You are here

all and Maryland

Dear Operator,  Wednesday was a busy day in terms of reopening updates throughout the region. Leaders across Metropolitan Washington are taking a similar approach to reopening that is rooted in metrics to ensure there is not an unnecessary surge in cases once reopening phases begin.  In DC, Mayor Muriel Bowser extended the Stay at Home Order until Monday, June 8th. The Stay at Home Order was originally set to expire on Friday 5/15. This means restaurants are still only permitted to offer take out and delivery, and residents should only leave their house for essential tasks. As a...
ServSafe is committed to helping you help your members address information and training needs related to the coronavirus pandemic. Now that states are moving cautiously toward reopening businesses like restaurants and foodservice operations, we have prepared a free training video outlining the steps restaurant line level employees are encouraged to utilize in returning to full-service operations.   ServSafe Reopening Guidance: COVID-19 Precautions aligns with the content provided in the COVID-19 Reopening Guidance document created by the National Restaurant Association, ServSafe,...
Dear Operator,  Today, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam issued Executive Order Sixty-Two, ordering specific localities in Northern Virginia to delay entering Phase One of reopening until May 28th. Executive Order Sixty-Two requires the counties of Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William; the cities of Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas, and Manassas Park; and the towns of Dumfries, Herndon, Leesburg, and Vienna (Northern Virginia Region) to remain in Phase Zero, as requested by officials in those localities, which mean businesses must continue with current status of...
FDA is providing a food safety re-opening checklist for previously closed retail food establishments or those that have been open with limited service related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This checklist addresses key food safety practices for retail food establishments to consider when re-opening and restarting operations. This is not a comprehensive list. We encourage retail food establishments to partner with local regulatory/health authorities to discuss the specific requirements for their retail food establishment prior to re-opening. Facility Operations Are signs posted on how to stop...
Dear Operator,  I hope you made it through the week feeling positive as progress on reopening is on the horizon and we gain more clarity each day on next steps. Many of you have asked for more information on protocol regarding employee and customer exposure to COVID-19. We are in touch daily with the DC Department of Health and are awaiting and expecting industry-specific guidance that they are developing this weekend to provide operators with critical information as we enter reopening in the future.  We are hoping to send the step-by-step guidance no later than close of business...
Dear Operator,    I hope you made it through the week feeling positive as progress on reopening is on the horizon and we gain more clarity each day on next steps. Many of you have asked for more information on protocol regarding employee and customer exposure to COVID-19. We are in touch daily with the DC Department of Health and are awaiting and expecting industry-specific guidance that they are developing this weekend to provide operators with critical information as we enter reopening in the future.  We are hoping to send the step-by-step guidance no later than close of...
Dear Operator,  We want to touch base and share some quick updates and clarifications with you based on regional news and questions we have received from you.  Follow up on DC Emergency Legislation  As you know, the Council passed Emergency Legislation on Tuesday to provide additional protections for the small business community. The legislation has not yet been signed into law, however we expect it will be signed very soon. Once the law is signed it goes into effect with the expectation that third party delivery companies are complying with the mandated cap.  Once it...
Dear Operator,  I hope you found a few moments of sunshine this weekend as we are entering yet another busy week, as Governor Northam is likely to address Virginia’s reopening plan as early as today.  We are hard at work on DC’s Reopening plan, and hosted an industry specific call yesterday where we were joined by more than 100 DC operators. We hope to submit a draft plan to Mayor Bowser on May 11th that will be based on recommendations from you, our local industry, regional leaders, and health and safety experts.  Today, I am pleased to start the day off with...
First virtual RAMMYS Nominations Announcement celebrated resilient industry and awards finalists. Washington, DC (May 4, 2020)—Industry professionals and their fans tuned in online this afternoon as Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) announced finalists for the 2020 RAMMY Awards, the winners of which will be announced later this year. The new format was created to provide a welcome moment of celebration and positivity for its irrepressibly strong and community-minded industry. Any RAMW member who met all category requirements was eligible for...
We have heard from many of you who are seeking suppliers for PPE items such as masks and gloves, as well as cleaning supplies like disinfectant and hand sanitizer.  In response, we collected information from local purveyors in our community to provide you with information and contacts to assist you in purchasing these items.  Acme Paper and Supply Co.: Face Masks: Stocking face masks, both 3 ply FDA approved facemasks and FDA approved KN95 masks. They encourage restaurants within close proximity to consider splitting a case, if possible, to lower cost. RAMW can assist in this...
Dear Operator,  I hope you are all staying steady as we round the next corners of this rollercoaster.   As you continue to try to put your arms around PPP, our friends at CPA Eats are working through planning scenarios that may be helpful for all of you as you try to make insightful decisions. Matt Hetrick will be hosting daily Zoom meetings next week on how to best protect your business, whether or not you’ve secured a PPP Loan, as well as thoughts on how to spend the money more efficiently.  These sessions will happen all of next week, beginning Monday, May 4....
Dear Restaurant Operators, During this COVID-19 pandemic, we are diligently working to share helpful resources and opportunities that are available to you as you navigate through this crisis. RAMW was recently contacted by WHUR Radio about a special promotion they are offering to local restaurants. WHUR recognizes this is a time to give back to our small businesses and communities that we serve. As a result, they have created the "Open for Business" on-air promo that will highlight local restaurant businesses.  The purpose of this program is to help elevate and...
