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.

Life After the EMV Liability Shift

November 5, 2015

Content provided by Heartland Payment Systems a RAMW Endorsed Provider . The liability shift deadline has passed. And guess what? The world didn’t come to an end—just like it didn’t when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000. But unlike Y2K, EMV is here to stay. The good news is the sun didn’t set for good on October 1. Maybe you were aware of the liability shift, but decided against the equipment upgrade. You might have had every intention of becoming compatible, but before you knew it, October 1 had come and gone. Or you could still be trying to understand how...

Cyber Security: Trick or Truth

October 1, 2015

Cyber Security: Trick or Truth [Infographic] by Heartland October 1st, 2015 In honor of National Cyber Security Month, we bust the most common myths surrounding EMV, firewalls and more, so you can effectively protect your business from the ghosts and goblins, otherwise known as hackers. You don’t have to be a target. Learn more about Heartland’s data security solutions...

The Industry of Opportunity

September 30, 2015

Restaurants and the foodservice industry in the DC Metropolitan region are major drivers of business growth. Restaurants account for nearly 60,000 jobs just in DC and the industry brings in over $2.6 billion in spending to the District. Still, restaurant owners and operators face a delicate battle to maintain a sustainable bottom line and continue to create and maintain jobs. Learn about how restaurants thrive in our region, about the challenges and economics of owning a foodservice business, and read the stories of the people behind some of our regions best restaurants in the Washington...Read more

HostMe Looks to Top Other Restaurant Management Services

September 8, 2015

Washington, DC – Restaurant services vendor HostMe, LLC announced today the complete product launch of HostMe, a modern, customizable front-of-house system that is already revolutionizing the way restaurants do business. “We’re excited to truly bring restaurant management into the digital era,” said co-founder Evgeny Popov. “Where other vendors have stopped short of full integration, the HostMe app and hardware bundle offers restaurateurs the opportunity to improve front-of-house operations by transitioning the business away from cumbersome pager systems and...Read more

EMV (Chip and Pin) and Restaurants

August 14, 2015

The EMV (European MasterCard Visa) migration is rolling full steam ahead in the United States and it’s a tectonic shift of the nation’s payments infrastructure. Banks and card issuers are sending out chip cards to their customers, while retailers are deploying new terminals to support them. Effective October 1, 2015 Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express have mandated liability shifts for fraudulent transactions. Generally, liability will shift to the party using the least secure technology. If you’re like many restaurateurs, you may be having a hard time building a...Read more

To EMV or not to EMV?

August 14, 2015

National Restaurant Assoication To EMV or not to EMV? That’s the question many restaurants are asking. Deciding whether to invest in card-processing systems that accept credit and debit cards embedded with microchips – also known as EMV, or chip, cards -- is a hot topic in the restaurant world these days. Here’s why: Starting Oct. 1, 2015, merchants who haven’t invested in EMV-enabled equipment will be liable for fraudulent purchases made with a counterfeit credit or debit card. If you’re like many restaurateurs, you may be having a hard time building a business...

Littler Mendelson: Specializing in Employment and Labor Law

August 6, 2015

Littler represents hundreds of restaurant clients, including full-service restaurants and restaurant chains, as well as hospitality employers such as hotels and casinos, and agricultural and food-processing companies. Our work with these employers forms a critical foundation of our practice and we have a dedicated practice group serving the needs of restaurant, hospitality and food and beverage clients. We represent and counsel these clients on the full range of workplace issues, including wage and hour audits and litigation; labor management issues such as union organizing campaigns,...

BOEE Accepts "Minimum Wage Act of 2016"

July 23, 2015

Yesterday the DC Board of Elections decided that the “Minimum Wage Act of 2016” is proper subject matter for a ballot initiative pursuant to the Initiative Procedures Act. We have been monitoring this issue closely, and worked with the larger business community to craft testimony for the BOEE hearing, which opposed the the initiative. Under the proposed ballot initiative, the minimum wage would gradually increase to $15 an hour by 2020. The ballot initiative would also increase the tipped minimum wage to $15 an hour by July 1, 2024. The approved language will be published in the...

DOL Releases Overtime Proposal

July 8, 2015

After more than a year of deliberation, the Department of Labor released a 295-page proposal to rewrite federal overtime laws. Click here for the DOL proposal . Among the changes, the DOL has proposed guaranteeing overtime pay to salaried employees who earn less than $50,440 a year ($970 per week). That's up from the current threshold of $23,660. Under the proposal, the salary threshold would be automatically updated in the future based on inflation or wage growth. The agency did not propose a new "duties test" regarding the responsibilities of exempt managerial employees, but...

DC Minimum Wage

July 8, 2015

On July 1st the minimum wage in DC increased to $10.50 an hour . This increase is based on legislation passed by the DC City Council, which increases the minimum wage over a three step process. July 1st was the second step in the increase process. The third increase will take place July 1, 2016 and will raise the minimum wage to $11.50 an hour.