After a two-year hiatus, Bar & Restaurant Expo brought back our industry awards program, to recognize leaders in F&B. The Industry Excellence Awards, presented by Bar & Restaurant, and sponsored by sunday, are dedicated to recognizing, celebrating, and supporting the companies and individuals who make the independent bar and restaurant industry great.
Previously, our awards program was called the Nightclub & Bar Awards. This new name and brand is part of our Bar & Restaurant Expo evolution, and our continued commitment to championing the food and beverage industry.
The 11 award recipients were selected by a panel of expert judges based on their talent, integrity and commitment to equality, sustainability, community, and culture across the industry.
Bar & Restaurant spoke with a few of our winners to reflect on the ceremony, and what this recognition means for them.
Josh Davis
Brown & Balanced
Bartender of the Year
Winning ‘Bartender of the Year’ was a tremendous achievement. But in true Josh Davis fashion, the award means more to me not for my own recognition but in the fact that I know there’s a young Black bartender who is trying to find their way in the game. Maybe they saw me walk across the stage in a Death Row records t-shirt and some Jordan’s, and said to themselves, “I can be my authentic self, and I can be successful in this industry.” Being an inspiration to that next generation means the most to me. Anxious was absolutely the word of the week for me. Honestly, I didn't know what I was going to say when I got on stage, and didn't realize what I said until I watched the video. It was a surreal moment and one that I will never forget. To have some friends who have become family there, meant the world to me. And to receive the honor on the anniversary of my father passing, I know he was super proud to see his baby boy take all the principles that he taught me, get recognized that day. I just want everyone to know that Brown and Balanced is here to stay, and will continue to shake up the norm in the industry. We set the trends, and then we create more!
Adam Goble
Downtown Olly’s
LGBTQ Venue of the Year
The entire team at Downtown Olly’s feel the great honor and responsibility of this award. This award represents a spotlight for the important work we do in providing a safe place for people to be their most authentic selves. We hope others will look at our example and work towards making their own spaces safer for all and to celebrate in the uniqueness of people. When I accepted the award, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I instantly thought of my team and how I wish they could have all been there to enjoy the award that they had earned. The award is a physical representation of the quality of our crew, and when I received the award of their behalf, I felt the value of their work. A venue’s true value is in its people. In our team, Downtown Olly’s is rich. Downtown Olly’s is a fun and unique place. While our model is not for everyone, what can only benefit a company is a policy and practice of acceptance for people from every walk of life. Members of LGBTQQIP2SAA communities are more varied in their interests and pleasures thank in their genders and sexualities. No matter your feature or specialty, there are so many more potential guests than you are currently reaching.
Christie Lawler
The WITI Group
Innovator of the Year
This award means everything! In fact, this honor means more to me, and all the women involved in The WITI Group nationally, so much more than we can properly express. I started this organization in 2018 after coming to the realization that a support network like this didn’t yet exist to support the next generation of female leadership in our industry. The WITI Group is the support organization that I wish I would have had in my 20s and 30s when I needed help, support, and mentorship to navigate the challenges I was facing. I was so honored to have been nominated, and my fellow nominees in the category are such incredible powerhouses, that I was humbled to simply be in their presence. I went into the ceremony hoping we would win, but I was just really excited that a woman who dedicates herself to lifting others was going to go home with the honor. I was thrilled and a little shocked when I won. I couldn’t hold back the tears or get my legs to stop shaking as I walked onto the stage. I think I “ugly cried” the entire time, but since I hadn’t prepared anything to say, I simply thanked everyone for supporting my vision and hugged my fellow winner. Probably not my most glamorous moments on a stage, but completely authentic – which was likely hilarious to the audience. Our sole purpose at WITI Group is to foster community and light a bright path for other women in our business. The WITI Group is the nonprofit arm of my company, CJL CONSULTiNG and the foundation for the way our business operates and treats others. The WITI Group is an extension of my personal ethos as a business leader – to treat others with empathy, kindness, and respect. When companies join us as clients, they are supporting The WITI Group and in turn, their own network of colleagues.
Jacob Trevino
Gorilla Cinema Presents
Most Original Concept
I think everyone in the industry wants to know that the stories they are telling through food and beverage matter, to not only the audience but also their peers. I think out of all the categories the 'Most Original Concept" mean the most to what we do and is very much at the core of our mission at Gorilla Cinema Presents. We have always tried to push the ball forward and explore the boundaries of experience in F&B and what it means to entertain and surprise our guests. To be validated in that Quixotic quest means that all the experimentation, failures and struggles have been worth it to move not only our personal business forward but hopefully the industry as a whole. I wasn't sure we we're going to win, but hearing our name called is a moment that will stay with me for a lifetime. We always thank our team who make these wonderful concepts come to life and create magic for our guests every day. I talked about my history with the conference and how attending 10 years ago radically changed my trajectory in the industry, thanks to all of the people who taught and influenced me through their panels and innovative products. I wish I said that we all have stories to tell, and we all have a unique voice in this industry, and that we all have the opportunity to add something new by telling our own stories. We want other operators to know that our business is ever evolving, and that guests will continue to evolve. It is our job to meet the guests' new and ever-changing expectations. People want more than just great cocktails and food, which should be fundamental in any operation, they are craving experience and emotion. Tapping into the emotional aspect of F&B and creating new experiences, without it coming off as kitsch, will become the new frontier worth exploring.
Congratulations to all 30 finalists, and 11 winners of the first Industry Excellence Awards, presented by Bar & Restaurant Expo. Join us at the 2023 Bar & Restaurant Expo, March 27-29, 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Join the Guest List to be the first to know when registration opens.
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