U.S. Chamber Honors South Florida Small Business with 2013 Community Excellence Award

Customers & Community Recognize Rapoport’s Restaurant Group for its Business Success

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today at America’s Small Business Summit 2013, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce honored Rapoport’s Restaurant Group of Boca Raton, FL with the Community Excellence Award, recognizing the success it has achieved and the strong support it received from its employees, customers, and community.

“Aspiring small business owners in Florida and across America should look to Rapoport’s Restaurant group as a great example of a small business that gives back and shows leadership in their community,” said Thomas J. Donohue, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber. “Today we honor Burt Rapoport and Rapoport’s Restaurant Group for their accomplishments.”

Rapoport’s Restaurant Group was named one of the U.S. Chamber’s 7 Regional Finalists on February 15 and one of the 100 Blue Ribbon Small Business Award® winners on February 8.  Each of these award winners had the opportunity to invite its community to show support for their business through online voting. Rapoport’s Restaurant Group received more votes than any of their competitors, becoming the fifth recipient of the annual Community Excellence Award.

The Award is part of the U.S. Chamber's DREAM BIG Small Business of the Year Awards program, sponsored by Sam's Club®.  The Awards program is designed to recognize companies that showcase exemplary business practices in the areas of employee development, community involvement, customer service, and strategy.

Rapoport’s Restaurant Group employs 181 people at three restaurants and a sandwich shop all located in Palm Beach County, Florida. The company generated more than $13 million in sales in 2011, and President Burt Rapoport was named Business Leader of the Year by the Boca Raton’s Chamber of Commerce in 2008. His Deck 48 restaurant was listed as one of OpenTable’s Diner Choice List: Top 100 Outdoor Dining Restaurants in 2012.

“Burt Rapoport is not only an asset to the community by employing so many people, he is generous and civic minded, always giving back—as he did recently with his fundraiser for the Sandy victims on Long Island,” said one online voter. “Burt and his company extend themselves to the community, their patrons, and their vendors with the highest standards of excellence and decency,” said another voter.

To learn more about America’s Small Business Summit, visit www.uschambersummit.com.

Sam’s Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is the nation’s eighth largest retailer and a leading membership warehouse club offering superior products and services to more than 47 million members in clubs across the U.S., as well as in Brazil, China and Mexico. Members save an average of 34 percent over traditional retailers. To learn more about Savings Made Simple®, visit SamsClub.com, and look for Sam’s Club on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and our Mobile and iPad® Apps.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.