Congressman Tom Kean Jr., who represents New Jersey’s 7th district in the U.S. Congress, held a roundtable discussion with local restaurant and hospitality business owners at Verve Restaurant in Somerville on August 21. The event was organized in partnership with the New Jersey Restaurant & Hospitality Association (NJRHA) and focused on issues affecting the industry as well as recent changes introduced by the Reconciliation package.
“Our district is home to some of the best restaurants and hospitality businesses in the region. These employers not only cultivate memorable experiences, but they also create jobs and drive economic growth in our state,” said Congressman Kean. “Today’s roundtable was an important opportunity to gather insights from local business owners and discuss how we can continue to support their success. I was encouraged to hear how new measures like No Tax on Tips, No Tax on Overtime, and targeted business tax relief are helping workers, supporting growth, and building a stronger economic future for our communities.”
Daniel Klim, President and CEO of NJRHA, commented: “The roundtable provided an important forum to connect our industry with Congressman Kean, ensuring that the voices of New Jersey’s hospitality professionals are heard at the federal level.”
Keith Holmes, owner of St. Moritz Grill & Bar in Sparta, added: “With passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, there are really three key components that will help the restaurant industry in New Jersey. First, the no tax on overtime helps our chefs and kitchen staff, since they’re the ones earning overtime. Second, eliminating taxes on tips directly benefits servers. And finally, the Social Security piece helps seniors—when they have more money in their pockets, they’re more likely to dine out at restaurants.”
The legislation discussed at the event includes several provisions aimed at supporting workers and small businesses:
– A $25,000 deduction for qualified tips eliminates income tax on tipped income for over four million workers.
– A $12,500 deduction for overtime pay allows employees who work extra hours to keep more earnings; about 21% of New Jersey employees regularly work overtime.
– Seniors receive a $6,000 increase in their deduction.
– Small businesses benefit from a permanent 20% deduction designed to encourage job creation.
– Full expensing for qualified business property is made permanent.
– The small business expensing limit is doubled to $2.5 million.
Kean has represented New Jersey’s 7th District since 2023 after replacing Tom Malinowski [source]. He previously served both in the New Jersey General Assembly from 2001 to 2003 and in the State Senate from 2008 to 2022 [source]. Born in Livingston in 1968 and now residing in Westfield [source], Kean holds a BA from Dartmouth College.
