You are here

Operations and Maryland

  Dear RAMW Community, We are thrilled to announce a significant milestone in our journey towards better support and protection for the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington and its members. It is with great pleasure that we introduce our new insurance partner, Preferred Insurance Services, Inc. At RAMW, we are committed to advancing our mission and serving our community with the utmost dedication. In our continuous effort to enhance the well-being of our members, volunteers, and stakeholders, we have carefully chosen Preferred Insurance Services, Inc. as our...
                                                                                                                              ...
Calculating your restaurant labor cost percentage is essential to running a successful restaurant. The labor cost percentage is the amount of money you spend on employee wages and benefits as it compares to your total sales. This number is significant because it tells you how much profit you’re making on each dollar that comes through your door. If your labor cost percentage is too high, it means that you’re losing money every time a customer buys food or drinks at your restaurant. This can lead to lower profits and eventually force you out of business if you don’t act fast...
Four Things Every Restaurant Owner Should know about Wage & Hour Collective and Class Actions   By: Scott A. Mirsky Practice Area: Employment Law Paley Rothman’s Employment Law Group has extensive experience with wage and hour compliance issues and can assist restaurants and restaurant chains with both preventive measures and defending against single-plaintiff and collective  or class action wage and hour lawsuits.  ---- While the thought of being sued by a single worker for unpaid wages is enough to give most restaurant owner’s heartburn, the...
Shared content from the National Restaurant Association   The IRS is warning small businesses about “improper” claims for the employee retention tax credit (ERTC). As you know, restaurants were uniquely qualified for the Covid-related ERTC due to partial closure orders and/or revenue declines in 2020 and three calendar quarters of 2021. However, the IRS is reporting that some third-party companies are offering bad advice to small businesses regarding eligibility or the estimated value of the ERTC.   We urge members to closely review the below information, our...
President and CEO, Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW) The Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington is seeking a charismatic, proactive and innovative President and CEO who has the passion and vision to lead the organization into the future. Building on the strength and success of the organization, the individual will navigate the shifting marketplace dynamics while increasing the impact that RAMW has on behalf of its members. In partnership with the Association and Foundation Boards and staff, the President and CEO is responsible for executing and developing a...
Imperial Dade logo
Written by John Thomas, Director of Health and Wellness at Imperial Dade Imperial Dade is the leading North American distributor of foodservice packaging, sanitation supplies, dish machines, and cleaning equipment. We have been serving the restaurant and hospitality marketplace since 1935. Put our experts to work for you! ---- Do no harm is a basic tenet of medicine.  Although the goal is always to treat disease and alleviate suffering, a physician must always try to protect the patient from any further injury.  Likewise in the food service industry. ...
Dear RAMW Members, We know that your bottom line is always top of mind as you also work hard to support your teams and give guests the best experience you can in a competitive market. Did you know that you could be saving money every month on your electric and natural gas?| RAMW has several key providers who support our industry, and we are excited to introduce you to our new Endorsed Provider, Electric Advisors, Inc. EA is an energy broker who will help you get your natural gas and electricity supply at a competitive rate. Shopping for a...
Any business, no matter how small, can create a workplace culture that encourages healthy lifestyles. It involves offering programs that support healthier behaviors, educating employees about health issues, and making health-related objectives part of your corporate policy. Take a look at our tips for creating a culture of health in your workplace.   ----   The restaurant business is rewarding but tough. Operators need a health care plan that works as hard as they do. That’s why RAMW has partnered with USI Insurance Services and Kaiser Permanente to develop a plan...
You have an opportunity to improve the health of your employees every day. Making small changes to your workplace and company policies are great ways to start and can have a big impact. Not sure how to get started with a workforce health strategy? Check out our four-step model --- The restaurant business is rewarding but tough. Operators need a health care plan that works as hard as they do. That’s why RAMW has partnered with USI Insurance Services and Kaiser Permanente to develop a plan that is flexible, convenient, and affordable, to help operators with their bottom lines, and...
Creating a culture of equity, inclusion, and diversity (collectively referred to as EID) is complex and challenging. Many companies struggle to take the first step or may be limited by a lack of resources or time. But the journey to a culture that embraces EID and uses it to create healthier, safer and more inclusive work environments can begin with a few simple steps. Read more in our recent joint article with the Baltimore Business Journal. ---- The restaurant business is rewarding but tough. Operators need a health care plan that works as hard as they do. That’s why RAMW has...
Restaurants have always made food safety a priority, but the pandemic has altered customers’ awareness and sharpened expectations about what safe dining entails. Make your commitment a very prominent part of your marketing message by joining the ServSafe Dining Commitment. When customers see the SSDC logo on a restaurant website, menu, or door, that restaurant communicates that its staff is professionally trained in safe food handling and that the establishment is committed to following the best procedures for safe dining going forward. Make the commitment.
