​DirecTV and EverPass announced a multiyear deal that will allow DirecTV for Business to continue streaming Sunday Ticket to restaurants, bars, and other businesses. DirecTV for Business will continue to offer other games as well through NFL RedZone, ESPN+, MLB Extra Innings, NBA League Pass, MLS Season Pass, and more.
 
What does this mean for Wisconsin? This is great news for the thousands of restaurants and bars across Wisconsin that rely on DirecTV to stream games that bring in guests. Without this deal, these businesses were facing the choice of skipping NFL Sunday Ticket games or investing as much as $40k in new equipment that may not have been reliable in every market. Plus, they would have needed additional subscriptions to stream other games.
 
This is the power of advocacy: When the WRA learned DirecTV for Business would no longer have the distribution rights for Sunday Ticket, we joined forces with the National Restaurant Association to advocate for our members. 

• We engaged with Representative Scott Fitzgerald, Chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, who is leading a congressional investigation into NFL's media practices that dramatically raise prices for businesses who stream NFL games.
• We activated our membership, who sent emails to their lawmakers outlining the damage that would be done to local businesses.

• We raised awareness in the media with interviews by Johnny Kavanaugh from LJ's Sports Tavern in Madison, and Kristine Hillmer, WRA President & CEO, in various local, state and national media outlets.

 
In the end, EverPass worked out a deal with DirecTV to protect restaurants and bars’ existing streaming option.
 
What’s next?

• We don’t have all the details of the deal yet, but as additional information becomes available, we will keep our members updated.   

• In the meantime, let’s celebrate this win. In a tough business environment, this is a tangible reminder that, by working together, our industry can deliver powerful results. 

 
Support the WRA’s ongoing advocacy efforts by sharing this message with a colleague who isn’t a member and encouraging them to join, or by investing in our future wins today.  
 
Learn more about the NFL Sunday Ticket partnership deal here.
 
Thank you to Johnny, our partners at National, and every one of you who spoke out on this issue. Together, we made a difference.

Dear Industry Friends, 

As recovery efforts continue across the Fox Valley, we're reminded how the restaurant and hospitality community comes together to support one another and our neighbors when it matters most.

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association stands with every restaurant, bakery, café, caterer, tavern, food truck, and foodservice business impacted by these storms. While recovery will take time, no operator should have to navigate this process alone.

How can we help you?
Whether your business has experienced damage, power outages, inventory loss, staffing challenges, or other operational disruptions, WRA is here to help connect you with resources, information, and industry partners.

Get answers to your questions and let us help you find solutions. Together, we can help protect inventory, support recovery efforts, and get your restaurants back up and running. 

Direct: 📞 608.270.9950 | ✉️ [email protected]
Submit Question: AskWRA - Wisconsin Restaurant Association

Yours in hospitality, 
All of us at the Wisconsin Restaurant Association

Restaurant Industry Resources

Employee Assistance Resource: CORE
Restaurant employees affected by the Fox Valley tornadoes may be eligible for support through CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees). CORE provides emergency relief grants to food and beverage service employees experiencing hardship due to natural disasters and other qualifying emergencies. We encourage operators to share this resource with team members who may need additional support during recovery.

Always Ready Natural Disasters by the National Restaurant Association
The National Restaurant Association Always Ready: Natural Disasters toolkit gleans the best practices from official sources and restaurant operators—including human resources and risk managers from independent restaurants and national brands—to share recommendations for what to do in advance, during and after a natural disaster.

The Wisconsin Restaurant Association is sharing this information to help stay informed and take proactive steps to protect guests, employees, and their businesses:

According to the FDA, it’s joining the CDC and public health officials in several states to investigate a multistate outbreak of Cyclospora infections linked to shredded iceberg lettuce served in five states: Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. 

The FDA’s traceback investigation has identified a convergence on a single supplier of iceberg lettuce and is working with that supplier to determine if contaminated shredded iceberg lettuce remains on the market. Per the CDC, it is also investigating other outbreaks and illnesses of cyclosporiasis nationally that are unrelated to this outbreak.

The latest updates can be found on the FDA and CDC websites. 
Our team is available to answer any questions you might have or provide further information, so please do not hesitate to contact us.

5 Steps Restaurants Can Take to Reduce Risk
Food safety remains of primary importance to the restaurant industry. Your consumers will want to know that you are continuing to prioritize food safety as a non-negotiable. This includes using programs like ServSafe. 

