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February 26, 2014
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...
February 26, 2014
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...
February 3, 2014
The Ballston Business Improvement District (BID) has launched the next level of its campaign to showcase Ballston as the ideal place to start up and grow a business. With Top Chef Mike Isabella, a DC chef and restaurateur, at the helm of this new campaign, the Ballston BID is thrilled to begin the search for Ballston’s next big restaurateur. What you when you win: a lease with first year free, below market rates after and a $245,000 interest free loan.
Brookfield Office Properties, which owns building space Ballston, has offered to donate a year of free restaurant space and a fully...
January 24, 2014
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...
January 13, 2014
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...
January 8, 2014
By Julian Hattem, The Hill
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is backing down from a fight over a contentious regulation that would have required most businesses to display posters about union rights.
Two federal appeals courts struck down the rules in separate cases last year, ruling that they amounted to an overreach from the labor rights agency.
The NLRB’s last recourse to save the rules was to appeal to the Supreme Court. On Monday, it declined to take that step, effectively killing the regulations for good.
Read More.
December 29, 2013
RAMW is pleased to announce that the state’s pending happy hour legislation has been signed and will be published on December 30, 2013. The new law, which will allow restaurants and bars to advertise happy hours through print, digital and social media, will be effective January 29th, 2014.
To be clear, the law does not allow for the advertisement of specific happy hour beverages and beverage prices (outside the restaurant or bar). However, once the law goes into effect in late January, establishments will be able to advertise “Happy Hour” or “Drink...
December 26, 2013
The season of giving is quickly winding down. Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus – it’s likely you made your lists, checked them twice, and set out to secure gizmos, gadgets, thing-a-ma-jigs and whatcha-ma-call-its for those you know and love.
Gifts are tokens of appreciation designed to convey value and worth, but sometimes they fall a little short of that goal. No doubt you have opened an ugly sweater, tacky tie, box of fruitcake, or other gift that has forced you to smile politely and remind yourself that it’s the thought...
December 18, 2013
Are your GAS and ELECTRICITY costs hurting your bottom line? Let's see if we can help you reduce your costs, increase profits and potentially earn FREE ENERGY.
As Independent Consultants with Ambit Energy, we offer you the opportunity to reduce your cost with competitive rates and potentially FREE ENERGY. There is NO COST to taking advantage of the savings we offer. Our goal is to help you save money and earn FREE ENERGY!
For a free evaluation of how much you can save, e-mail Clayton or Alva Bourges at usave12@gmail.com. You may also call us at 703-863-4086 or...
November 20, 2013
What would you do if someone who had been drinking excessively picked up their car keys and headed for the door? If you are a good bystander, you would intervene to help the person get home safely without risking injury to self or others. Cities and states, colleges and branches of the military are using that same bystander approach to prevent sexual assault: teaching professionals and friends how to offer assistance and intervene to prevent alcohol-facilitated sexual assault.
In Arlington County, police are seeing an increase in reports of alcohol-facilitated sexual assaults of young...
October 21, 2013
Rebecca Cooper, Washington Business Journal
The Virginia Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has stepped up enforcement of a law that limits wine tastings and wine dinners at restaurants that serve wine on site, surprising many restaurateurs who have been offering them for years.
The law prohibits wine wholesalers and distributors from participating in tasting events held in restaurants. Winemakers or winery representatives are allowed to participate in these types of events, and the law does not prevent wholesalers from offering tastings at shops that do not serve on premises.
Read...
October 17, 2013
Every restaurant could use a break. Cook one up for your restaurant in the form of a Washington Gas rebate. The Washington Gas Energy Efficiency Program is offering restaurants in Virginia substantial rebates on select natural gas products. Products include ovens, steam cookers, water heaters, programmable thermostats, infrared heaters and more. These rebates are only available for a limited time. Product installations must be performed by a licensed contractor before April 30, 2014. A full list of eligible products, corresponding rebates and more details are available at ...
October 17, 2013
RAMW met with its Virginia members and state officials and legislators on October 10th at Clyde's of Tysons to discuss the myriad issues facing Northern Virginia restaurants. The meeting was very productive and provided an opportunity to dive into debates around restaurant operations, workforce development and taxes. Alcohol and ABC issues took center stage with operators citing challenges with the alcohol transfer process of wine and beer between locations. They also discussed at length, problems with the ABC permitting process.
As a result of this...
October 1, 2013
Business owners can reduce operating costs by evaluating energy expenses. A new report, Best Practices: Electricity Procurement, discusses the major impact that electricity costs have on middle-market operating budgets. View the report for information and best practices regarding how to select the right electricity supplier, what to consider before signing a contract, and which hidden items impact your final electricity bill. You can also benchmark your energy usage and costs, and become better equipped to make smart energy-related decisions. View the report.
October 1, 2013
Jason Dangle, Fishbowl SM3 Team
It happens to every restaurant at some point. A bad day has led to a displeased guest. In the old days, you might have to deal with negative word of mouth. But, with the rise of websites like Yelp, a bad review can have a boomerang effect, impacting the bottom line of a restaurant substantially over time.
