Seat the Table Launches National Keep Food on the Table Campaign

Seat the Table Launches National Keep Food on the Table Campaign, Advocating for Work Permits for Long-Term, Law-Abiding Immigrants Throughout the Food Pipeline

Coalition urges federal government to create work permits to address rising food costs, strengthen communities and protect local businesses; Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO-08) joined coalition leaders at the launch event

AUSTIN, Texas (March 11, 2026) - Today, Seat the Table, a nationwide coalition of hospitality and agriculture leaders, launched its Keep Food on the Table campaign to empower all Americans who care about their food to advocate for work permits that are needed across the food supply chain. Founded by the American Business Immigration Coalition, Texas Restaurant Association, the James Beard Foundation and over a dozen other hospitality leaders, Seat the Table was created to urge Congress to work with the current Administration to implement bi-partisan common sense work permit solutions for long-term, law-abiding immigrants playing critical roles from farms to restaurants. With rising costs topping the list of voter concerns, Keep Food on the Table emphasizes the connection between critical labor shortages and all Americans' ability to access locally produced, affordable food.

"Seat the Table has members in all 50 states because this issue touches every community in America," Rebecca Shi, CEO of the American Business Immigration Coalition, said. "Our food system is deeply interconnected. Restaurants rely on farms and ranches, and farms and ranches rely on restaurants. Immigration is not just a workforce issue. It is also a price and food accessibility issue. Work permits for long-term, law-abiding workers are economically crucial, morally right and politically smart."

National data reflects ongoing strain across the food supply chain. According to polling conducted by ABIC, 83% of voters across party lines agree with President Trump's suggestion that long-term, law-abiding workers in industries such as agriculture and hospitality should be able to get a work permit.

Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO-08), a former U.S. Army soldier and law enforcement officer who represents a swing district and serves as the only Latino member of Colorado's congressional delegation joined coalition leaders to express the urgent need for bipartisan support.

"Restaurants, farms, and food suppliers across America are facing real workforce challenges that are driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to survive," Evans said. "Many long-term immigrant workers have helped keep our food system running for years, yet they still lack access to legal work permits. That's why I'm working on commonsense solutions like the Dignity Act, which pairs strong border security with practical workforce policies that bring stability to our economy. If we want to strengthen our food supply, support small businesses, and keep prices affordable for families, Congress and the President need to work together to fix this broken system."

The U.S. agriculture sector faces an estimated 155,000 worker shortage, and food costs have risen more than 30% since the pandemic. Due in large part to rising costs, the National Restaurant Association reports that 42% of restaurant operators were not profitable in 2025.

"Restaurants are essential infrastructure and a cornerstone of every economy across the United States," Kelsey Erickson Streufert, chief public affairs officer of the Texas Restaurant Association, said. "The foodservice industry is our state's largest private-sector employer, and for every dollar spent in a Texas restaurant, $1.99 goes back into our economy. Yet margins average just 5%, and rising costs are making even that profit unattainable for many local restaurants. Against this backdrop, work permits for long-time, vetted immigrants are an economic imperative, not a political statement. Stabilizing the food workforce will benefit all Americans-helping us to lower food prices, protect local businesses and strengthen our communities."

Through the Keep Food the Table campaign, Seat the Table invites everyone who cares about our food supply to take action by emailing their federal legislators, sharing social media content, and signing an open letter. Keep Food on the Table is also providing restaurant owners and patrons with menu inserts, window signage and graphics they can use to spread the message.

"Chefs and restaurateurs from across the country are eager to do their part to advocate for the entire food supply chain and the workers who make our meals possible," Anne McBride, vice president of impact for the James Beard Foundation said. "We are excited to see restaurants and their patrons utilize the tools in the Keep Food on the Table campaign to urge their lawmakers to take action on this common sense proposal that addresses voters' top concern: prices and the economic stability of our communities."

"Many Hispanic business leaders and immigrant entrepreneurs who supported President Trump are beginning to feel buyer's remorse as they watch how immigration and economic issues are being addressed," Sam Sanchez, founder of Third Coast Hospitality Group said. "The Latino vote reached historic levels of support for Republicans in 2024, but that support cannot be taken for granted. We are calling on President Trump and leaders in both the Republican and Democratic parties to come together and support solutions like the Dignity Act that bring people to the middle. Hispanic voters and business leaders want leadership from Congress that strengthens our economy and ensures businesses like ours can continue serving our communities and keeping prices affordable for all Americans."

"On farms like ours, the work never stops, and having a dependable, skilled workforce is essential to stewarding the lands and environment, caring for our animals and keeping food moving through the supply chain so it ends up on tables and shelves where Americans need it," Jenni Tilton-Flood, owner of Flood Brothers Farm, LLC, said. "Farmers across the country rely on dedicated, highly skilled workers who have been part of our operations and our communities for years. Providing long-term farm employees with access to legal work permits would bring stability to agriculture, strengthen rural economies, bolster food systems and security, and help ensure that farms like mine can continue producing food for families across America."

"I've been through a lot of ups and downs in the restaurant industry, but nothing has been more difficult than these past 18 months," Mary Sue Milliken, chef-owner of Mundo Hospitality Group said. "Between skyrocketing costs and workers who are afraid to come to work, or even deciding to leave the country with their families rather than risk being stuck in detention. These are employees that have worked at places for decades. We're having to ask people to work time and half, which is expensive, or we have to close the restaurant. My business partner and I kept our doors open longer than we should have but it's because it's heartbreaking for all of the workers to lose their jobs when businesses close."

"My father and I started Farm to Table in 2009 to help connect Texas farmers with the communities they feed, and over the years we've heard the same concern again and again: farmers can't find the reliable workforce they need," Sam Lash, director of and co-founder of Farm to Table said. "Without the people who plant, harvest and pack our food, there is no food. Stabilizing the agricultural workforce is essential to protecting local farms, strengthening our food supply and helping keep food affordable for American families."
For more information on Keep Food on the Table visit SeatTheTable.org.


ABOUT SEAT THE TABLE
Seat the Table is a nationwide coalition of foodservice leaders representing every link in the food supply chain, from farms and ranches to restaurants and hospitality businesses. Founded by the American Business Immigration Coalition, Texas Restaurant Association, the James Beard Foundation and a diverse group of hospitality and agriculture organizations, the coalition works to advance practical workforce solutions that strengthen food production, support local businesses and address rising prices for American families. With members in all 50 states, Seat the Table brings together industry leaders, operators and advocates focused on stabilizing the workforce that keeps the nation fed. For more information visit SeatTheTable.org.

ABOUT THE TEXAS RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION
Formed in 1937, the Texas Restaurant Association serves as the advocate and indispensable resource for the foodservice industry in Texas. As a leading business association, the TRA represents the state's $138 billion restaurant industry, which encompasses more than 57,000 locations and a workforce of over 1.4 million employees. Along with the Texas Restaurant Foundation, the workforce development arm of the TRA, the association proudly continues to protect, advance, and educate a growing industry as the TRA enters its 89th year. For more information, please visit www.txrestaurant.org.