ASORE

What ASORE does

ASORE (Asociación de Restaurantes de Puerto Rico) is a private, nonprofit professional trade association serving the restaurant industry in Puerto Rico. The organization represents restaurant owners and operators — both independent establishments and chains — as well as food service suppliers, with a stated addressable market of 4,136 restaurant establishments on the island. Its core offerings are organized around four pillars: (1) membership services providing access to training, networking, advocacy, and industry research; (2) certified professional training delivered through the Centro de Capacitación in Guaynabo, including National Restaurant Association-affiliated ServSafe Food Manager and ServSafe Alcohol certification courses; (3) industry events, principally the annual ASORE Restaurant Show and ASORE Golf Classic, which generate sponsorship, exhibitor, and registration revenue; and (4) commissioned research, including the annual Proyecciones economic report and the EAT (Estudio | ASORE | Tendencias) consumer trends study produced with partners Inteligencia Económica and The Research Office.

ASORE generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring membership dues (subscription), paid training and certification programs priced on a unit basis with differentiated member vs. non-member rates (e.g., ServSafe Food Manager $130 members / $175 non-members; ServSafe Alcohol $160 members / $230 non-members), and event revenue from registrations, sponsorships, and exhibitor fees. Pricing for workshops and seminars ranges from $35 to $200 per attendee. Distribution occurs through a self-serve website (asorepr.com) and member portal (members.asorepr.com), direct in-person engagement at the Centro de Capacitación, regional impact visits across five Puerto Rico regions (Norte, Sur, Este, Oeste, Metro), webinars, a mobile app (iOS and Android), and a podcast ("Desde la Cocina de ASORE").

Beyond commercial offerings, ASORE operates as the principal advocacy voice for Puerto Rico's restaurant sector, engaging directly with DACO, DRNA, the Department of Labor, and the Economic Development Bank (BDE) on regulatory matters. Notable outcomes include successful legal challenges to single-use plastics regulations (Interpretation 2024-01 nullified in January 2025; Law 47-2025 extending the compliance moratorium through December 2026). In 2023, ASORE established the Fundación Educativa ASORE as an educational foundation to develop workforce pipelines, including programs for students and formerly incarcerated individuals. The association is led by President Carlos Budet and is independently governed by a Board of Directors (Junta de Directores).

Name

ASORE

Legal name

Asociación de Restaurantes de Puerto Rico (ASORE)

Website

https://asorepr.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASORE is a nonprofit professional trade association representing Puerto Rico's restaurant industry — serving owners, operators, and food service suppliers through membership dues, NRA-affiliated ServSafe certification training, flagship events (Restaurant Show, Golf Classic), commissioned industry research, and government advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Guaynabo

HQ country

Puerto Rico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices2 records

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: ASORE generates revenue primarily through annual membership fees from restaurant owners, operators, and food-related suppliers across Puerto Rico. Membership provides access to training, certifications, networking events, industry research, and government advocacy.
2. Training and Certification Programs: ASORE conducts paid training sessions including ServSafe Food Manager and ServSafe Alcohol certification courses, typically priced at differentiated rates for members vs. non-members. Additional workshops cover HR, marketing, operations, and regulatory compliance topics.
3. Event Revenue: ASORE organizes signature events including the annual ASORE Restaurant Show and ASORE Golf Classic, generating revenue through registrations, sponsorships, and exhibitor fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ASORE is the professional trade association for the restaurant industry in Puerto Rico. It sells annual memberships to restaurant owners, operators, and food-service suppliers, and generates additional revenue through paid ServSafe food and alcohol safety certification courses, in-person professional development workshops at its Centro de Capacitación in Guaynabo, paid registrations for flagship events (ASORE Restaurant Show and ASORE Golf Classic), and commissioned industry research studies (Proyecciones, EAT).

