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RAMW 2015 Annual Meeting Recap: Celebrating 95 years

March 24, 2015

Dear RAMW Members,

Thank you all for attending RAMW's Annual Meeting on Monday at The Walter E. Washington Convention Center. 

It is because of you (RAMW Members) that this past year was a notable and important year for Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington. As your official trade association and community, RAMW is only as strong and influential as the members that make up our organization and those who engage in the ongoing dialogue surrounding the regional business climate. As we close this fiscal year (April 2014-March 2015) and begin our 95th year as an Association, we would like to congratulate you – RAMW Members – for an impressive year of political engagement and influence, business regulatory progress, and overall success among your businesses bolstering the strength of our regional industry.

Moving in to the 2015-2016 year, we would like to thank our esteemed Chairman of the RAMW Board (2013-3015), Geoff Tracy, Chef/Owner of Chef Geoff ’s and Lia’s, for his two years of dedicated service and leadership on the RAMW Board of Directors. Geoff has been a lasting influence on the way we think about advocacy and serve as a resource and he has been a proactive and positive representative for our industry and Board. On April 1st we will welcome Gus DiMillo, a Principal of the successful restaurant group Passion Food Hospitality, as our new Chairman of the Board.​

We would also like to welcome the new members of the RAMW Board of Directors voted in yesterday: Kyle Gaffney, The Capital Grille of Washington; Ari Gejdenson, Mindful Restaurant Group; Ryan McCarthy, Passion Food Hospitality; Scott Attman, Acme Paper & Supply Co.; and Peter Borradaile, SYSCO Food Services of Baltimore.​

At our meeting we heard from various leaders throughout our region who are working to identify and implement tools and initiatives aimed at making it easier on small business owners that comprise our industry. DC Attorney General, Karl Racine spoke about the new role of Attorney General and its effects on the political climate and small businesses. Rob Stalzer, Deputy County Executive for Fairfax County, and Glenn Hickman, DC Business Portal Project Manager spoke about technological steps they are taking to streamline crucial business processes to enhance efficiency for the industry. To view Karl Racine's presentation click here. To view Rob Stalzer's presentation click here. To view Glenn Hickman's presentation click here. ​

We look forward to working with you in the coming year and will continue to build a strong organization that is able to address the needs of our growing restaurant and foodservice community. Following our Annual Meeting on March 23rd, 2015, you will be able to access our year-end report and 2015-2016 lists of Officers and Board Members at RAMW.org, as well as other business resources. This content may also be found in next month’s issue of Foodservice Monthly.

The RAMW membership continues to grow and reflect the diversification and evolution of the industry throughout the region. RAMW members and Board Members came out in droves to respond to political calls to action and to have their voices heard on critical issues in the District from Tipped Minimum Wage to the “Ban the Box” legislation. DC members helped to prevent an increase in ABC penalties for businesses in the District and influenced Council members to halt a major increase in annual sidewalk café operation fees. In Northern Virginia, members rallied together to fight a proposed Fairfax County Meals Tax increase, to discuss noise issues in Arlington County. RAMW members saw great victories surrounding changes to many Virginia ABC laws for brewers, distillers, and winemakers, and successfully campaigned to stop a bill that would have allowed meals tax initiatives to be possible without ballot referendums.

While each of these campaigns served to protect the interests of restaurants and foodservice businesses, the overarching triumph this year is the level of advocacy and influence RAMW was able to achieve. Our proactive approach started by developing close working relationships with elected officials, lawmakers and, heads of regulatory agencies across the region. More and more we are seeing elected officials come to RAMW for support and input on potential legislation early on in their process. They look to us for data about the impact legislation might have on our industry – especially as the restaurant industry is the second largest employer in the District second only to the Federal Government. We were able to achieve this level of credibility and transparency by creating numerous face-to-face meetings with legislators and hosting Advocacy Day events and Legislative Receptions in DC and Virginia to connect elected officials directly with the restaurant owners and operators in their jurisdictions. This personal engagement is key to ensuring that the voice of our industry is heard and is an integral part of our 2015-2016 agenda. With many new elected and appointed officials at the helm of our government and regulatory agencies, RAMW will be pulling you in more than ever to meet with the new administrations to establish those critical relationships.

Outside of government affairs, RAMW members were active in the bounty of marketing opportunities and customized programming available to members. A subcommittee of the Board of Directors formed to discuss ways to refresh the bi-annual Metropolitan Washington Restaurant Weeks – our most successful and longest running program. Cocktail Week and Spring Wine Fling, both consumer-facing campaigns, continued to grow in number of participants and regional awareness. The Association launched its inaugural consumer newsletter creating a new platform for restaurant members to reach diners. New strategic partnerships were fostered, which increased free marketing opportunities. Through the Citi Open Tennis Tournament, the International Association of Culinary Professionals Conference hosted in the District, the acclaimed Montréal en Lumière culinary festival which featured Washington, DC as the guest city this year, and numerous citywide events hosted by our partners at Events DC such as conferences, conventions, sporting and entertainment events, key opportunities for innovative exposure and engagement with locals and visitors coming in to the region were offered to our members.

We continue to provide timely industry updates on issues you need to know about. RAMW hosted Neighborhood Restaurant Roundtables and Q&A workshops on specific and timely topics for restaurants. In addition, our partnership with the DC Health Benefit Exchange, DC Health Link, allowed RAMW to continue to serve as a resource and guide for the foodservice industry businesses and individuals as they navigate the Affordable Care Act. The Association continues to be the primary provider of food safety and alcohol manager training in the Metropolitan Washington area. We have diversified instructors offering classes in multiple languages and in different areas throughout the region.

The 2014 RAMMY Awards Gala was held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center for the largest RAMMYS to date. Named the #1 Food & Restaurant event by BIZBASH Magazine for five consecutive years, The RAMMYS celebrate Metropolitan Washington’s greatest assets: its restaurants. Through dynamic partnerships, media exposure, unique marketing and promotional opportunities there was a major growth in visibility for the RAMMYS, finalists, and restaurants in the region. RAMW is in the midst of preparing for the 33rd Annual RAMMY Awards Gala. This year’s event will take place on Sunday, June 7 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. Tickets and sponsorships are now on sale for this not-to-be-missed annual celebration. The five finalists in each of the twenty award categories will be announced live at the RAMMYS Nominations Event on March 30th at The Hamilton. The event is open to RAMW members and RAMMYS sponsors.

Moving in to the 2015-2016 year, we would like to thank the Executive Committee Officers and the Board of Directors for their dedicated service to and support of the Association. On April 1st we will welcome Gus DiMillo, a Principal of the successful restaurant group Passion Food Hospitality, as our new Chairman of the Board.

We look forward to serving this incredible community in 2015-2016 and encourage your continued active participation in your areas of interest throughout the year. We also welcome your feedback and suggestions as we strive to provide useful resources, essential training, smart approaches to advocacy, and dynamic programming for your businesses. 

Sincerely,

Kathy E. Hollinger,
President and CEO, RAMW

Geoff Tracy,
RAMW Chairman of the Board 2013-2015
Chef/Owner of Chef Geoff ’s and Lia’s