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.
Over the ensuing years RAM has done all this and much more. Since the very beginning, the Association has been run by a 30-40-member board of restaurateurs and suppliers working not only for the benefit of dues paying members but also for the Industry as a whole.

a In the 1930’s, RAM assisted with the establishment of state and county liquor laws and have been protecting operators’ right to serve alcoholic beverages ever since.
a In the 1940’s, RAM helped the Industry deal with wartime rationing. They assisted with the enactment and enforcement of federal, state and local pure food and sanitation laws and have fought for fair and equitable inspection and enforcement ever since.
a In the early 50’s, RAM introduced one of the first regional “food shows,” the Mid-Atlantic Food Mart, to the Industry. In 1954 they began to recognize superior operators with the “Restaurateur of the Year” award. Additionally, they successfully fought for enactment of “tip credit” in Maryland, without which most restaurants today could not survive.
a In the 1980’s, RAM began giving scholarships to students seeking careers in foodservice and began offering training and certification in responsible alcohol service and safe food handling techniques.
a In 1988, RAM was among the first states to form a partnership with the National Restaurant Association (NRA) that offers membership in the prestigious national organization at no additional cost to RAM members. By uniting with the NRA, RAM members gain access to a number of NRA programs and services that are vital to the success of their businesses.
a In the early 90’s, RAM, in cooperation with the American Culinary Federation, established the first state-accredited Apprenticeship program using the centuries old European system for attracting and training students for foodservice careers.
a In 1992, in an effort to better meet the educational, information and training need of our growing industry, RAM founded the Maryland Hospitality Education Foundation, (MHEF) a separately chartered 501 (c) 3 organization that serves as the preferred source of education, training, resources and research for Maryland’s thriving hospitality industry.
aOver the years RAM, in response to industry demand, has created and offered a variety of money-saving group purchasing opportunities that go directly to RAM members’ bottom line. For example, in the early 1990’s when restaurants were having a hard time getting workers’ compensation insurance at any price, RAM founded the first self-insured workers compensation insurance company specifically for our Industry. For the past seven years members have saved thousands on their upfront premiums, received sizeable dividends on the back end, and received claims handling unrivaled in the insurance industry.

There are many in the Foodservice Industry who say that if it had not been for RAM in their early days, they would not be in operation today. Because the Association is run by the Industry, for the Industry, RAM has continued to find new and innovative ways to “Promote, Protect and Improve” the Foodservice Industry since 1935.