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Restaurants and the foodservice industry in the DC Metropolitan region are major drivers of business growth. Restaurants account for nearly 60,000 jobs just in DC and the industry brings in over $2.6 billion in spending to the District. Still, restaurant owners and operators face a delicate battle to maintain a sustainable bottom line and continue to create and maintain jobs.   Learn about how restaurants thrive in our region, about the challenges and economics of owning a foodservice business, and read the stories of the people behind some of our regions best restaurants in the...
The EMV (European MasterCard Visa) migration is rolling full steam ahead in the United States and it’s a tectonic shift of the nation’s payments infrastructure. Banks and card issuers are sending out chip cards to their customers, while retailers are deploying new terminals to support them. Effective October 1, 2015 Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express have mandated liability shifts for fraudulent transactions. Generally, liability will shift to the party using the least secure technology.  If you’re like many restaurateurs, you may be having a hard time...
Montgomery County Council Changes Minimum Wage Effective Dates and Freezes Tip Wage at Current $4.00 New Effective Dates Earlier this year, the Montgomery County Council passed legislation which changes the 2016 and 2017 effective dates for County minimum wage increases.  On October 1, 2015, the Montgomery County minimum wage will increase from the current $8.40/hour to $9.55/hour as scheduled.  However, subsequent wage increases will become effective in July instead of October in order to align the County with statewide minimum wage effective dates.   Tip Wage...
RAMW member restaurants welcome auto enthusiasts with Auto Show specials and promotions   Washington, DC - Events DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington along with its members are excited to welcome the 2015 Washington Auto Show from January 23 – February 1, 2015.   The annual show marks a new era for Washington, D.C.‘s largest public show. With its doubled time frame, from five to ten days, it’s an even bigger experience for fans and attendees. The 2015 Washington Auto Show will deck the Walter E. Washington...
YELLOW PAGES SCAM TARGETS SMALL BUSINESSES Prepared by Carolyn Due at Saul Ewing LLP At a time when Yelp reviews, Twitter and Facebook have become popular ways for restaurants to advertise their businesses, the relevance of directory listings has diminished.  It may then come as a surprise to receive an invoice for hundreds or thousands of dollars for what looks like an online Yellow Pages listing.  Beware: it may be a “yellow pages” or directory scam.  Over the years, Attorneys General in various states and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) have...
Focus on cleanliness, good hygiene practices to prep your restaurant for an A+ By Kristin Dempsey Heading up a restaurant means there is an endless list of things you need to get ready for each and every day. In the hustle and bustle of the daily lunch rush or the late-night crowd, it’s easy to push one of the most important items farther and farther down the “to do” list: Get ready for the next health inspection. You don’t want to be left scrambling to make sure everything is up to code right before an expected visit – which you can’t predict anyway....
Summer 2015 may seem a long time away, but we need you to sign up now to be part of one of the largest multi-sport, multi-venue events in the world (second only to the Summer Olympics!). The 2015 World Police and Fire Games will welcome more than 30,000 visitors (including athletes from police, fire, and other public safety agencies) from more than 70 countries to compete in 1,600 medal events across 60 sports. This is a unique opportunity to gain exposure, promote your brand and gain repeat business through more than 4,000 local volunteers that will a part of this event. ...
GAITHERSBURG, MD – September 9th, 2014 – Great American Restaurants are opening their newest restaurant in Gaithersburg, MD. Coastal Flats will be a part of the Downtown Crown development and will be open for lunch and dinner. Doors open at 4pm September 9th.  Coastal Flats is a casual seafood house. The “buzz” is 1950’s coastal Florida inspired…with some unexpected twists such as Blue Crab & Rock Shrimp Fritters, Miso Glazed Sea Bass, Jambalaya Pasta, Low Country Beef Back Ribs and world class Mojitos. Coastal Flats is a throwback to another era...
National Restaurant Association
WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As part of its strong commitment to food safety, the National Restaurant Association today announced this year's National Food Safety Month (NFSM), held annually in September, will mark its 20-year anniversary by featuring the top 20 food safety tips from the past 20 years. NFSM was created in 1994 to heighten awareness about the importance of food safety education. NFSM offers free resources for foodservice industry professionals at FoodSafetyMonth.com and will highlight tips for a number of food safety...
WATCH: Nizam Ali of Ben's Chili Bowl talks about healthcare solutions for restaurants and small businesses. "It's not a business decision, it's just the right decision."  Video Link: Nizam, Ben's Chili Bowl
Restaurant professionals agree: Hard work and a smile can carry a restaurateur from hand towels and busing to handshakes and board rooms. Find out how eight industry leaders from Washington, D.C., turned their first jobs into their life’s work.  Read more
Events DC
Washington, DC—Events DC and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) along with its members are thrilled to officially welcome the Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2014 to the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, and to the region overall July 13-17, 2014. As a partner of Events DC, RAMW’s restaurant members are extending their hospitality and services to Microsoft World- wide Partner Conference attendees and are available to assist with dining needs, reservations, large party requests, and last-minute private dining needs. All RAMW member restaurants (...
By Betsy Craig, CEO and co-founder of MenuTrinfo® We've all read the headlines about restaurant patrons having an allergic reaction after being served food items contaminated with the cause of the reaction. While in a majority of cases these reactions have not been fatal they can be life threatening. According to a 2007 study by the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network (FAAN), there were 63 food allergy–related fatalities between 1996 and 2006, with half involving restaurants.   While it's true that much has been done to educate kitchen and wait staff on safe food-...
