Food Safety Seal of Commitment Exhibits Establishment’s Dedication to Customer Safety

SEVEN BARMUDA RESTAURANTS EARN IOWA RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION’S FOOD SAFETY SEAL OF COMMITMENT

First in Blackhawk County to Receive Prestigious Award

(July 16, 2007) Waterloo, IA — Seven restaurants under the Barmuda umbrella have earned the Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Food Safety Seal of Commitment—a voluntary program that requires expanded training of all employees and exemplifies an establishment’s commitment to serving safe food. The Food Safety Seal of Commitment includes a formal application/evaluation process with specific benchmarks for employee food safety training. Beck’s Sports Brewery – University Avenue, Park Place Event Centre, Ferrari’s Ristorante, Bourbon Street Restaurant, Soho Sushi Bar & Deli, The Stuffed Olive and Beck’s Sports Grill – College Hill all have met the criteria of the Food Safety Seal of Commitment.

“The Food Safety Seal of Commitment is only awarded to restaurants that have demonstrated food safety training as a top priority for ALL employees—from cashiers and hostesses to management and kitchen staff,” emphasized May Schaben, vice president of educational programs for the IRA. “This program signifies a restaurant’s level of commitment to its customers, as well as its staff.”

Recognition Requires Ongoing Training

To receive the Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Food Safety Seal of Commitment, restaurants must:

Have at least one manager per location who has been trained and certified within the last five years in the ServSafe® Manager’s Certification Course, an eight hour nationally recognized food safety training program offered in Iowa through the Iowa Restaurant Association.

Have at least 75% of all employees trained annually in DineSafe, a two hour short course, based on the ServSafe® program, which was developed to train every restaurant employee on food safety, even those not regularly handling or serving food.

Implement a continuous new hire food safety training program.

Restaurants must reapply for the Seal of Commitment annually.

Matt Smiley, Vice President of Operations of Barmuda commented, “Customers expect their food to be safe when they come into a restaurant. It’s our obligation to make sure that everyone in our establishment understands how to deliver on that expectation. It is part and parcel to delivering a great dining experience.”

Any restaurateur interested in pursuing the IRA Educational Foundation’s Food Safety Seal of Commitment can contact the Iowa Restaurant Association at 800-747-1453 or visit the IRA website at www.restaurantiowa.com.

About the Iowa Restaurant Association
Headquartered in Des Moines, the Iowa Restaurant Association is the professional association of the restaurant and retail beverage industries in Iowa. In addition to representing the industries’ legislative concerns, the Iowa Restaurant Association works to educate its members on ways to operate efficiently, safely, and profitably and to promote quality and professionalism in the industry. For more information, visit www.restaurantiowa.com.

Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation

The Iowa Restaurant Association Educational Foundation promotes awareness of the restaurant and retail beverage industry as a professional career path. The Foundation works to strengthen and improve educational offerings, opportunities and services for the advancement of the industry. The IRAEF is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation.

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