The Virginia Restaurant, Lodging & Travel Association (VRLTA) has expanded its Bull Run Chapter to include Spotsylvania County, the City of Fredericksburg, the City of Manassas, and the City of Manassas Park — strengthening the group’s presence across the I-95 and Route 28 corridors.
The Bull Run Chapter, which represents restaurant, lodging, and tourism businesses in Northern Virginia, now spans some of the region’s fastest-growing communities. VRLTA says the move will help hospitality professionals connect, collaborate, and advocate more effectively on issues affecting their industry.
“This expansion allows us to engage with more businesses that are essential to Virginia’s hospitality and tourism landscape,” said Eric Terry, president of VRLTA. “The region represents exciting markets with growing foodservice, lodging, and tourism sectors. We look forward to building stronger connections and supporting our members in these areas through targeted programming and advocacy.”
New Leadership
The association also announced new leadership for the Bull Run Chapter.
- Josh Reichert, general manager of Airlie Hotel & Conference Center in Warrenton, will serve as chapter president.
- Brian Shanle, resort general manager at the soon-to-be-opened Kalahari Resorts & Conventions, will serve as vice president.
Both will serve two-year terms.
As part of the expansion, VRLTA will host events bringing together hospitality leaders from the newly added localities, including networking opportunities, policy briefings, and meetings with local legislators.
VRLTA now operates eight regional chapters across Virginia: Arlington-Alexandria, Blue Ridge-New River Valley, Bull Run, Charlottesville, Coastal, Fairfax-Loudoun, Richmond, and Shenandoah Valley.
Advocacy on Meals Tax and Industry Issues
The expansion comes as restaurant and lodging businesses across Northern Virginia continue to watch local tax policy debates — including the Prince William County meals tax, a 4% tax on prepared foods enacted in 2022.
The meals tax applies to food and beverages sold by restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, and caterers, in addition to the state’s 5.3% sales tax, bringing the total tax on restaurant meals to 9.3% in most of the county.
Supporters said the tax would diversify county revenue and reduce reliance on property taxes, while opponents — including VRLTA and many local restaurant owners — argued it unfairly burdened small businesses and drove customers to neighboring jurisdictions without the added levy.
VRLTA has historically organized or supported local advocacy efforts to oppose such taxes, saying they place competitive strain on independent operators already coping with rising costs and workforce shortages.
VRLTA encourages hospitality professionals in the Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, and Manassas areas to attend upcoming Bull Run Chapter events and join the association’s growing network of business leaders.
For more information, visit vrlta.org or email [email protected].