Training your crew to execute a solid cleaning job amid the fast action of a foodservice is what separates the good from the great. National Food Safety Month tips this week identify what should be cleaned, sanitized, or disinfected and how to make those efforts visible to guests when possible.   Two items that might not currently be in your training routine: How to treat non-food surfaces and what to do if a guest gets sick. Read the full post at Food Safety Focus and get a free poster and activity sheet that makes setting up cleaning schedules easy. Enjoy a...
To a small business owner, navigating the must-have’s and the nice-to-have’s of health benefits can seem daunting. Are you required to offer health care to your staff? How much will that cost you? Do the benefits of employee-sponsored health coverage outweigh the costs?   While the circumstances and specific requirements may differ from business to business, at Kaiser Permanente we know that health coverage isn’t just a benefit to the employee, but also to the business owner. Because healthier employees lead to a healthier bottom line.   In a recent article in...
RAMW is introducing access to a new SBA lending program to help maximize your revenue in this improving economy. Capital Direct offers a solution to help you invest in strategies to expand, acquire new customers and increase sales.    The Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDL) - provides an ideal funding solution. This Unique SBA program is now offering Small Business Owners loans - up to $500,000. Quick Access to Working Capital. Rates at only 3.75% - with Thirty (30) Year Repayment terms. Zero payments are required for your...
We know that hiring and retaining employees is the largest challenge facing restaurant owners today. The video below features Chris Floyd, President and Founder of Capital Restaurant Resources. Learn from his experience how to deal with hiring issues for today and the future. Keep up to date with the latest industry trends and issues! Register for the "Changing Strategies for Changing Times" program to receive video interviews that will make a difference in running your restaurant! If you have questions regarding the "Changing Strategies for Changing Times"...
They say that “change is good.” And while switching to Kaiser Permanente should be a seamless experience, any organizational change can be disruptive and spark many questions – especially when the change involves something as important as health care. The good news is that there are ways to minimize that disruption so employees can feel good about the change and stay focused on doing their job. In a recent blog post, we shared tips employers can use to leverage best practices in change management.
As many of you have been following the recent updates on the SBA and RRF, we thought it would be of interest to you to read the letter sent by Sean Kennedy, Executive Vice President of Public Affairs at the National Restaurant Association, that he sent out earlier today. In collaboration with local restaurant associations across the country, Sean sent the letter linked here to SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. We found it important to note that not only did he address Director Guzman, he also copied Bipartisan Leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate....
Managing Your Menu to Improve Profitability   Restaurants need to pay close attention to their menu now more than ever. The pandemic has made us all focus on what sells as we pair down our inventory to reduce cost and improve back of the house efficiency. In addition, the changing times are now producing record inflation which makes managing your food cost and updating your menu pricing critical to your success.   See what FoodPRO Executive Chef Dustin Stone recommends moving forward!       View the video below and then take a short five-question...
For many years, a restaurant's relationship with their food distributor has been primarily a transactional nature. Finding the best products at the best prices has been the norm which has led to a relationship of "I need you, but am I willing to partner with you to grow my business?" One strategy many restaurants used over the past year to remain viable in the marketplace was to partner with their food distributor. The video below features Tom Enright from FoodPRO, an RAMW Industry Partner, who speaks about how your food distributor can help you reach a new level of...
To help our restaurant clients stay current with ongoing legislative and industry developments, we have partnered with leading law firm Shulman Rogers and the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington to provide regular updates. Here are highlights from a recent conversation with Shulman Rogers Attorney Joy Eeinstein and Kathy Ogilvie of Restaurant People Cloud. COVID Vaccine Protocols for Restaurants Q1. Can Restaurants Mandate Vaccines? A1. Yes, restaurants can mandate that employees get them, so long as you have exceptions for strongly held religious beliefs and disabilities,...
IRS issues guidance for restaurant entertainment expenses, now fully deductible through 2022. To assist the hospitality industry in its recovery from pandemic-related shutdowns, the December Consolidated Appropriations Act authorized a temporary 100% tax deduction for business meal expenses provided generally by restaurants that would have otherwise been limited to 50%. The IRS has now provided guidance on the newly enacted 100% deduction, in Notice 2021-25, issued April 8. Background The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) changed Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 274...
Groundbreaking collaboration provides detailed copyright information for more than 20 million songs, including reconciled ownership shares, offering greater transparency for the industry NEW YORK – (December 21, 2020) – ASCAP and BMI, the nation’s two leading performing rights organizations, today announced the launch of SONGVIEW, a comprehensive data platform that provides music users with an authoritative view of copyright ownership and administration shares in the vast majority of music licensed in the United States. SONGVIEW technology allows ASCAP and...
Get your free COVID-19 precautions videos including ServSafe Delivery, ServSafe Takeout, ServSafe Reopening Guidance and ServSafe Conflict De-escalation.
Through the ServSafe Dining Commitment, operators pledge to follow four best practices that are effective means for reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Nearly 10,000 restaurants have made the commitment in which they pledge to: Adhere to the updated COVID-19 Safe Operating Guidance and/or corporate brand guidelines, which are based on CDC, FDA, EPA and OSHA guidelines. Adhere to the laws and guidelines set by their state and local municipalities. Commit to a minimum of one person per location with a current ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification....

Pages