Because contamination often occurs before produce reaches a restaurant, the following information serves as an important reminder for operators. By staying vigilant and following established food safety best practices, restaurants can help reduce risk and maintain the trust and confidence of their guests.

1. Verify Your Suppliers
Work only with approved suppliers that maintain robust food safety programs and can provide traceability information for produce shipments. Knowing where products originate can help operators respond quickly if a supplier or product is identified. 

If you buy from a local farmer or farmers market, make sure you ask the grower that they have put in place food safety protocols, including water quality and flood mitigation strategies.

2. Strengthen Produce Handling Procedures
Ensure leafy greens and other fresh produce are received, stored, washed, and prepared according to established food safety guidelines. Use clean equipment and designated prep areas to minimize the risk of cross-contamination.

3. Reinforce Employee Food Safety Training
Take the opportunity to review proper handwashing, glove use, illness reporting, and food handling procedures with staff. Consistent training helps maintain safe practices throughout daily operations.

4. Review Recall and Response Plans
Make sure managers know how to identify, isolate, and remove affected products if a recall or health advisory is issued. Maintaining accurate purchase records and product traceability information can significantly improve response times.

5. Stay Informed and Communicate Quickly
Monitor updates from public health agencies and trusted suppliers. Prompt awareness of emerging food safety issues allows operators to make informed decisions and communicate effectively with employees and guests when needed.

By taking these proactive steps, restaurants can strengthen their food safety programs, reduce operational risk, and demonstrate their ongoing commitment to protecting public health.

DoorDash, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, and the City of Milwaukee hosted a Local Business Workshop, bringing together entrepreneurs from local businesses for a day of hands-on training.

At the Workshop, participants received hands-on training on DoorDash tools and advertising, education on AI-powered business solutions, and received DoorDash ad credits to put what they learned into action immediately. 

“Milwaukee's local businesses are the heart of our neighborhoods, and City Hall is committed to making sure they have every opportunity to succeed," said Mayor Cavalier Johnson. “This Workshop is a great example of what's possible when local government, industry partners, and companies come together around a shared goal. I’m proud of our city’s partnership with DoorDash and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association to give our local businesses the support they need to grow right here in Milwaukee.”
 
“Running a restaurant or small business in today’s environment is no small feat, and the Wisconsin Restaurant Association is making sure our business owners have access to tangible resources that truly make a difference,” said Kristine Hillmer, President and CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association. “We’re grateful to partner with DoorDash and the City of Milwaukee to bring this Workshop to our community. Events like this give business owners something tangible to walk away with: real tools, new connections, and a clearer path forward.”
 
“From permits and fees to delays that keep businesses from growing, small business owners face challenges that most people don’t often hear about,” said Mike Pomerantz, Head of National Policy Engagement for DoorDash. “Today’s Workshop was our way of showing up for Milwaukee businesses with practical, immediate support to tackle those obstacles. We're proud to work alongside the Wisconsin Restaurant Association and Mayor Johnson's office to address the barriers that slow too many businesses down.”
 
“Before today, I had ideas to take my business to the next level, but I wasn’t sure where to start,” said Leo Farfan, owner of Anytime Arepa GF Kitchen. “Between the trainings and the people I met, the DoorDash Local Business Workshop gave me a roadmap to grow and the confidence to follow it. I'm leaving here ready to get to work."
 
The Workshop series is also part of DoorDash’s Unlocking Main Street campaign, pairing on-the-ground support for entrepreneurs with a policy agenda aimed at reducing the barriers they face to opening and growing their businesses.
 
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) is the voice of Wisconsin’s essential restaurant and hospitality sector. We represent over 7,000 restaurant locations statewide, from seasonal drive-ins, supper clubs and neighborhood bars to fine-dining and large resorts. Most of our members hold alcohol licenses.
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation (WRAEF) advances the industry by supporting workforce development, education, and training initiatives that help build a strong, skilled hospitality workforce across the state.
Key Facts about Wisconsin’s Restaurant Workforce & Economy:

• Major Employer: Restaurants employ 9% of Wisconsin's workforce, making our industry vital to the state’s economic health.
• Independent Core: Over 75% of our members are independent restaurants and restaurant groups, underscoring our commitment to local small business owners. Twenty percent of our members are locally owned franchisees of major hospitality brands.
• Community Cornerstones: Beyond jobs and hospitality, restaurants are the cornerstones of their neighborhoods. They actively support local schools, teams, charities, and churches through regular fundraising and donations, providing safe, vital meeting places for every community need.

​MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Imagine this. It’s game day, and you invite your fellow sports fans over to your house to watch the big game. It turns out you don’t have the right streaming service to watch your local team. So instead, you walk over to your local bar, but they don’t have it either despite trying to get it.

This isn’t a scenario that is uncommon. It seems like every time fans try to watch their favorite team, it’s always on a different platform, and paying for them all can get expensive. Not just for the average fan at home, but for bars and restaurants, too.
LJ’s Sports Tavern in Madison knows the headache all too well. The Madison establishment has been open for nearly 10 years and the owner says since he has opened, his prices have nearly tripled just to play sports on his TVs.

“We did the math the other day and I think it’s about 30 grand a year just for the services we have to pay for, not counting buying the TVs and the cable bill,” Johnny Kavanaugh, owner of LJ’s Sports Tavern in Madison, said.

That price tag has taken a toll on this bar owner’s bottom line, and he’s not alone. The Wisconsin Restaurant Association says the rise of streaming has complicated the professional sports landscape. When businesses don’t have the games customers want, fans simply stop coming.

“When a fan comes and they can’t see their favorite sports team for whatever reason, whether it’s women’s basketball or men’s hockey or the Bucks, Brewers, or so on, they are going to be trained then, not to come back to that bar, restaurant to be able to see that game in the future,” Kristine Hillmer, president and CEO of the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, said.

Hillmer says bars and restaurants already have lower profit margins than they use. She says on average, pre-Covid, it was 3-5%. Now, with the increase in staffing cost as well as rent and utilities, the profit margin for most restaurants is around 2.5%.

That’s why Senator Tammy Baldwin has filed the For the Fans Act, which would require hometown teams to give free access to local fans. That means it would require professional leagues to provide access for local fans to watch all games for teams based in the state in which they reside, through a single, free option. That could include streaming on an ad-supported service or a local over-the-air broadcast. It would also ban blackouts on league-owned streaming services. According to Sen. Baldwin, the legislation requires streaming services to provide access to view every game within their respective leagues. That means consumers who subscribe to services like MLB.TV and NBA League Pass will no longer face blackouts when games are played in their local media market or set to air exclusively on a third-party streaming service like Amazon Prime Video.

“If you are lured into a subscription, you want to be a super fan and watch all of your games and then they black out the games, that’s a deceptive practice, which the federal government can come in and enforce laws against deception and deceptive practices from businesses,” Sen. Baldwin said.

Business owners like Johnny Kavanaugh understand that professional sports are a business, but he says sports teams need fans from all socio-economic backgrounds.

“They need the people to be engaged too, “Kavanaugh said. “I think it’s important that they take care of the regular people and not just the people that have enough money to pay for all the games.”

We reached out to all of the professional sports teams in Wisconsin for comment on this legislation. The only reply by our deadline was from the Green Bay Packers. The organization sent the following statement.

​This past Monday, WRA members meet with Senator Tammy Baldwin to discuss her new bill - For the Fans Act - which the Wisconsin Restaurant Association has endorsed. The group discussed the increasing high cost of broadcasting sports games in restaurants and bars, along with other head winds the industry faces. The cost of subscribing to the new NFL Sunday Ticket package alone can cost $13,000 per year, up to $300/TV to purchase the streaming equipment.

The For the Fans Act is designed to simplify access to home state team's televised games. For the hospitality industry, this could mean significantly lower overhead and fewer technical headaches when trying to air local games. 

Key Impacts for Your Venue:

• No More Blackouts: The bill prohibits league-owned services (like MLB.TV or NBA League Pass) from blacking out local games. If you pay for the service, you’ll actually be able to show the home team.
• Free Local Access: Leagues would be required to provide a single, free viewing option for all in-state professional games. This could be via local over-the-air TV or a free, ad-supported streaming service.
• Reduced Complexity: By ending exclusive paywalls (like games only available on Amazon Prime or Netflix), the bill aims to consolidate where you find the game, potentially saving businesses thousands in annual subscription fees.
• Coverage: The act applies to the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, and MLS.

The Bottom Line: If passed, this legislation would eliminate the need for a dozen different logins and "exclusive" subscriptions, allowing you to broadcast local sports through a more affordable and streamlined system.

​Wisconsin Restaurant Association invites nominations honoring women making an impact across the hospitality industry.
The Wisconsin Restaurant Association (WRA) is now accepting nominations for the Women in Hospitality Awards, a statewide recognition program celebrating women who are driving excellence, innovation, and positive change across Wisconsin’s hospitality industry.