Product overview

ASORE (Asociación de Restaurantes de Puerto Rico) is a professional association for the restaurant industry in Puerto Rico. Its offerings are organized around membership services, professional training, certification programs, industry research, and member resources. The primary product is the ASORE App, which serves as a mobile gateway to the association's services. ASORE does not operate a software platform sold as a product; rather, it provides its members with training programs (Centro de Capacitación), certification courses (ServSafe Food Manager, ServSafe Alcohol), webinars, regional events, industry studies (Proyecciones and EAT studies), and a job board (ASORE EMPLEOS).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ASORE Membership (Membresía)

Quantifiable outcome

• Restaurant industry employment in Puerto Rico grew from 52,055 in 2020 to 71,800 in 2024, a 37.9% increase
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BPAS Trust Company of Puerto RicominorOthers · 24 April 2024BPAS offered a 401(k) retirement program orientation exclusively for ASORE members. Alfredo Matheu, President of BPAS Trust Company of Puerto Rico, presented the program details in an ASORE webinar on April 24, 2024. The partnership provides members with access to a retirement benefits program tailored for small businesses.
• National Restaurant Association (NRA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASORE is affiliated with the National Restaurant Association, the largest foodservice trade organization in the world. The partnership provides ASORE members access to ServSafe certification programs, NRA educational resources, webinars, and a voice in federal regulatory discussions. ASORE also participates in NRA events and shares research and advocacy positions aligned with the NRA's national agenda.
• RestaurantOwner.comminorGTM or Marketing PartnerASORE provides its members access to RestaurantOwner.com resources, a platform offering information, tools, and training to increase restaurant business success. ASORE promotes this resource as a member benefit.
• Inteligencia EconómicacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInteligencia Económica is ASORE's primary research partner, conducting annual commissioned studies including the 'Proyecciones' economic report and the 'EAT (Estudio | ASORE | Tendencias)' consumer trends study. The firm surveys restaurant owners and distributors to produce island-specific market data on employment, market share, and economic outlook.
• The Research OfficecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Research Office, led by José D. Alfonso, co-develops and presents the EAT (Estudio | ASORE | Tendencias) study — the only quantitative consumer research study for Puerto Rico's restaurant industry. The study covers price perception, restaurant selection factors, technology appetite, and media usage.
• HUB Puerto RicominorGTM or Marketing PartnerHUB Puerto Rico partners with ASORE to provide members with access to health insurance program orientations through the ASORE Health Services Program. HUB presents periodic webinars explaining the health benefits available to member restaurants and their employees.
• Business AtelierminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerASORE partnered with Business Atelier to deliver webinars on financial assistance programs available to restaurants, including ERTC credits, EIDL loans, and agricultural/distribution incentives. Tamara Matos Hernández, Executive Director of Business Atelier, served as the presenter.
• Imperial DademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerImperial Dade, a distributor of foodservice supplies, participates in ASORE's regional impact visits and orientations regarding single-use plastics regulations (Ley 51). The company provides product expertise and alternatives to help restaurants comply with environmental regulations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Texas Restaurant Association: State-level restaurant trade association providing advocacy, ServSafe training, and industry events; directly parallel in structure and offerings to ASORE.
• California Restaurant Association: A US state-level restaurant industry trade association offering advocacy, training, events, and ServSafe certification to members — directly comparable in mission, revenue model, and service mix to ASORE.
• Florida Restaurant Association: Florida's statewide restaurant trade association delivering membership, legislative advocacy, and ServSafe certification — comparable peer with similar geographic-and-statewide scope as ASORE.
• New York State Restaurant Association: Statewide restaurant trade association providing training, advocacy, and member services in New York — same operating model as ASORE at larger scale.
• Illinois Restaurant Association: State restaurant trade association offering ServSafe training, advocacy, and events to Illinois operators — directly comparable functional peer to ASORE.

Regional players

• Restaurants Canada: The national restaurant trade association for Canada, providing advocacy, research, and training services — comparable to ASORE as a country-level restaurant industry association, but serving a different geography.

Others

• ChamberMaster / GrowZone (MemberNova): Association management software platform used by ASORE for member portal and event management — adjacent technology enabler rather than a true peer, but material to ASORE's operational infrastructure.
• ServSafe (NRA training program): The food and alcohol safety certification program that ASORE delivers locally under NRA license. Comparable because it is the underlying IP that powers a meaningful portion of ASORE's training and certification revenue.
• National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF): Workforce development and scholarship arm of the NRA — comparable to ASORE's Fundación Educativa ASORE in mission of channeling students into restaurant careers.

Broad incumbents

• National Restaurant Association: The largest US foodservice trade organization and ASORE's parent affiliate. Provides ServSafe curriculum and federal advocacy reach; comparable because it is the national counterpart that ASORE's state-level model is designed to mirror and partner with.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ASOREPUERTORICO
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/asociaci-n-de-restaurantes-de-puerto-rico-asore-
• Xx.com/asore_pr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 ASORE