About Me

RAM

In 1927 a small group of Baltimore area restaurateurs met to deal with some of the challenges facing the economy and the Foodservice Industry. They believed that, once united, they could accomplish more for the Industry and their respective businesses than if each wrestled with the problems alone. These men put up their own money to get the Association started and offered prospective members a “money back” guarantee of satisfaction. A few years later, in 1935, the group was chartered as The Restaurant Association of Maryland whose mission was to Promote, Protect and Improve the restaurant industry in Maryland.

RAMEF

In 1993, the Directors of the Restaurant Association of Maryland undertook a self-assessment of its resources, priorities, and programs with the intention of developing a strategic plan that would be prepare RAM to meet industry needs into the 21st century.

As a result of that assessment, the RAM Board decided to create a separately incorporated 501 (c)3 education foundation with the goal of increasing the professionalism of the industry's workforce. By creating a foundation dedicated to education, the energy and resources necessary to reach this goal could be collected and directed in effective, efficient, and in ways driven by the industry.

In 1994, The Maryland Hospitality Education Foundation was chartered and awarded 501 (c) 3 status. A governance structure was put in place and a mission statement created. The Restaurant Association of Maryland issued a loan of $20,000 to the new foundation. In 2008 the Maryland Hospitality Education Foundation (MHEF) changed its name to the Restaurant Association of Maryland Education Foundation (RAMEF).