One of the industry’s most respected contract feeding firms is set to become part of the world’s largest hospitality management companies.
Jersey City, NJ based RMA Hospitality Management will be acquired by Compass Group North America. The tale of the tape shows that Charlotte, NC based Compass who generated some $14 billion in sales in 2015 will be adding another $24 million in sales from RMA
With the RMA acquisition, Compass will add the dining contracts at top Manhattan based law firms led by Schulte, Roth & Zabel LLP, Patterson, Belknap, Webb & Tyler LLP, Loeb & Loeb LLP and Seyfarth and Shaw LLP.
Among major Executive Dining Rooms and Corporate Cafes managed by RMA are McGraw-Hill Corporate Headquarters and Scholastic Publishing, Corporate Headquarters in Manhattan and Wiley, Corporate Headquarters Hoboken, NJ.
RMA also manages a pair of club accounts. Manhattan’s Club 101 and Panther Valley Country Club in Allamuchy, NJ are part of the ‘Jersey firm’s management portfolio. It has also built a significant catering business with iconic catering venues including: the McGraw-Hill Private Dining Rooms at Rockefeller Center, Scholastic Soho Penthouse and rooftop Garden Terrace.
RMA also operates a trio of public restaurant and catering facilities in Jersey City: Henry’s on the Hudson, Harborside Club, Harborside Financial Center and Harborside Creative Catering.
The New Jersey based firm has come to the forefront in recent years as it was selected to handle foodservice by the NFL to cater the Super Bowl and Pro Bowl.
With RMA, Compass is acquiring a visionary firm.
The company has also embraced health-based initiatives that have driven demand for plant based proteins, more vegetables and grains and lower carbohydrate (especially less sugar) laden meals.
RMA is one of the truly inspirational “only in America” success stories. In 1972, the late Diane Gallagher and her husband Robert Wright founded Restaurant Marketing Associates after attending Lourdes Academy and Ursaline College. Gallagher’s extremely distinguished career began as a dietician at Stouffers Hotel and Restaurant Company where she rose to national director of quality, an early expression of her commitment to the superlative, and later served as assistant to its president James Stouffer.
In 1968 “Who’s Who in America” conferred on her its “Outstanding Women in America” award. In 1969 she joined the newly created Davre’s (now NYSE-listed Aramark) where she established their operating procedures and set the company’s quality standards for all new openings under a business model centered on fine dining restaurants in signature buildings throughout the country (Bank of America/San Fran, John Hancock/Chi., etc.).
Her signature professional achievement came in establishing and building Restaurant Marketing Associates, which she built through a blend of grace, visionary leadership and a relentless work ethic (and a long string of very durable luggage).
RMA initially flourished as a destination-restaurant and private club group in Class A building top-floor restaurants in major American cities, not least of all New York’s “The Club at the Citicorp Center.” Each won the Travel Holiday Award from American Express, an accomplishment in which Diane took much deserved pride.
As a direct result of Diane’s laser-focus on quality, the company grew on its merits and reputation. A restaurant client asked that RMA run operations in their NY-based national law firm, thus beginning RMA’s shift to bespoke corporate food service and customer-tailored catering through which she oversaw the food service management of Fortune 500 facilities, private clubs, law firms, publishing companies, the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, executive dining rooms, multi-tenant properties and a collection of public restaurants.
RMA’s management team led by its President Tony Kaszuba will join a Compass team that features some of the Metro New York area’s most dynamic operating units. Compass’ Restaurant Associates Group (RA) is led by Richard Cattani and Ed
Sirhal. RA based in Manhattan manages many of Metro New York’s leading corporate dining operations. The Scott Davis led Flik International is based in Rye Brook, NY. Its approach to culinary innovation has long been a staple of the Metro New York foodservice scene.
Additional reporting by Andrew Watson.
