Get the word out

Washington DC – Today, the American Business Immigration Coalition (ABIC), the James Beard Foundation, along with restaurants, bars, wineries, and hospitality businesses across the country, officially launched Seat the Table, a national campaign highlighting the contributions of immigrant food workers, addressing the industry’s ongoing labor shortage and calling for urgent work permits to stabilize food service, prices and availability for all Americans.

The Seat the Table campaign emphasizes that providing work permits to tax-paying immigrant workers who have contributed to this country for decades would:

• Address critical labor shortages affecting restaurants, food service and availability
• Stabilize food prices for consumers
• Support small business owners and entrepreneurs across hotels, bars, restaurants, farms and hospitality
• Strengthen local economies across the country

The campaign convenes 19 organizations, including the Texas Restaurant Association and the Latino Restaurant Association, to urge Congress to provide work permits for long-term, law-abiding, tax-paying immigrants who are vital to the food and hospitality workforce.

More than 970 chefs, restaurant, winery, bar, inn and hotel owners also signed an open letter calling on Congress to pass legislation providing work permits for undocumented workers, specifically those in the hospitality industry.

“Voters across party lines are demanding action. We recently conducted a poll that shows 83 percent of voters across battleground states, including 78 percent of Republican primary voters, 84 percent of Hispanic voters, and 90 percent of Democratic voters support work permits for long-term law-abiding immigrants in essential jobs. So Seat The Table is a call to protect our food systems, our businesses, and the workers who power them,” said Rebecca Shi, ABIC CEO.

“The restaurant industry and food system as we know it are underpinned by the creativity, resilience and heritage of immigrant communities,” said James Beard Foundation CEO Clare Reichenbach. “Immigration solutions like work permits are necessary to secure economic stability, uphold human dignity, and recognize fully the enduring contributions that immigrants make to the country’s food, culture, and future,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation. 

“So many folks want to come to the United States, they want to work hard, they want to pay their taxes, they want to raise their families, they want to be contributing members to American society. We just have to give them a pathway forward to legally have that work authorization,” said U.S. Rep. Gabe Evans (R-Colo.).

“President Trump was very clear that he wants a secure border but he also wants a strong economy. What we’re seeing here today is a simple, commonsense ask: we’re seeking work permits for members of our community. Sales are falling at both the restaurant and retail level and over 40 percent of our restaurants are now reporting they don’t have critical people to fill jobs. I’m hopeful that by continuing to educate on the role of these individuals, we can come to a solution,” said Emily Knight, CEO and President of the Texas Restaurant Association. 

“Contrary to today’s rhetoric, immigrants are the backbone of this economy. We create jobs, we keep businesses alive, we pay taxes, insurance and permits. Our work supports local farmers, suppliers, and other small businesses. I don’t know a single person who wouldn’t want to do it the right way, but the reality is, there is no path currently. Without a path forward, our workforce will remain unstable and our industry will continue to suffer,” said Paulina Lopez, Co-Proprietor of Guelaguetza Restaurant in Los Angeles, California.

“We don’t want to be here illegally. We’re already doing everything right to be integrated into society. All we need is a pathway to properly be here,” said Byron Gomez, Chef/Partner at BRUTØ in Denver, Colorado.

“I’m 45 minutes from the border, and it’s been crazy how businesses are going down in some way in Phoenix and Tucson. It’s a concern for us how it will be next year– right now we already have a hard time hiring people across my two restaurants, with customers asking how the economy is going to impact us in the next six months,” said Jose Contreras, Chef-Owner of Amelia’s Kitchen in Tucson, Arizona. 

The food service & hospitality industry, a vital part of the U.S. economy and a foundation for millions of small businesses, is facing labor shortages across the country, threatening its stability and long-term growth. Immigrant workers — who represent 36% of restaurant owners and over 20% of the sector’s workforce — are essential to keeping restaurants open, yet outdated immigration policies force many to live and work in the shadows. Without action, long-standing establishments risk closure and economic loss.