History
Like most ideas in the service industry this company was born out of a drunken night and a cocktail napkin.
One night while Andy and Berto were celebrating the opening of their fourth nightclub, they went to a hole in the wall bar in Las Vegas. Naturally, while sitting at the bar top, they started discussing where to open up next. Berto had heard about a website where you could buy businesses in disarray or for sale. Andy thought that instead of just buying locations and making their own bars, and nightclubs. What if they pooled their collective knowledge and start a consulting firm. Thus RMG was born. They spent the night talking to the bartender and others at the little establishment, and found that even in the city of Las Vegas, known for hospitality, ownership and management had the same problem. Ownership and management have a communication problem with their workers. They don't understand the front lines, or what is really going on.
So the guys came back the next day, offered to help the bar for free, for one week, just to see if it was something they could do. After 7 days of teaching, and implementing strategies they had learned from their experience. Andy and Berto realized they had a business on their hand. What they didn't know was just how big it would be. That same whole in the wall bar? went on to launch another location, saw their sales increase almost 80% (78.4) and customer retention up 40% and new customers 38% after one week.
1 Week!
That bar keeps RMG on retainer and the owner spends his time now with his wife and family, traveling to his son's baseball games, and daughter dance recitals and enjoying life! As for us at RMG? Well we use it to try new food, drinks, train staff, etc. We call it the proving ground, and every idea we have good, bad or otherwise we try here first. That is how we know Karaoke doesn't work on Tuesdays, and Trivia doesn't work on Sundays, that cinnamon Jager was way better than people remember, and Christmas in July, especially with a toy for tots drive works way better than a Sexy Santa contest.
For Berto and Andy and really all of us at RMG, we would be nothing without the proving ground. That is when our founders, college buddies that loved to party together, for similar but different walks of life, had finally found lightening in a bottle. Welcome to RMG we are anything but ordinary.
About Us
Berto Rodriguez
All Hail the King of Clubs!
Berto Started in nightlife at 13 as a DJ. Yeah you read that right. 13. After Multiple Residencies through out the World, Including a list that is essentially a top 10 of party places throughout the world, He moved to Bartending and wanting to learn more about nightclubs. at 21 he graduated from ABC in Las Vegas as a bartender. Started managing and the rest is history. Even while on a hiatus from the industry of sorts, while Capitol Hill in D.C. (Berto actually holds a PhD in political science); he still was bartending, promoting parties, winning awards, and at that time nightlife was a SIDE HUSTLE!
He held a full time job on Capitol Hill, and at the White House. He QUIT to come back to nightlife. Overseeing day to day operations at 25 nightclubs across the US, as well as over 800 employees, excluding 4 bars of his own, and his own 70 plus employees now. Him and Andy decided launching RMG was what was best for the service industry.
His Vision, and knack for throwing parties and judging consumers is like a 6th sense you have to see to believe. the Joke in the office is, "Berto could be blindfolded and tell you where you're losing money by the smell of your bar!" I don't know if that is actually true, but there are stories from older employees.
Andy Rodriguez
Andy grew up with parents that were small business owners. Farming and ranching in his free time before becoming a business developer for Verizon, He knows how important sales are. Where Berto grew up throwing parties, Andy grew up launching businesses. A bartender, server, manager in his own right, Andy understands and navigates the hierarchy of business from top to bottom. His team first attitude, and willingness to teach is normally just what a business needs to be successful.
Andy, like many of us started his working life working in restaurants. As a busboy cleaning up after servers, he quickly realized bartenders made more money, and that was where he needed to be. He parlayed his way into serving and then the BOH. Finally Andy made it to bar, and used his tip money to put him through school. getting his degree Athletic training, and being a volunteer firefighter, Andy stays calm under pressure, and exudes a certain aura when under pressure.
Andy, more a lead by example type, loves to make the workplace fun, and have a good time while also accomplishing what needs to be accomplished. Andy is great with new businesses as he understands all the challenges with launching, and getting to launch.