Membership

Three Dimensions of Distinguished Dining

The goal of Distinguished Restaurants of North America is to recognize restaurants that strive for consistent excellence, and to help consumers find the very best in distinguished dining.

DiRōNA members represent only the highest level of fine dining establishments in North America, Canada and Mexico. As a cohesive unit, all DiRōNA restaurants aim to promote the best of the distinguished dining segment and hospitality industries.

DiRōNA restaurants reflect three distinct categories of distinguished dining and the many factors that go into a satisfying dining experience.

Timeless Traditional – The crown jewels of fine dining
These restaurants present complex and exceptional food with panache, delivering an unparalleled dining experience from start to finish. The meals they serve are complimented by exquisite décor and a highly-trained wait staff. Point-for-point, these establishments uphold the highest standards in the traditional art of fine dining. Restaurants in this category include elegant grilles and established steakhouses—“white tablecloth” ambiance with “white glove” service. Examples of DiRōNA restaurants in the Timeless Traditional category: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FOR TIMELESS TRADITIONAL

Creative Contemporary – The best of modern casual cuisine
These independent establishments represent the best of modern cuisine, often with a creative theme or presentation. Restaurants of this caliber offer well-coordinated décor that complements distinctive fare and knowledgeable service. While more creative in atmosphere and menu, these restaurants rise above passing trends to offer a distinct dining experience with contemporary flair. This category represents a wide variety of concepts, from global fusion to up-tempo casual—the bistros and cafes that bring color and flair to the world of distinguished dining. Examples of DiRōNA restaurants in the Creative Contemporary category: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FOR CREATIVE CONTEMPORARY

Legendary Landmarks – Established regional ‘hot spots’
This category recognizes celebrated establishments noted for legendary regional fare. They are well-known restaurants deeply stitched into the cultural fabric of their communities. Service is friendly and personal, and meals are served in a unique atmosphere. These restaurants are prized by locals and occasionally shared with tourists seeking authentic comfort food in a relaxed setting. Restaurants in this category include down-home diners, eclectic hot spots and one-of-a-kind establishments noted for authentic regional charm. Example of a DiRōNA restaurant in the Legendary Landmark category: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FOR LEGENDARY LANDMARK

For additional details about DiRōNA's inspection process and membership criteria, click on the Inspections Process page.

Benefits of Membership

DiRōNA members value their award because it represents an independent, objective validation of their commitment to, and proper execution of, a distinguished culinary experience. Membership is not bestowed based on reputation, food critic reviews, media buzz or previous awards, but rather an anonymous, on-site evaluation by a team of inspectors trained to quantify the overall value of their dining experience. Simply obtaining DiRōNA membership is itself an esteemed and well-earned benefit. Others advantages include:

Credibility through recognition as one of the “best of the best” in North America, with the ability to display a custom certificate and access tools that showcase your membership to your guests.

Restaurant Promotion through national marketing efforts such as our e-newsletter Signature Dish, our iPhone "app" and searchable listings on www.dirona.com.

Educational & Networking Opportunities at our annual conference, membership luncheons and other events that allow members to rub shoulders with the legends of their industry.

Industry Partnerships that provide discounts and resources exclusively to members, including:

ONLINE RESERVATIONS DISCOUNTS

DiRoNA has partnered with Livebookings to bring you their online reservation and marketing services at a discount. Used by over 9,000 restaurants worldwide, Livebookings' easy and affordable online reservations and email marketing service will help you increase sales, grow your customer database and market your restaurant online. The Livebookings difference:

• Reservations on your website and Facebook page. No redirect to a third-party site.
• Increase sales. Get reservations from partners like Bloomberg, Bookatable, and American Express.
• Your guest, your data. You have complete control over your customer data.
• Works with your current system including OpenTable or your paper reservation book.

DiRoNA-sponsored discounted pricing plans are available to all DiRoNA members for a limited time. To learn more visit http://livebookings.us/dirona

RESERVATION SERVICE DISCOUNTS

Table Maestro is a central reservations service, which works with your current reservations system to provide all of the services you would expect from your on-site staff including handling incoming calls, making and tracking bookings, and confirming reservations. No longer do you have to worry about losing valuable business due to your restaurant's inability to answer the phone. DiRōNA members receive 20% off the activation fee.

FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO RUNNINGRESTAURANTS.COM

DiRōNA has partnered with RunningRestaurants.com to bring our members free access to RR's wide library of operational content for restaurant pros! The DiRōNA content portal is a members-only site with 650+ how-to articles and special reports, plus 25+ hours of audio seminar content. With business content from marketing and operations to service, finance, and more, the site offers restaurant owners and managers a wide variety of informational tools to more effectively run a successful and profitable restaurant operation. In addition to the huge library of existing content, new content is added weekly. Access to the site is exclusively for DiRōNA members.