Restaurant Facility Management Association

What Restaurant Facility Management Association does

RFMA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association dedicated exclusively to restaurant facility management professionals. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in Frisco, Texas, it serves two member tiers: Restaurant Brand Professionals (facilities employees of chains with three or more locations) at $125 per year, and Vendor Allied Corporate members (manufacturers, dealers, distributors serving the industry) at $850–$2,050 per year based on company sales volume. Over 100 restaurant brands are represented, including Darden, Chipotle, Wendy's, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Brinker, Panda Restaurant Group, and others.

The association's product portfolio centers on the Certified Restaurant Facility Professional (CRFP) credential — a 190-question competency-based exam covering 14 knowledge areas delivered via KRYTERION Webassessor — supported by a 14-module online prep course hosted on peachnewmedia.com. Additional offerings include an annual three-day conference (scheduled for March 15–17, 2026 at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center), the bi-monthly Facilitator magazine reaching 10,000+ professionals, a weekly Dish e-newsletter, the SocialLink community platform, the Facilities Toolkit, the Career Center, the Leadership RFMA 12-month development program, and the RFMA Gives charitable initiative (operating since 2011). Technology infrastructure runs on YourMembership association management software for member database, event registration, and SocialLink.

RFMA generates revenue from four streams: recurring membership dues, CRFP exam fees ($300 for members, $450 for non-members), annual conference registration, and Facilitator magazine advertising. The GTM motion is community-led — peer referrals, member testimonials citing manager recommendations, the annual conference, regional member meet-ups, virtual roundtables, and peer-to-peer calls drive acquisition and renewal. With a lean staff of 1–10 employees, the association operates with a high volunteer leverage model, governed by a Board of Directors drawn from member companies such as Darden, Panda Restaurant Group, bartaco, Mendocino Farms, Cracker Barrel, Taco Bell, and Joe & The Juice.

Name

Restaurant Facility Management Association

Legal name

Restaurant Facility Management Association

Website

https://rfmaonline.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

RFMA is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit professional membership association serving restaurant facility management professionals and vendor service providers. It delivers the CRFP certification, annual conference, Facilitator magazine, and community platforms to over 100 restaurant brand members.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Trade Association Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910), Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conferences & Conventions Operations Services (Registration, AV, Logistics) (MPAGAGAM), Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies (BPAIAOAC)

Keywords

• Restaurant facility management
• Professional association membership
• Facility management certification
• Restaurant industry education
• Vendor networking services

Headquarters

HQ city

Frisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from Restaurant Brand Professional members ($125/year) and Vendor Allied Corporate members (tiered pricing from $850-$2,050/year based on company annual sales volume). Restaurant memberships renew annually and are transferable with the individual. Vendor memberships are company-based and expire December 31 annually.
2. CRFP Certification Exams: Revenue from proctored certification exam fees: $300 for RFMA members and $450 for non-members. Includes 190-question competency-based exam covering 14 knowledge areas delivered through KRYTERION Webassessor platform.
3. Annual Conference: Revenue from RFMA Annual Conference registration fees with discounted rates for members. Conference held annually at venues like Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center, Denver (2026).
4. Facilitator Magazine Advertising: Revenue from advertising sales in Facilitator magazine (published 6x/year, delivered to 10,000+ restaurant professionals). Additional revenue from Buyer's Guide enhanced listing upgrades ($250-$350).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

RFMA is a nonprofit professional trade association that delivers the Certified Restaurant Facility Professional (CRFP) certification program, an annual three-day conference, the bimonthly Facilitator magazine, a SocialLink online member community, and curated educational/webinar programming. Membership is sold in two tiers — Restaurant Brand Professional (individual) and Vendor Allied Corporate (tiered by company sales volume) — and the association also runs the RFMA Gives charitable initiative and member subgroups such as Females in Facilities and Emerging Professionals.