Fishbowl’s SM3 team works with restaurants every day to alleviate the damage a bad review can create. Over time, they’ve developed a system of best practices to give you the confidence to deal with harsh criticism. We sat down with SM3...
September 23, 2013
Tony Ventre, Heartland Restaurant Solutions Insights
For restaurateurs, mobile payment acceptance solutions are giving new meaning to the saying “think outside the box.” By transforming smartphones and tablets into mobile point-of-sale systems and providing the freedom to accept credit/debit/gift card payments from anywhere at any time, mobile payments enable you to take your business beyond your four walls.
With the use of mobile payments, many restaurateurs are taking advantage of untapped sales opportunities. Consider utilizing mobile technology to facilitate...
September 4, 2013
Julie Jargon, Wall Street Journal
Gratuities Added for Larger Groups Will Be Taxed as Service Charges
An updated tax rule is causing restaurants to rethink the practice of adding automatic tips to the tabs of large parties.
Starting in January, the Internal Revenue Service will begin classifying those automatic gratuities as service charges—which it treats as regular wages, subject to payroll tax withholding—instead of tips, which restaurants leave up to the employees to report as income.
The change would mean more paperwork and added costs for the restaurants—...
June 3, 2013
When Is a Tip Just a Tip?
Tipping in the hospitality industry is considered the normal course of business. However, the IRS considers tipping, in certain situations, to be taxed differently through payroll. Employers in this industry now need to be diligent in their recordkeeping. ...
May 15, 2013
You ask and we answer. The following questions and answers are a result of responses we received from the earlier round of FAQs.
Health Care FAQ's For Restaurants
My restaurant has fewer than 50 employees and I offer insurance but only to my senior staff. Since we’re under 50 and exempt from the employer health care mandate, can we continue to offer to only some of our staff?
There are five restaurants trading under the same name in our group but each restaurant was set up individually with a different mix of...
April 30, 2013
Below you will find an FAQ session that will help update you on the health care mandate. We would like to continue with frequent updates based on what you need and want to know. So please, send us your questions for the next FAQ session to betsy@ramw.org:
Health Care FAQ's For Restaurants
Will all restaurants have to offer health benefits to their employees?
What are my options for offering health care to my employees?
Am I OK with the insurance I have now?
I have restaurants in DC, Virginia and Maryland...
February 28, 2013
Scott Attman, Acme Paper & Supply Co. for Franchise Times
Now that the Federal Trade Commission’s new Green Guides are in effect, restaurant industry and other franchisors can expect big changes in several elements of their business. For starters, marketers who pitch products as environmentally friendly have to back up their claims or face fines. If the FTC finds product marketing misleading, it will begin filing suits against the companies in question, just as it does for health claims made by food manufacturers. Precise verbiage in product descriptions will be important...
January 4, 2012
The Washington Post Arlington County Board dives into work for 2012By Patricia Sullivan, Published: January 2While most of the Washington area did whatever it does on a day when nearly everything is closed, the Arlington County Board claimed bragging rights Monday as the first local government to get to work in 2012.It’s a tradition fulfilled by appointments, calendar-setting and speeches. In the hour-long meeting at the noticeably empty county building, all four board members took advantage, touting the virtues of the urban-suburban county, from affordable housing to free mulch...
December 2, 2011
Below is the report from MarkTate of Jackson-West Consulting from our October 24, RAMW Board meeting atColumbia Firehouse in Alexandria, VA which contains important legislativeinformation impacting Virginia businesses:Virginia Delegate DavidAlbo’s address to RAMW Board:ABC regulationsincluding ABC advertising laws and Happy hour promotionsDelegate Albo addresseda number of changes in the ABC regulations and state code and the ongoingregulation review being done by the Virginia ABC board. Reviewingthe restrictions on distilled spirits outdoor advertising and the changes thatoccurred last...
February 9, 2011
Corkage Law Passes In Virginia House78-18…With A Nudge From RAMWFebruary 22, 2011- With the passage in the Virginia House ofDelegates, SB1292, aka The Corkage Bill, will now go to the Governor’s officefor final signature. There is every indication that the Governor will sign thisBill.Corkage, which is common in many jurisdictions across the country including theDistrict of Columbia, will allow restaurants the choice of offering corkageservice to their patrons. This optional service will allow patrons to bringwine into an ABC licensed establishment for consumption on the premises...
January 21, 2011
Janauary 21, 2011 - Letter Sent to Virginia Department of HealthThe following letter was sent to the Virginia Department of Health in response to a bill presented in the Virginia State Legislature. The bill, at this point, has been “passed by” in committee and will not move forward. Dear Gary, With the introduction of House Bill 1927, which mandates the posting of a restaurant’s latest inspection report in a prominent location, we feel compelled to reach out to the Virginia Department of Health and express our concern on behalf of our Northern Virginia members. The...
