photo by: Bremen Keasey

Codi Bates, owner and operator of Lawrence restaurants the Burger Stand and Bon Bon!, was a key part of mobilizing the Lawrence Restaurant Association's Hospitality Workers Relief Fund during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Five years later, they are still raising money to ensure more stability for industry workers.

A local restaurant owner who has helped lead the Lawrence Restaurant Association will serve on the board for a national group that supports independent restaurants.

Codi Bates, the owner and operator of Bates Co., whose restaurant brands include The Burger Stand and Bon Bon!, was recently named to the Independent Restaurant Coalition’s Board of Directors. The IRC, which was founded in March 2020, has advocated for the unique needs of independent restaurants and bars across the country, including securing pandemic relief funds for small businesses and fighting to lower credit card processing fees.

Bates, who was a key leader in creating the Hospitality Workers Relief Fund to help restaurant and service workers during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as the Journal-World reported, said she had applied to work on the board and was selected earlier this year. She’ll serve a three-year term and is on the group’s executive committee as the board’s secretary.

She noted that the IRC was an important resource to her at the onset of the pandemic, but another motivation for why she applied was the hope to provide more representation for Midwestern businesses.

On the 15-person board, she is one of three members from the Midwest; the other two are from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“I think it will be a great opportunity to have a bigger seat at the table for our region,” Bates said.

Erika Polmar, the Executive Director of the IRC, told the Journal-World that the group is thrilled to welcome Bates to the board. Polmar said Bates’ passion for the Midwest’s restaurants and agricultural contributions makes her “an incredible asset to (the IRC’s) mission.”

“We are excited for her leadership and look forward to working together to expand the IRC’s footprint across Kansas and beyond,” Polmar said.

Some of the areas the board will focus on in the short-term are better compensation for employees and trying to lower credit card processing fees for independent restaurants.

Although Bates noted she has “big shoes to fill” by working on the board and representing the Midwest, she is looking forward to collaborating with the nationwide group.

“We know there’s lots to tackle, but we definitely know we’re capable of making a big impact,” Bates said.