The awards honor standout professionals from every corner of the industry—including restaurants, hotels, tourism, and supplier partners—recognizing women at all stages of their careers who inspire teams, elevate communities, and help shape the future of hospitality.

Every kitchen, dining room, office, classroom, and supplier network has someone worth recognizing, The Women in Hospitality Awards gives the opportunity to shine a light on the women whose leadership, dedication, and impact often reach far beyond their job titles.

​Alcohol beverage license renewals should be easier beginning this year, thanks to changes from the Wisconsin Department of Revenue (DOR) Division of Alcohol Beverages. These changes were advocated for by the WRA, other industry groups and local clerks.

Each year when operators renew their alcohol beverage licenses, they were required to fill out three forms:

• AB-100 (Fill-In Form) Alcohol Beverage Individual Questionnaire 
• AB-101 (Fill-In Form) Alcohol Beverage Appointment of Agent
• AB-200 (Fill-In Form) Alcohol Beverage License Application 

​Filling out AB-100 and AB-101 each year is usually redundant, since there are rarely changes from year to year with the information collected. Beginning this year, operators will not have to fill out AB-100 and AB-101, unless there are changes that need to be reported to the licensing municipality. 

Every licensee will still need to fill out form AB-200, which is the actual license application. The new renewal path on Form AB-200 allows licensees to provide old copies of Forms AB-100 and AB-101 if all the information contained on them is still accurate.

This should provide a more streamlined process for both licensees and local clerks, reducing the administrative burden for both.

The 2026 editions of Forms AB-100, 101, and 200 have been posted on the DOR website: DOR Retail Alcohol Beverage License Applications and Miscellaneous Forms.

Immigration enforcement continues to be an evolving challenge for restaurant operators, particularly given the industry’s diverse workforce. To help operators navigate I‑9 requirements, Notices of Inspections, and other enforcement actions, the National Restaurant Association and the Restaurant Law Center are hosting a timely webinar offering practical, operational guidance.
​
Fisher Phillips attorneys Alden J. Parker, Co‑Chair of the Hospitality Industry Group, and Jocelyn Campanaro, immigration and workplace compliance attorney, will walk through key compliance considerations, effective strategies for communicating with employees about immigration issues, and what operators should expect—and be prepared to do—when enforcement activity occurs.

Key Takeaways Include:

• Understanding common immigration enforcement scenarios, including I‑9 audits and administrative inspections
• Communicating calmly and appropriately with employees about immigration‑related concerns
• Proactively preparing your operation for potential enforcement, including I‑9 reviews and response planning
• Knowing what to do if ICE visits a restaurant while minimizing disruption and staying compliant

​Who should attend: Designed for owners, operators, and HR professionals, this session provides the information and tools needed to strengthen compliance practices and readiness in today’s enforcement environment.

After this webinar takes place, it will be available for on demand viewing. Please register even if you cannot attend the live presentation. You will receive a link to the on demand presentation where you can watch at your leisure.

​Ice dams are common in regions that experience cold, snowy winters. An ice dam is a symptom of an abnormally warm roof and can lead to costly water damage if left unaddressed.

They can occur after a heavy snowfall; and as snow melts on a warm roof, water runs downward and refreezes near the roof edge or gutters. Over time, this creates a ridge of ice that blocks proper drainage. As more snow melts, water backs up under shingles and can seep into the building.

If you notice large icicles hanging from the roofline, your building may already be at risk of ice dam damage.

Click the Read More button below for ice dam prevention tips from Society Insurance.

​Congratulations to Tyson and Julia Koput, Owners of TAPHOUSE TWENTY! They were honored at the State Capitol as a "Hometown Hero", nominated by Rep. Nancy VanderMeer, for everything they do for the Tomah community.

We couldn’t be prouder to have them as longtime WRA members.

Beyond running a successful restaurant, the Koputs have gone above and beyond to support the next generation. Between hosting international hockey players and starting the "Big Band Bash", which has raised over $33k for local jazz programs, they are constantly finding ways to show up for their neighbors. Through their events, they give over 100 students the chance to perform and learn real-world skills which embodies the heart of Wisconsin hospitality through community, passion and service.

The National Restaurant Association needs your input to guide their advocacy agenda this year. This year, policymakers will be considering everything from treatment of third-party delivery companies to immigration reform to tariffs. Please take a few moments to fill out the 2026 Advocacy Survey. The survey takes less than 15 minutes to complete and is anonymous.