Operations

Operating a restaurant involves a lot of moving parts – most controlled by you, but many controlled by laws, regulations, licenses and permits. Alcoholic beverages, food safety, labor practices and the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (the healthcare mandate) are significant – and then there is everything else.

Get to know the regulatory agencies that govern such things as sidewalk cafes, signage, noise, fire safety and more. And, get to know about the efforts being made by RAMW on your behalf to improve the regulatory environment.

Regional Updates Going into the Weekend

August 7, 2020

It looks like we have a gorgeous weekend ahead of us, and we are hoping for safe and enjoyable dining across the region. As you utilize, expand and creatively rethink outdoor dining spaces, we are seeing more and more of you take advantage of the programs in place designed to provide expanded and additional outdoor options and space for your business. While some are getting into a good groove for outdoor service, others are just bringing their outdoor dining online, and I want you to know we are already looking towards the cooler months to make sure that any potential additions to your patios...

Fairfax County, VA Support

April 2, 2020

The Fairfax County Board of Supervisors is looking at establishing a Continuity Loan Fund which would aid small businesses facing economic injury and that are at-risk of closing. While this idea is still taking shape, it could provide capital to existing, viable small businesses and serve as a secondary loan to a SBA loan, or other lines of credit. The goal is to assist small businesses with fewer than fifty employees. This will likely be brought before the Board at the April 14th Board Meeting. We will keep you updated as this develops.

Montgomery County, MD Emergency Relief Package

April 2, 2020

Yesterday, the Montgomery County Council passed legislation that provides $20 million in grants for businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Small businesses with 100 employees or fewer will now be able to apply to earn checks of up to $75,000 from the county’s new “Public Health Emergency Grant Program.” An amendment is being introduced to reserve a quarter of the funding pool for restaurants and retailers. Grant funding must be used for employee wages and benefits, taxes, debt, rent or other operating losses during the public health emergency. We will share...

DC ABRA Renewal Deadlines Extended

April 2, 2020

To provide financial relief to customers impacted by the coronavirus (COVID-19), the ABC Board has determined to extend select payment deadlines and expirations including the following: Annual License Payments | Extended from March 31, 2020 to June 1, 2020. Alcohol License Expirations | Any alcohol licenses, including ABC Manager Licenses that expire March 16 - May 31, 2020 are now valid through June 1, 2020. Fines | Any fines due between March 16 - May 31, 2020 are now due June 1, 2020 Q1 Statements | Extended from April 30, 2020 to June 1, 2020.

How to Process Payments in an Outage

August 1, 2018

Most payment processing systems, including point-of-sale terminals, operate through an internet connection. Unfortunately, technology isn’t always the most reliable. It can freeze, glitch or shut down altogether, bringing everything – including processing payments – to a screeching halt. That’s why it’s imperative that your business has equipment in place to keep business transactions up and running in the event of an internet outage. Many offline terminals use a similar queue system (at Heartland it’s called Store and Forward) that allows you to accept and...

14 new tech businesses featured at Startup Alley

March 19, 2018

National Restaurant Association - March 19, 2018 Restaurateurs are always looking for ways to increase their bottom line. One way to do that is keep up with trends and deploy new technology that improves performance and sales. With that in mind, these 14 new startups are ones to watch at the 2018 National Restaurant Association Show’s Startup Alley, May 19 to 22, in Chicago. Showgoers will see a variety of new businesses, including software developers using data science and artificial intelligence to create business solutions, an app connecting customers with food allergies to allergen-...

Montgomery County Council Voices Support for the "Reform on Tap" Act

February 22, 2018

House Bill 518 supports the State’s breweries by lifting outdated restrictions on selling and purchasing craft beer ROCKVILLE, Md., February 22, 2018 —The Montgomery County Council sent a letter to the chair of the Economic Matters Committee, Delegate Dereck E. Davis, in unanimous support of Maryland House Bill (HB) 518, the Reform on Tap Act. HB 518 would lift restrictions on the selling and purchasing of beer at craft breweries throughout Maryland. The House Economic Matters Committee has scheduled a hearing for HB 518 on February 23 at 1:00pm. “Local breweries have a big...Read more

National Restaurant Association Restaurant Performance Index 2018

January 31, 2018

The National Restaurant Association's Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) is a monthly composite index that tracks the health of and the outlook for the U.S. restaurant industry. Launched in 2002, the RPI is released on the last business day of each month. Latest RPI (released January 31, 2018) Driven by stronger same-store sales and customer traffic levels, the Restaurant Performance Index (RPI) registered a solid gain in December. The RPI stood at 102.9 in December, up 1.8 percent from a level of 101.1 in November. The Current Situation Index stood at 102.9 in December - up 3.4 percent...Read more

National Restaurant Association Research Showcases the Landscape for Tech in the Restaurant Industry

February 15, 2018

New Research Shows Restaurants are Hungry for Tech without the Headache (Washington, D.C.) Today, the National Restaurant Association released new research focusing on technology in the restaurant industry. In " Mapping the Restaurant Technology Landscape ," the Association set out to explore current technology adoption in restaurants, plans for future adoption, and restaurant operators' thoughts and opinions on restaurant technology overall. "Restaurant operators and consumers generally agree on the benefits of technology use in restaurants but they're also in...Read more

IRS Offers New Guidelines On Tax Withholdings

January 16, 2018

Following on the heels of last month’s $1.5 trillion tax reform overhaul, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service released new guidance to help employers manage and update their employee payroll systems as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act begins to take effect. The sweeping changes to the tax code should result in more take-home pay for approximately 90 percent of employees throughout the United States. The new guidelines adjust how much income tax must be taken out of employees’ paychecks after taking into account exemptions claimed by employees on their IRS Form W-4, filed...Read more