Product overview

RFMA is a professional membership association offering a unified portfolio of products and services for restaurant facility management professionals. The core offerings center on the CRFP (Certified Restaurant Facility Professional) certification program, which includes the CRFP Prep Course and CRFP exam delivered via KRYTERION Webassessor, alongside annual RFMA Membership providing access to the Facilitator Magazine (bi-monthly publication), The Dish Newsletter (weekly), SocialLink online community, RFMA Career Center job board, and Facilities Toolkit resources. The annual RFMA Conference serves as the premier annual event, combined with the RFMA Gives charitable initiative for community service. Additional programs include the Emerging Professionals subgroup (for those with 5 or fewer years in the industry), Females in Facilities networking group, and Leadership RFMA 12-month development program. The CRFP certification and conference serve as the primary differentiators, while membership tiers (Restaurant Brand Professional at $125/year and Vendor Allied Corporate starting at $850/year) fund the association's activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Certified Restaurant Facility Professional (CRFP): Professional certification program created in 2010 to elevate restaurant facility management standards and designate professionals who demonstrate the knowledge and competencies necessary to manage restaurant facilities. The certification consists of 14 areas of knowledge covering all aspects of restaurant facility management, with a competency-based exam of 190 questions.
• RFMA Gives
• Females in Facilities
• Emerging Professionals
• Facilitator Magazine
• The Dish Newsletter
• Leadership RFMA

Products and services

• RFMA Membership Annual membership association offering two tiers — Restaurant Brand Professional ($125/year) for facility management professionals at multi-unit foodservice operators, and Vendor Allied Corporate ($850-$2,050/year tiered by company sales volume) for manufacturers, vendors, and service providers. Members receive access to events, publications, the Career Center, Facilitator magazine, the SocialLink community, CRFP exam discounts, and the Facilities Toolkit.
• CRFP (Certified Restaurant Facility Professional) Certification Industry-only professional certification for restaurant facility management professionals. The competency-based proctored exam consists of 190 questions across 14 areas of knowledge (building components, plumbing, HVAC, kitchen equipment, financial planning, etc.). Exam fees: $300 for RFMA members, $450 for non-members. Credential holders earn authority to use the CRFP designation on letterhead, business cards, and email signatures; renewal required every 3 years.
• CRFP Prep Course Online self-paced preparation course consisting of 14 interactive modules covering the 14 knowledge areas of the CRFP exam. Available free to RFMA members as a member benefit; offered to non-members at additional cost. Delivered on the RFMA Learning Center (peachnewmedia.com).
• RFMA Annual Conference Premier annual three-day gathering of restaurant facility professionals featuring education sessions, networking events, an exhibition hall of vendor service providers, and the RFMA Gives community service project. Held annually at rotating U.S. venues; 2026 conference scheduled March 15-17 at Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center in Denver, with discounted registration for RFMA members.
• Facilitator Magazine Official bimonthly print and digital trade publication of RFMA covering emerging trends, best practices, and practical solutions for restaurant facility management, construction, and capital improvements. Delivered to more than 10,000 restaurant professionals per issue. Includes the annual Buyer's Guide directory and accepts advertising and enhanced listings ($250-$350). Free to RFMA members.
• The Dish Newsletter Free weekly e-newsletter providing relevant restaurant facilities industry news and the latest RFMA association updates, delivered every Wednesday. Included with RFMA membership; non-members can subscribe separately.
• SocialLink Online Member Community RFMA's exclusive online community platform for members, providing networking, forum discussions, and member-to-member connection through groups, forums, and feeds. Accessible via desktop and mobile devices. Powers gated access to subgroups such as Females in Facilities and Emerging Professionals.
• RFMA Gives Annual charitable initiative that brings RFMA members together in the annual conference host city to provide critical facilities improvements for local 501(c)(3) non-profit food service organizations. Members contribute donations, volunteer labor, and professional expertise. Operating continuously since 2011.
• RFMA Career Center Job board platform for restaurant facility management career opportunities, available to members and (for paid postings) to non-members. Members can post openings or search for positions in the restaurant facilities field.
• Leadership RFMA 12-month leadership development program designed to increase leadership capabilities and career potential for a selected annual cohort of RFMA members. Sponsored by a designated Leadership RFMA Partner.
• Emerging Professionals Program Membership subgroup of RFMA for industry newcomers with 5 years or less in restaurant facility management. Focused on networking and skills development across HVAC, plumbing, electrical, negotiation, leadership, and budgeting, with access through a private SocialLink group.
• Females in Facilities Women-focused interest subgroup within RFMA dedicated to the empowerment and engagement of women in restaurant facility management. Encourages communication, best-practice sharing, peer support, and discussion of gender-specific challenges in the field. Access through a private SocialLink group.
• Facilities Toolkit Member-only resources collection containing job descriptions, disaster management resources, scopes of work, and store audit templates designed for restaurant facility managers.
• On-Demand Webinars and RFMA Learning Center Educational content platform providing on-demand webinars and structured learning covering restaurant facility management topics. Hosted on peachnewmedia.com and also the delivery vehicle for the CRFP Prep Course.