MenuTrinfo
By Claire Willis, Director of Culinary Nutritionists at MenuTrinfo® Recently, the RAND Corporation (“a nonprofit institution that helps improve policy and decision making through research and analysis,” according to their website) has proposed implementing healthy dining standards for restaurants. This would require foodservice establishments to have a percentage of their menu items (on both adult and kids menus) meet certain nutritional criteria. Their reasoning behind this would be to help curb the obesity epidemic in the US by having healthy options at each and every...
The 2014 RAMMY Awards
Washington, DC (May 12, 2014)—On May 8, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) brought together over 80 leaders from the region’s foodservice and business communities for a conversation about the state of the industry in the nation’s capital. The discussion, moderated by Bret Thorn, Senior Food Editor of Nation’s Restaurant News, offered insights into operator success in an ever more competitive market.  Panelists included 2014 RAMMY Awards nominees for Service Program of the Year including Adam Sanders (General Manager, BLT Steak), Joseph Cerione...
Rossman Hurt Hoffman, Inc. Insurance
Do You Have All The Coverage You Need? Your restaurant insurance policy includes hundreds of pages of coverages, exclusions and endorsements. Unless you’re an insurance expert, it can be tough to know which ones are most important for your business. With the Restaurant Insurance Package, everyone is aware of their required property, general liability, crime and spoilage coverage. Here are some additional coverages that restaurateurs often overlook: What Other Types of Insurance Do I Need? General Liability and Property Insurance typically only cover the basics, but most restaurants...
Foodem
Baltimore, MD -  April 30, 2014 - Foodem, an innovative B2B online food procurement marketplace and business intelligence solution for the $650 billion U.S. wholesale food distribution industry, and the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW), are pleased to announce the establishment of their new strategic partnership. Launched in late 2013, Foodem facilitates relationships, automates foodservice procurement processes and connects wholesale food buyers with small to mid-sized food distributors, local farms and specialty food manufacturers. The new partnership with RAMW...
Do More 24
United Way of the National Capital Area is gearing up for Do More 24 – a one day online fundraiser that will be held on June 19th to support area nonprofits.   Give back to your community and participate as a Do More 24 restaurant sponsor. Team up with local nonprofits and donate a portion of your sale proceeds to Do More 24. Participating restaurants will be recognized on the Do More 24 website.   Be a part of something bigger and let’s show how generous the restaurant community can be! For questions or to learn more, contact restaurants@domore24.org.  
By Ryan Sharrow and Tucker Echols, Washington Business Journal On the last day of the 2014 General Assembly, state lawmakers gave final passage to a bill that will eventually  raise the Maryland minimum wage to $10.10 an hour, eased the penalties for possessing marijuana, but were less generous to production companies that choose to film in Maryland. The minimum wage bill, previously passed by the Senate Saturday, was approved Monday by the House and heads to Gov.Martin O'Malley for his final signature. The wage will...
Updates on the Green Dot Money Pack/Pepco Scam RAMW has been in touch with Pepco and they are aware of the Green Dot Scam.  If you receive a call from a person claiming to be from Pepco or any other service provider it is important that you: take precautions to verify the person is affiliated with the company, especially if that person is requesting an immediate credit card or cash payment.  Pepco will never ask a customer to provide a specific form of payment and always offers customers multiple payment options. ask for official photo identification from any person who shows...
Cohn Reznick
In the restaurant industry, success depends on a strong brand concept that is successfully executed, tightly managed for profitability, and delivers a consistent customer experience. The challenge facing the leaders of food and beverage operations is how to successfully align leadership, management, and staff in accomplishing these objectives. In our experience, the most successful organizations have maintained competitive advantage and realized profitable revenue growth by establishing core values that help everyone make decisions that best support the brand.   Core values are the...
Restaurants consume five to seven times more energy than other businesses. From long operating hours to energy-intensive food preparation, it’s easy to see why restaurants use such a high amount of energy. Unfortunately, this means that restaurants also waste more energy than a typical business. In fact, according to Pacific Gas and Electric, the food service industry wastes around $8 billion in energy every year. In the District, the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) offers rebates on everything from energy-efficient stoves and fryers to refrigeration and HVAC upgrades that can...
By Betsy Craig (CEO and founder of MenuTrinfo®) A senate bill was passed on January 23rd, 2014 in Maryland that mandates all commercial kitchens to have allergy awareness training . Beginning March 1st, 2015, it will be mandatory for food establishments in Maryland to have one employee  on the premises at all times who have completed a food allergen awareness training course and passes an accredited test approved by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Of those individuals who have gone through training, one employee must be available to discuss meal options with customers...
This is a guest post for MenuTrinfo® by Alison Baumgartner, a former waitress. For a long time, I was a career waitress who worked pretty much everywhere in the United States. I worked for high-end, local, and chain restaurants, and while they were all very different, I found that they had one similarity: inefficiency when it came to knowing exactly what was in the food. And by that, I mean there was too little nutritional labeling, no awareness of potentially allergenic ingredients and no information on what foods that contain gluten for all levels of the staff. In the end, it was...
One hour.  Sixty minutes. 3,600 seconds.   Lunch break. Pilate’s class. An episode of The Bachelor (don’t pretend you don’t watch).   In one hour you can get a haircut or pedicure, take a nap, or ride the metro from Franconia-Springfield to Silver Spring. In sixty minutes you can bake a cake, write a letter, or (start to) work on your taxes. Or, in one hour you can save up to three lives.  That’s right.  For a simple one-hour investment you can make a life-giving difference to those in need.  January is National Volunteer Blood...

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