All winners of Gold and Silver Plate Awards are inducted into the Gold & Silver Plate Society.
As members, they receive exclusive invitations to association events and other activities, are asked to participate in future Award Celebrations, and serve as pre-screen judges for the Silver Plate selection process each year.
Society members are often consulted on upcoming activities and initiatives by the association team and board of directors. Their insights and expertise continue to drive innovation and excellence in foodservice.
Many extraordinary individuals have been in the Gold & Silver Plate Society
Founders of Iconic Chains
From Panera Bread’s Ron Shaich (2005) to Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse’s Ruth Fertel (1995) and Bob’s Big Boy’s Robert Wian (1959).
CEOs of Leading Brands
Past winners include executives from Dunkin’, Wendy’s, Eat’n Park, Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny’s, First Watch, Olive Garden, Golden Corral, and more.
Independent Visionaries
Industry legends such as Danny Meyer, Wolfgang Puck, Charlie Trotter, “21” Club’s Jerry Berns, and New Orleans’ Ralph Brennan have earned their place in the Society.
Pioneers Across Foodservice Segments
From schools and hospitals to convenience stores, amusement parks, and hotels, dozens of Society members have transformed how America dines. Their impact is felt in every community nationwide.
Every year, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association puts out a call and receives a large slate of nominations from its membership and the industry for Silver Plate Awards. This year, we made revisions to the form, simplifying the process – and resulting in a larger number of candidates!
The smarts that earned restaurant executives a Silver Plate have put them in demand as board of director appointees. Recent weeks have led to at least three past winners being named to the lofty advisory positions.
The celebrated achievements of two former Silver Plate winners are earning the veritable hall-of-famers a shot at new notoriety via the bookcase.
Gold & Silver Plate winners were out in force at the Culinary Institute of America’s 18th Annual Leadership Awards, a celebration of what the “Harvard of Foodservice” calls the industry’s tastemakers.
Minah's head-turning work would earn him a Silver Plate in the College & Universities category in 1968.
After climbing to the loftiest heights of the chain-restaurant business, former IHOP and Applebee’s chief Julia Stewart is back in an entrepreneurial role. The 2005 Silver Plate winner (Chain-Full Service) has founded a healthcare technology business
Peter Romeo's new status clears the way for a partial revelation of what happens in the jury room. But don’t expect a motherlode of insider gossip about any nominee. The imperative to keep the deliberations secret still stands. And part of the jury’s
Students pursuing a career in the food-away-from-home business got a high-def picture of what their future might be like—and practical advice on plotting the journey—during a day-long event with leaders from the supplier side of the trade.
Foodservice royalty came out in their finest on Saturday to recognize eight new inductees into the ranks of winners of the Silver Plate Awards.
Kevin Hochman, CEO & President of Brinker International, has been awarded the prestigious 2025 Gold Plate Award. Honored for his leadership and industry impact, Hochman was selected from eight Silver Plate winners representing excellence.
Midway through the career that earned him this year’s prestigious Legends Award from the National Restaurant Association, Ted Fowler remarked to a gathering of fellow industry leaders that he felt like the turtle who finds itself perched atop a fence
You might think that 71 years of practice makes for a perfectly executed award program. History tells us otherwise. Over the decades, the Gold and Silver Plate Award ceremonies have had their share of twists, surprises good and bad, and even
Appreciating the rigors of the Silver and Gold Plate selection process is crucial to understanding why the honors remain the most prestigious in the food-away-from-home industry.
For an industry blasted as a dead-end career choice, the food-away-from-home business abounds with individuals who’ve followed their parents into the trade, knowing full well the life they’ve selected. Just look at how many successive generations hav
Anyone who’s not attended the Gold and Silver Plate ceremony since the industry’s premier awards event was recast post-pandemic will likely be surprised by this year’s celebration on May 17.
If there were a Foodservice Hall of Fame, the exhibits not to miss would be ones honoring past winners of the Gold Plate Award, the Most Valuable Player designation of the food-away-from-home industry.
Moving the needle on healthcare foodservice quality from bland as cardboard to delicious and nutritious isn’t easy. But we know a remarkable operator who not only set out to do just that, but succeeded way beyond expectations.
Her career path has focused on food safety and celebrating diverse dining traditions in an often-underestimated foodservice segment: elementary and secondary schools. Her efforts give the “scholars” she serves a heads’ up to getting ahead.
There's a recognized manual for high-volume cooking that is used nationwide and has been maintained since the 1930s. The volume’s most recent author, and an extraordinary industry expert, is Dr. Mary Molt, who has kept “Food for Fifty” current for th
It wasn’t her original calling, but successfully running a massive restaurant beloved by the local community and celebrated by the national press became Van Eure’s lifelong passion. She’s still at it today.
Just how did that restaurant name come to be? She was a struggling single mother that, without any prior industry experience, grew a failing business into a steakhouse juggernaut....with a quirky name. Ruth Fertel’s story has inspired many. Read her
In recognition of Women’s History Month, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is looking back at six women whose pioneering work earned them the association’s coveted Gold Plate Award, an honor synonymous with foodservice operator of the year.
Announcing the winners of the 71st annual Silver Plate Awards, recognizing excellence across eight food-away-from-home categories. The Gold Plate winner will be revealed at the Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration on May 17, 2025, in Chicago.
For the first time since the pandemic, the NRA Legends Award will return to the Gold and Silver Plate Awards Ceremony, which will take place on Saturday, May 17 in Chicago.
Since 1954, IFMA’s Gold & Silver Plate Awards have paid tribute to outstanding and innovative foodservice operator talent. Now in its sixty-ninth year honoring leaders in the industry, we invite you to submit your nominations to celebrate operator ta
Featuring top industry talent and six universities, the IFMA Education Foundation Summit provided valuable insights into career success, leadership, and industry trends.
Nearly 600 industry leaders gathered at Chicago’s Union Station to honor the foodservice industry’s best. The event featured inspiring mentors, the recognition of eight Silver Plate winners, and Chris Tomasso receiving the coveted Gold Plate Award.
The International Foodservice Manufacturers Association (IFMA) presented food-away-from-home's highest honor, the Gold Plate Award, to the President & CEO of First Watch Restaurant Group
Read the inspiring journey of Jon and Jen Corto, former NFL player and MBA graduate turned Micro Market Entrepreneurs. Learn how they transformed their vision into Buffalo Strive, the largest independent food-vending operator in Buffalo, New York.