Culinary and restaurant management career-building program for high school students, offering certificates, exam resources, articulation agreements with colleges, and ProStart products.
• HTM (Hospitality Tourism Management) Program Industry-developed career-building program for high school students pursuing hospitality careers, including certification, school partnerships, and products.
• FRLA Summit Annual premier hospitality event featuring industry trends, best practices, top speakers, and networking with executives from major brands including Coca-Cola, MillerCoors, Marriott, Disney, and Firehouse Subs.
• Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show Annual trade show at Orange County Convention Center serving independent owners, restaurant operators, chefs, caterers, bakers, hotels, and commercial foodservice personnel.
• ROSE Awards (Recognition of Service Excellence) Multi-chapter awards program recognizing frontline hospitality professionals for exceptional service. Hosted by chapters including Northeast (17th annual), Pinellas (7th annual), Suncoast (4th annual), Space Coast (6th annual), Hillsborough (3rd annual), Broward, Monroe, and Northwest FL (inaugural).
• FRLA Disaster Relief Fund Financial assistance program for hospitality businesses affected by disasters such as hurricanes.
• Claude Collins Hospitality Scholarship Scholarship program for students who work at FRLA Northeast Chapter member businesses or whose parents are employees, with awards up to $1,000 per scholarship.
• TIPSA (Tourism Industry & Public Safety Alliance) Crime-fighting initiative in partnership with local law enforcement (Clay County, Jacksonville) to keep hospitality guests and visitors safe through open communication between hotel managers and police.
• Tourism Day at the Capitol Annual advocacy event where Florida tourism industry advocates for continued state investment, highlighting economic significance, employment, and tax revenue contributions.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successfully passed SB 940 (Restaurant Reservation Anti-Piracy) making it illegal to sell restaurant reservations without explicit restaurant consent, with penalties of $1,000/day per violation.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Zenith InsurancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 July 2026FRLA's endorsed workers' compensation provider presenting hospitality safety webinar series. Zenith offers specialized workers' comp programs designed for hospitality employers with Andy Tatum, VP Southern Area Safety & Health, leading educational content on preventing employee injuries and lowering workers' compensation costs.
• VISIT FLORIDAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 July 2025State's official tourism marketing organization. FRLA President & CEO Carol Dover serves on VISIT FLORIDA Board Executive Committee. Partnership focuses on promoting Florida tourism and representing hospitality industry interests. VISIT FLORIDA drives tourism through public-private partnership matching public funding dollar-for-dollar.
• Florida Natural Gas Association (FNGA)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025Partnership on hurricane preparedness content highlighting natural gas benefits for hospitality operations. FNGA promotes natural gas equipment to restaurants and hotels for resilient operations during power outages.
• Governor Ron DeSantisflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2025Governor DeSantis signed FRLA priority bills SB 606 (squatter protection) and SB 940 (reservation anti-piracy) into law, demonstrating a strong political partnership. DeSantis also recommended Bryan Griffin as VISIT FLORIDA CEO and has supported hospitality industry priorities throughout his administration.
• National Restaurant AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2025National advocacy organization. Mike Whatley, VP of State Affairs and Grassroots Advocacy, publicly supported FRLA's SB 940 legislation. Partnership provides national perspective on restaurant industry issues and coordinated advocacy efforts.
• Greg Cook (The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island)coreOthers · 13 January 20252026 FRLA Chair representing The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. Leadership partnership with top luxury hotel property to guide association direction.
• Henry Delgado (Smith and Wollensky Restaurant Group)coreOthers · 13 January 20252026 FRLA Vice Chair representing Smith and Wollensky Restaurant Group. Leadership partnership representing upscale dining sector.
• UnitedHealthcareminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Featured partner on FRLA website offering restaurant healthcare solutions. UnitedHealthcare provides health insurance options marketed to FRLA hospitality members.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Hotel & Lodging Association: National trade body for U.S. hotels and lodging; parallels FRLA's lodging-side mandate and works in tandem with state associations on legislative advocacy, workforce training, and certification programs.
• National Restaurant Association: The national umbrella trade association for the U.S. restaurant industry; mirrors FRLA's restaurant-side mandate but at federal scope, and publicly backed FRLA's SB 940 campaign. Closest peer at the national level.
• California Restaurant Association: State-level restaurant trade association offering advocacy, compliance training, and events — comparable model and product portfolio to FRLA, operating in another high-cost, high-regulation state.
• Texas Restaurant Association: Large state-level restaurant association operating with a comparable mix of advocacy, training, events, and chapter network — direct comparable in scale and operating model to FRLA.
• North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association: Combined restaurant-and-lodging state association — the closest structural peer to FRLA's post-2006 merged form, combining foodservice and lodging advocacy under one organization.
• Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association: Combined hospitality and tourism state association — directly comparable to FRLA's combined restaurant/lodging remit, including a tourism promotion function parallel to FRLA's VISIT FLORIDA partnership.
• New York State Restaurant Association: State-level restaurant trade association providing legislative representation, training, and member services — comparable model and regulatory complexity to FRLA.
• Illinois Restaurant Association: State-level restaurant trade association with comparable advocacy, training, and event portfolio; closely mirrors FRLA's operating model outside the lodging vertical.
• Georgia Restaurant Association: State-level restaurant association providing advocacy, education, and training programs comparable to FRLA, with similar mix of legislative engagement and operator services.

Others

• VISIT FLORIDA: Florida's official destination marketing organization and direct FRLA partner (Carol Dover serves on its Executive Committee). Closely adjacent — not a peer in advocacy/training but tightly co-dependent on Florida hospitality demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/FrlaOrg
• Facebookfacebook.com/FRLAnews
• Xx.com/FRLAnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/frlanews

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Florida Restaurant Lodging & Restaurant Association