Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González / Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business documented the Rio Grande Valley chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association’s annual chairman’s dinner, where TRA Board Chairman Chris Aslam delivered a detailed update on statewide and national legislative wins for the restaurant industry. His remarks focused on advocacy, regulatory progress, and the strong sense of community he witnessed among RGV restaurateurs.
Aslam opened by thanking attendees for their warm welcome. “Thank you so much for welcoming me to the Valley here and being a part of tonight,” he said.
He then turned to the TRA’s work over the past year, calling it “an absolutely productive year.” Aslam previewed that TRA’s Chief Revenue Officer Joe Monastero would later discuss the “state of the industry.” Still, he himself wanted to highlight key legislative achievements at both the federal and state levels.
Aslam said that on the federal side, restaurateurs “got everything we could have asked for.” He listed several wins: extended pass-through income deductions, further deductions for employee meals, and the extension of the estate tax exemption, which he described as especially helpful for family-owned restaurants. He also noted the importance of “the deduction on bonus depreciation,” explaining that it is “a huge win” for operators who want to buy a business or upgrade equipment.
Another area of federal success involved employees and families. Aslam highlighted “further deduction for childcare, increasing it to 50%,” saying it would help workers manage rising family costs.
Turning to state-level victories, Aslam said, “It’s very rare in any industry that you get more than one or two pieces of legislation passed. We’ve had an incredible year on the restaurant side.” He shared detailed numbers: “We blocked 55 bills that were going to be harmful to us… We were able to help write eight bills… and the TRA passed 18 bills in our favor.”
Aslam said these wins directly reduce burdens on restaurant owners. One example was “regulatory consistency,” which he described as making it easier to get permits and build restaurants without excessive government interference. TRA also secured an exemption from the “Make America Healthy Again” proposal, which would have required restaurants to add extra labeling to menus—something Aslam said, “would’ve been very difficult for us to pass.”
Another significant achievement was property tax relief, made possible by directing part of the state’s budget surplus to lowering restaurant tax bills. He added that TRA also stopped efforts to change menu-pricing rules that would have required operators to “break out the fees” in ways that “complicate the way our customers order.”
Reflecting on TRA’s work, Aslam repeated the organization’s guiding principle: “Predictability for today and progress for tomorrow.” He confirmed the completion of TRA’s new three-year strategic plan, designed to position the association for continued growth as it enters its 90th year.
Aslam closed by thanking the Valley chapter again, saying, “You really do have such a beautiful community you’ve built here.” He encouraged attendees to share their stories with him throughout the evening, calling the region’s hospitality “absolutely inspirational.”
See related stories:
