Restaurant Association of Maryland Blog

Strategic Planning Recap

Michale Gallery summarized our day into a report that outlines next steps.

For the full report.: Download RAM report

For the Performance Spec Sheet:  Download Performance Specification Sheet

The Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM), founded in 1936, is the leading business association for the restaurant industry in Maryland. RAM seeks to promote, protect, and improve a rapidly growing industry composed of 9,600 restaurant and foodservice outlets employing over 170,000 people. Working with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) and the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF), RAM provides member restaurants with a variety of benefits such as credit card processing, electronic marketing solutions, workers compensation insurance, discounts on educational products, and job boards. 

RAM and their Educational Foundation (RAMEF) face many challenges, including growing its membership and revenue base, maintaining its relevance in a rapidly changing business and legislative environment, serving a diverse industry and membership base, and using resources effectively. Combined RAM & RAMEF have 60 Board Members, a staff of 17, and budget of nearly $3 million.

The organization has sought the services of a professional association consultant to assist it in developing a strategic plan outlining a vision for the future as well as designing strategies that will enable RAM & RAMEF to realize that vision. Organizational Performance Improvement Systems (OPIS) was engaged to assist the Boards in implementing the strategic planning process. A report of the planning committee’s efforts to identify organizational outcomes follows.

Annual Membership Meeting: June 23rd, 2009

Please join us as the members vote on the new slate of officers and directors for the coming 2009/2010 year.

RSVP

Strategic Planning Follow-up and Next Steps

After a great day with both boards looking towards the industry's future we now turn to defining the next steps based on that days outcome.  We need to insure that we define the plan and the process to execute the plan.  From this point staff and some volunteers will work on defining the plan so that they can present at the Fall 2009 Board Meeting.

Download Strategic Planning and Governance ACR

Download RAM Survey

The following items will need to be addressed for each objective that is undertaken.

1.    What will be done to complete the objective?
2.    Provide a brief explanation of why you believe the suggested activities will help the organization successfully accomplish the objective.
3.    Please list the specific major steps you will engage in to accomplish the proposed course of action. For each step, tell us who will be responsible for completion as well as your estimate of the amount of time, in weeks, you project it will take to perform each step.
4.    Indicate any special resources the project would require. When in doubt, include rather than exclude specifying resources.
5.    Provide a ballpark estimate of the cost (excluding staff time and overhead) you estimate it would require completing the proposed project. If there are multiple projects, please provide an estimate for each project. Providing a range (e.g., $30,000 to $35,000) is acceptable.

Some of the comments we've received:

Chris M. Attridge, Vice President, US Direct Sales, Global Payments
“Just wanted to let you know I thought the strategy session yesterday was very well done – I really liked the consultant.  Sorry I had to leave early – wanted to see what next steps are and how I can help.  Thanks!”

Jeffrey R. Owens, Chief Financial Officer, Clyde's Restaurant Group
“Thanks for yesterday’s session.  Seems like a good step in the right direction.  Please send me that dude’s contact info. I want to give him a call.”

Michael Birchenall, Editor, Foodservice Monthly
“I hated to leave just when it was starting to be fun (but I can't disappoint my advertisers, they are my financial board) ... I can't wait to see where things ended ... we had a great table and open dialogue -- that's always motivates me. I'll be checking the blog for the PowerPoint and the results.”

Henry Pertman, Micros
“...this was one of the best learning experiences of my career. Not only am I overjoyed at having the opportunity to be part of such an important process, but what I learned yesterday is going to help me and my cohorts literally forever. I would have paid to be part of this process and I am not kidding. It was stimulating (and still is), thought provoking and just plain fun. I sincerely hope that whatever my contribution may be or has been, it will be enhanced and better focused as a result of this experience....”

RAM & RAMEF Meet to Plan for Industry's Future

Tomorrow the boards of both The Restaurant Association of Maryland (RAM) and the Restaurant Association of Maryland Educational Foundation meet for a day long discussion about what issues the industry needs to addresses today to best prepare for the future. 

The Strategic Planning Steering committee under the leadership of Rob Beall, CEO Ledo Pizza hired a top facilitator, Michael Gallery, to help with the process.  The boards will be using member surveys, reulsta from focus groups of members and non-members and interviews with some of Maryland influetntial restaurant leaders.

Dr. Gallery has a doctorate in instructional design, research, and performance measurement. During his 23-year career with the American College of Emergency Physicians, he held a variety of positions, including 14 years as the college's chief operating officer.

Dr. Gallery has also held a variety of leadership positions in the association management profession. He is an ASAE fellow and a past chair of the certifying body for the profession. He has authored more than 40 books, magazine and journal articles and presented at over 50 national and international meetings in his career. He was the recipient of TSAE's Professional Excellence Award in 2001.

Dr. Gallery recently served as the chair of the Center for Association Leadership's Measures of Success Project. This landmark research effort in association management applied the work of Jim Collin's Good to Great to association management. By comparing good associations to visionary ones, the measures task force identified those factors uniquely shared by visionary associations. Jim Collins served as an advisor to the project and wrote the forward to the task force's book on the results: 7 Measures of Success: What Remarkable Associations Do That Others Don't.

Buy Local Plus: RAM meets with Department of Agriculture

The Restaurant Association of Maryland's president, Paul Hartgen, sat down with the team from the Maryland Department of Agriculture to discuss ways in which the restaurant industry can better partner with the state's agricultural initiatives.

Some of the next steps that emerged: Working on"distribution/on-line marketplace" software to connect Maryland Farmers with Maryland Restaurant Operators; Finding a way to tie in our Restaurant Association of Maryland Educational Foundation's 3,000 ProStart students with the Farm to School Program and locally grown products;  Looking for way to have restaurant operators make use of the "Maryland's Best" logo way to promote these products to their customers.

The participants in today's meeting were:
Noreen Eberly, Director, Seafood Marketing and Aquaculture Development
Amy Crone, Marketing Specialist
Leith McMenamin, Public Information Intern
Sue duPont, Director of Communications
Mark Powell, Chief of Marketing
Jane Storrs, Director of National Marketing
Julie Oberg, Public Information Officer

The meeting came at the request of Colm O'Comartun, Director of the Governor's Office.

If you'd like to participate in any of these initaives, please contact the Restaurant Association of Maryland at 410-290-6800.

Association Meets with Congressman Kratovil

Early today the Restaurant Association of Maryland's Melvin Thompson, SVP Governmental Affairs and Paul Hartgen President & CEO met with Congressman Kratovil to keep the industry's issues on the front burner.  The breakfast meeting held at RAM restaurant Holly's Restaurant & Motel with other business groups and industry leaders focused on Card Check, Health Care, H2B and Credit Cards.

Thompson following up with the Congressman on calls he has made to his office asked for the Congressman's support on the Labeling Education and Nutrition Act (LEAN Act), which would provide consumers with the tools they need to make educated and healthy decisions when eating at restaurants and chain food establishments across the country.

This breakfast was sponsored by NFIB.

FOODSERVICE PUBLICATION TOUTS BENEFITS OF STATE RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP

In the recent May 2009 issue of Foodservice Monthly, the Restaurant Association of Maryland received great membership endorsement due to the fervent efforts of its Government Affairs Department. The commentary opened with, “If there was ever a timely testimonial showing why you should join your Restaurant Association, it happened at the end of the Maryland legislative session” – referencing the Restaurant Association of Maryland and hospitality industry’s successful repeal of the soda fountain license fee. In closing the commentary stated, “Maryland restaurateurs can be thankful for the vigilance of the Association’s voice, ear and eyes for this victory…easily worth the cost of membership for many." Great to see Maryland’s trade publications endorse the enormous value a foodservice operation will receive through membership with a state restaurant Association. As the commentary states “Let your Association work for you!”

 

RESTAURANT ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND HOSTS 'NIGHT TO NETWORK' AT HOULIHAN'S

The Restaurant Association of Maryland hosted “A Night to Network” yesterday evening at Houlihan’s in Howard County. The hospitality industry was well represented with both allied and restaurant members present. Guests enjoyed a casual atmosphere, happy hour drink specials and the company of their peers. The Restaurant Association of Maryland hopes to grow the Night to Network events, providing more restaurateurs and industry suppliers the opportunity to mingle with fellow professionals and members of the Association.  Upcoming Night to Network events will be held in various counties throughout the state. Announcements for the Night to Network events will be advertised on a monthly basis through our membership newsletter, HotStuff. A special thank you to Houlihan’s for supporting the event and providing the perfect networking setting and thank you to all who attended! For more information please contact our Membership Department at 410-290-6800.

 

RAM Attends Southwest Airline's Spirit Magazine Closing Reception

Just yesterday, the Restaurant Association of Maryland attended Southwest Airline’s Spirit Magazine Closing Reception! The Reception, held at the Pier 5 Hotel in downtown Baltimore, celebrated “Meet Baltimore” a twenty-five page spread appearing in Spirit Magazine’s May 2009 issue. The Southwest Airline publication will entertain airline passengers across the United States highlighting all that Baltimore has to offer.

A full page advertisement featuring six RAM member restaurants – G & M Restaurant, Jordan’s Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Da Mimmo, Lucy’s Irish Pub & Restaurant and Miller’s Delicatessen – will appear on page 141 under the headline “meat Baltimore”. Miss Shirley’s Cafe is also featured in the publication. Contributors for the magazine’s May issue include Pace Communications, the Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association, the Greater Baltimore Committee, the Economic Alliance of Greater Baltimore and the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and more!

Industry Response & Resources Addressing Swine Flu

As of this morning 20 cases of Swine Influenza (Swine Flu) have been identified in 5 U.S. states. The National Restaurant Association is closely monitoring this issue as well as communicating with all pertinent government & health organizations, such as USDA, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

At this time the National Restaurant Association is preparing resources for the restaurant community to address concerns. The Association will launch these materials on our website and will host a conference call later today to discuss the issue.