Exciting news! Dive into our new Monthly Newsletter for exclusive insights, resources, upcoming events, and more. Stay connected and informed!

On the afternoon of November 14, 2023, the MARA Regional Leadership Roundtable Meeting/Catering Owners and Managers Symposium was held at the All Seasons Table restaurant in downtown Malden. The Massachusetts Asian American Restaurant Association, the Massachusetts Restaurant Association, and operating owners gathered to engage in sincere exchanges and communication on issues such as restaurant staffing, owner-employee relationships, and culinary styles.

 

Immigration-experienced lawyer Roy Watson elaborated on how restaurant owners can hire foreign workers and handle arising issues. Douglas Tran, the owner of All Seasons Table, is of Vietnamese descent and shared his professional experiences. He earnestly emphasized that love and care are the best foundations for relationships between employers and employees, engaging in interactive discussions with other owners like Yanni from the Szechuan Palace restaurant.

During this roundtable, MARA officially launched the "Monthly Newsletter" and "Monthly Members" video program initiatives. Tran Le, a board member at MARA, presented the purpose of the "Newsletter," aimed at sharing resources and fostering community. Each bilingual edition of the newsletter will be distributed via targeted emails, as well as through MARA's social media platforms like Facebook, its website, WeChat public account, among others.

 

Xiaoyan Huang, another MARA board member, played the inaugural episode of the "Monthly Members" program titled "Yanni's Restaurant Dream" in both English and Chinese. She introduced the program's objectives and creative process, aiming to better promote and introduce Massachusetts restaurant owners. This program also serves as an additional benefit for MARA members, offering each member the opportunity to have their personalized video. The roundtable meeting fostered open dialogue, equality, and freedom of expression. MARA pledged to provide more opportunities like this for restaurant owners and related professionals to address real-world challenges effectively.

Join the New England Restaurant & Bar Show on February 4-5, 2024, in Boston, MA for Emerging Technologies, Live Culinary Demos, and Networking.

Grant & Program Opportunities

(Deadline 12/15) Re-Fresh Program - The Revitalization of Food Restaurants and Establishments to Stabilize Holistically program or Re-FRESH is an effort to support brick and mortar micro businesses negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Business may receive up to $15,000. Small Business Development may award full funding, partial funding, or no funding.
 

(Deadline 12/15) The Atomic Grant Program - Available for women business owners where they are offering $1,500 microgrants and one-on-one strategy coaching sessions. These grants are awarded quarterly.

 

 

(Rolling Deadline) Amber Grant - Women's Net gives away at least $30,000 every month in Amber Grant money. In recognition of the diversity of businesses owned by women, they've also expanded their grant-giving to include Marketing Grants, Business Category Grants, as well as two $25,000 Year End Grants.

 

(Rolling Deadline) Free LLC Formation for Moms - Zenbusiness is giving every mom in America the ability to start an LLC for free, plus the cost of your state fee.  

Founded in 2018, Massachusetts Asian Restaurant Association (MARA) is a non-profit corpo­ration registered at Commonwealth of Massachusetts. It formed a partnership with Massachu­setts Restaurant Association (MRA) in 2020. MARA provides Asian restaurant businesses the resources and guidance needed to advance in the industry. MARA is a platform connecting Asian restaurant members with professional service providers as well as relevant governmental entities to enhance the communication collaboration and mutual benefits. Visit ma-ara.org to join or learn more.