The MRA Blog is officially open for business. It's been a long journey to where we are now with this website. My name is Robert Ponder and I am the webmaster for the site. I started working with Wight Boggs and the good people here at the MRA 12 years ago. At that time we had an extremely simple website that was getting about 18 hits a day. The site has gone through many facelifts and revisions over that time and now receives 7,000+ hits per day from people like you from all over the Midsouth. It is a dynamic and robust tool for you the dining public to use in making your dining decisions and as a networking tool for our members ... the very restaurants where you dine at.
Just so you know, I'm not on the board of directors and I'm not a paid staff member of the MRA. I am an ex-restaurateur and I am an associate member that has been fortunate enough to have a very solid, long lasting, business relationship with these people. That gives me an unusual perspective as to what the MRA is all about as an organization and on the people behind it. Memphis, I have to tell you that you have a real jewel in this organization!
Did you know that it's over 60 years old and still going strong? Most of you may not even be aware of just how much the MRA has given to the community and continues to give. Here are just a few examples. When Katrina destroyed New Orleans the MRA and its members sprang into action providing food and shelter for the flood of refugees streaming into Memphis. The MRA most recently sprang into action when the county government wanted to hit you with one more tax. This tax was aimed at you and at an already overly regulated and taxed industry in Shelby county. The work of the MRA in making you "Joe Citizen" aware of what was happening and your overwhelming response to it helped defuse the tax issue and put the brakes on something that was about to be ram rodded through and levied on the citizens of Shelby county.
Every year the MRA through its fund raising events provides assistance and funding for local charities such as The Memphis Food Bank, Church Health Center, MIFA, The AutoZone Liberty Bowl, The U of M Scholarship Program, etc. Folks these things are the done out of the goodness of the hearts of the MRA member restaurant owners. No one gets paid, no stands to gain anything directly from what they do. Every single member owner that I know (and I know a bunch of them) are community driven, caring people and they are very passionate about what they do in providing you with great dining experiences. The depth of the dining experience Memphis provides is truly amazing ... not brag, just fact.
With this blog we hope to become more interactive with you the dining public as well as increase interactivity among the MRA membership. In coming posts selected members will blogging on literally everything that has anything to do with the restaurant business, your dining experiences, cooking and recipes, local Memphis issues and on and on. I feel very confident in saying that many of the MRA members are looking forward to interacting directly with you here through this blog. We invite you to post your comments when an article strikes a cord with you and we will be open to any and all suggestions you make.
Regards,
Robert
MRA Webmaster
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