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• CRFP Designation PartnerflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the CRFP certification program, RFMA's flagship professional designation for restaurant facility management professionals. The partnership enables delivery of competency-based certification through KRYTERION Webassessor testing platform.
• Females in Facilities PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial partner supporting the Females in Facilities interest group dedicated to empowerment and engagement of women within RFMA community. Ameritech Facilities Services is recognized as the official partner.
• Leadership RFMA PartnercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting the Leadership RFMA 12-month leadership development program designed to increase leadership capabilities and career potential of selected members.
• Member Meet-Up PartnercoreGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner supporting regional member meet-up events. Addilan Group is recognized as the official Member Meet-Up Partner for member networking events at CFESA HQ.
• Online Learning PartnercoreTechnology or IntegrationPartner enabling RFMA Learning Center and CRFP Prep Course delivery through peachnewmedia.com platform for online education and certification preparation.
• YourMembershipcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssociation management software provider powering RFMA's member database, event registration, website functionality, and SocialLink community platform.
• KRYTERION (Syster)coreTechnology or IntegrationTesting delivery partner for CRFP exam through Webassessor secure platform at proctored locations nationwide.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• International Facility Management Association (IFMA): The largest global facility management professional association, offering the CFM and FMP credentials. Most direct comparable to RFMA's professional-association-plus-certification model, though broader in scope across all facility types rather than restaurant-specific.
• Commercial Food Equipment Service Association (CFESA): Trade association for companies that service commercial food equipment. Directly comparable as a restaurant-foodservice-focused association; notably, RFMA already co-hosts Member Meet-Up events at CFESA HQ, evidencing tight overlap in membership and audience.
• Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI): Professional society for foodservice consultants and designers, offering the FCSI Professional credential. Highly comparable membership-and-certification model serving the broader restaurant and foodservice industry, overlapping significantly with RFMA's audience.
• APPA (Association of Physical Plant Administrators): Educational facility professionals association offering credentialing programs for institutional facility managers. Comparable association-plus-certification structure serving a different but parallel facility-management niche.
• Multi-Unit Foodservice Operators (MUFSO): Long-running conference and community for multi-unit restaurant chain executives. Directly comparable operator-side restaurant industry gathering with overlapping attendee base of senior leaders from the same brands in RFMA membership.

Broad incumbents

• North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers (NAFEM): Trade association representing manufacturers of commercial food equipment — the same vendor ecosystem that RFMA's Vendor Allied Corporate members sell into. Comparable as a foodservice-industry association but serves the manufacturer side rather than operator-side facility management.
• National Restaurant Association: The largest US trade association for the restaurant industry, running the NRA Show. Operates as a broad-incumbent association that touches restaurant operations, supply chain, and policy — much wider than RFMA's facility-management niche but sharing the same restaurant operator membership base.
• BOMA International (Building Owners and Managers Association): International trade association for commercial real estate and building management professionals, offering the RPA, FMA, and SMA designations. Broad-incumbent peer sharing the facility-management credentialing model but oriented to office and commercial buildings rather than restaurants.
• ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Association): Global trade association for the cleaning and sanitation industry, overlapping with RFMA's vendor ecosystem that supplies janitorial and maintenance products to restaurant facilities. Comparable B2B association model with strong events and certification programs.

Regional players

• ASHE (American Society for Health Care Engineering): Member-driven organization for professionals who design, build, and operate healthcare facilities. Comparable association model (membership + certification like CHFM) for a different facility vertical, illustrating both the template RFMA follows and a potential adjacent expansion market.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/RFMA08
• Facebookfacebook.com/RFMAonline
• Xx.com/RFMA

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Restaurant Facility Management Association