As we all work to stop the spread of COVID-19, OpenTable has teamed up with participating grocery stores and markets to help limit the number of people who enter at a time and reduce crowds and wait times for shoppers. Just as people can make a restaurant reservation or join a waitlist, they will now be able to reserve shopping times or join a virtual line in the OpenTable app. It works in two ways: Reserved shopping times: Just like reserving a table at a restaurant, you can reserve a time to enter a store. Online waitlists: If you haven’t pre-reserved,...
Everyone is talking about the who, what, where, when, and how of reopening. This is a positive shift as it means we are headed back to some semblance of normalcy, albeit with restrictions we must all abide by in order to do business in this region.  As we approach the end of April, and seven weeks since you all had to drastically change your operations, we want to give you some insight on the regional approach, process, and next steps.  As you know, the region’s leaders in DC, VA, and MD are coordinating efforts to ensure they are all moving forward on the same page.  We...
OpenTable’s In it Together with Chief Operating Officer Andrea Johnston is a weekly webinar series where she discusses the state of the industry with leaders in hospitality. It’s a place to create community and seek advice during these uncertain times. Email us at inittogether@opentable.com if you have questions or discussion topics that you’d like to see in future webinars. Register here for future webinars in the series! - - - Previous On-Demand Webinars Available: April 29, 2020: Andrea spoke with Dan Simons, co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, and...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association Learn to recognize coworkers suffering during the pandemic to help restore health and well-being. The coronavirus is taking a toll on more than the nation’s financial health. It’s also affecting the way people maintain good mental health as they deal with increased feelings of anger, depression and anxiety. A recent webinar put the spotlight on the invisible impact the coronavirus has on those struggling to get through it. Celebrity chef and TV personality Andrew Zimmern is one of the industry leaders offering support to...
We have put together the following insights in hopes it will help our Independent Restaurant customers think about and develop new ways to adapt to our new era. It will be important to remember that things are not the same going forward so hopefully, these insights will help.   Section #1‐ Business 101  It’s not too late, if you have not done so, do it today!   Financial Request your PPP/SBA loans or seek other funding options.  Talking another $350B added!  Leases ‐ Ask your landlord for rent deferral/renegotiations and review equipment...
Original conten c/o: National Restaurant Association Put any extra time you have now to work so you’re set to reopen smoothly. It looks like it’s going to happen — slowly, in fits and starts. Governors and mayors around the country are starting to talk about reopening restaurants for dine-in service, when it can be done, and what it would look like. Restaurants are getting ready to reopen, and things are going to look a bit different. For example, your server may be wearing a face mask when he or she serves you. For sure, life won’t quickly go back to the way it...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association New survey indicates that pent-up demand for restaurants is elevated, even as many consumers maintain their off-premises frequency. Takeout and delivery are the only restaurant options available for the vast majority of consumers across the country. Based on weekly surveys conducted by the National Restaurant Association beginning in late-February, the proportion of consumers using these off-premises options remained remarkably consistent throughout the coronavirus crisis. Fully six in 10 adults say they ordered takeout or delivery from...
  A Clean You Can Count On. Ecolab is dedicated to providing the most relevant resources and expertise to help you keep your staff and guests safe during the unprecedented times today and the new horizon ahead.  To support you and your team, we continue to update our comprehensive Ecolab COVID-19 resource libraries, created to support achievement of the highest standards of cleanliness, disinfection and hygiene.   NEW Reopening Resources: When you are ready to plan the next stage, we have expertise to help you prepare your restaurants, enable staff, and...
The Montgomery County Public Health Emergency Grant will open today (Wed. 4/15) in the mid-afternoon, according to County Executives.  Interested applicants can sign up here now to receive an email when the application does go live.  Under the PHEG program, businesses with 100 employees or less that are suffering economic impacts from Covid-19 are eligible to receive grants of up to $75,000 per business. According to the county’s analysis, about 50,000 businesses may be eligible for the grants and those who have lost half or more of their net revenue since March will...
Dear Restaurant Community, Sponsors, Partners, and Friends,  We thought we would start this Monday morning off with some good and celebratory news to take everyones’ minds off of all the serious topics top of mind lately. You may remember that we were slated to announce the 2020 RAMMY Awards finalists on March 30th, at our annual and grand celebration at The Hamilton Live.  As with all events during this unprecedented time, we had to re-envision the format and platform for this announcement.  While we could have kept postponing, we thought it would be a welcome moment...
The Ferdinand Metz / American Culinary Federation (ACF) Relief Fund is established to provide timely financial assistance to chefs, cooks, culinarians and foodservice workers across America, experiencing hardship in the wake of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. Criteria for Eligibility Applicant must be employed by a foodservice establishment in any segment: restaurant, country club, hospital, etc. Under financial hardship due to being laid off, furloughed or hours reduced. Must provide evidence of lost wages. Affiliation with ACF or ACFEF is not required as a condition...
Original content c/o: National Restaurant Association The LEE Initiative’s initial act of giving back to laid-off restaurant workers has expanded from one location in Louisville to 19 across the country. Here’s how they did it. Chef Lee's staff members handed out meals and other necessary items as part of the relief effort. The activism, started at a 50-seat boutique restaurant in Louisville, Ky., has sparked a nationwide food relief effort that today is providing 28,000 meals each week to laid-off foodservice workers in 19 cities. The program was launched literally...
WHAT: Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) is excited to bring The 38th Annual RAMMY Awards Nominations Announcement online on Monday, May 4. During these unprecedented times, RAMW commends its members for their resilience, innovation, and community support. The announcement of the RAMMYS finalists will again celebrate the industry and highlight the finalists in 22 awards categories. All are invited to tune in via the provided link and help honor this year’s incredible RAMMYS finalists as well as the Honorary Milestone and Duke Zeibert Award...

Pages