Louisiana Restaurant Association elects new members and chair

The Louisiana Restaurant Association recently elected 10 new members as well as a new chair, Bruce Attinger.

Attinger, a joint venture partner in Outback Steakhouse who oversees eight locations in Louisiana and Arkansas, previously served as president of LRA’s Greater Baton Rouge Chapter. He also serves on the LRA Education Foundation and received the association’s Restaurateur of the Year award in 2006.

Among the new board members are a few Baton Rougeans, including Ruffino’s chef/owner Peter Sclafani and Tammy Smitherman, who is the division manager of Heartland Payment Systems.

Other 2014 members include Keith Bond of Mel’s Diner in Lafayette, Octavio Mantilla of the Best Restaurant Group in New Orleans, Emily Murrell-Gates of Monjunis in Shreveport and John O’Meara of the Petroleum Club in Lafayette.

For more information on the LRA, click here. —Matthew Sigur