APTIM on the Road: Insights on Facility Management and Disaster Management for Restaurants

THIS WEEK’S CONTRIBUTOR:
Christian Dettman, CHA | Hospitality Client Manager
APTIM | Environmental and Sustainability Solutions
Christian.Dettman@APTIM.com
Christian is a Certified Hotel Administrator (CHA) who proudly guides the hospitality community toward clean and sustainable goals. He is an environmental advocate and passionate about all things hotel, resorts, and restaurants. Learn more about Christian here.

 

 

APTIM on the Road: Insights on Facility Management and Disaster Management

Las Vegas is a city of contrasts, apparent from the outset as you fly across the barren deserts that surround the city. From 30,000 feet, Las Vegas seems to almost slowly appear out of the sand, mesquite, and sage. The relative calm of the approach to the city is quickly punctured as soon as you exit the jetway when you are immediately confronted with banks of ridiculously loud, brightly colored video slot machines. The tension of these contrasts is the energy that seems to sustain Las Vegas. Likewise, restaurant facility managers (RFMs) seem to rely on managing contrasts to find success.

The New-Age Role of Restaurant Facility Management

By absorbing the chaos of dealing with the essential systems and infrastructure of a restaurant and projecting order to guests, RFMs ensure the smooth operation of their restaurants. The latest tools and resources for RFMs to successfully manage and bring order to these contrasts were on display recently in Las Vegas at the annual conference of the Restaurant Facility Management Association (RFMA) that Director of Preparedness Amy Courville, Sr. Environmental & Sustainability Regulatory Advisor Tim Olson, and I attended on behalf of APTIM.

As emphasized throughout the conference, the role of RFMs is rapidly changing due to a variety of forces, including an increasingly data-driven approach, equipment coordination, sustainability initiatives, and disaster management. The data-driven approach and equipment coordination are creating new systems to monitor for repair issues, track energy and water use, and assess equipment performance.

Disaster Management and Facility Management

Sustainability initiatives are helping reduce the environmental impact of restaurants by tracking and reducing waste and using energy efficiently. Now, disaster management is emerging as a key element of brand management as restaurants compete to recover quickly and resume operations. APTIM is uniquely positioned to assist RFMs with services tailored to their specific situations.

APTIM is a leader in disaster management services, offering end-to-end solutions that prioritize preparedness, swift response, thorough recovery, and long-term resilience. Our experienced team works closely with facility managers to develop proactive plans that mitigate risks and ensure safety during emergencies. From coordinating immediate response efforts to minimize downtime to efficiently restoring operations, APTIM delivers tailored strategies that address the unique challenges of your facility. With a commitment to building back stronger, we provide expert guidance and innovative solutions to help facilities recover effectively and maintain resilience against future disruptions.

Sharing Our Insights on Facility Management

Over the past several years, APTIM has steadily increased its engagement with RFMA as our work with the broader hospitality industry has increased. In addition to hosting a booth at RFMA’s annual conference this year, we were selected by the conference organizing committee to present on the impact of building performance standards as part of the educational sessions of the conference and on the importance of emergency plan development as part of the RIF talks, their version of TED Talks.

In our presentation on building performance standards, we explained how these regulations are proliferating across the country as an effective means for cities and states to reduce emissions and increase the energy efficiency of existing buildings. On emergency plan development, we highlighted how data analysis, modeling, and site assessment should be used to develop a successful plan for disaster response and recovery.

Watch our full RIF talk here.

Partner with APTIM for Your Facility Management

Beyond the opportunity to share our knowledge and experience through formal presentations, we at APTIM always welcome the chance at in-person conferences to network, build stronger relationships, gain new insights, learn about new industry trends, and establish personal connections that can be difficult to replicate through virtual platforms alone. The RFMA annual conference, in particular, offers an immersive learning experience and facilitates meaningful professional development by allowing for richer conversations and collaboration with peers in the field.

APTIM looks forward to taking part in RFMA’s next annual conference March 2026 in Denver. In the meantime, get in touch with me today to discuss how APTIM can assist with your facility management needs, from compliance to disaster management.