National Restaurant Association seeks innovative operators

The National Restaurant Association is seeking restaurant and foodservice leaders who transform the industry with extraordinary creativity and commitment for its new Operator Innovations Awards.

Commercial and non-commercial operators may self-nominate. Manufacturers, dealers and distributors, media and other restaurant and foodservice industry professionals are also invited to also submit nominations for operators. Nominations must be submitted by March 7, 2012.

Selected by an independent panel of judges, the winners will be announced during the 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show, held at its new dates, May 5-8 at Chicago's McCormick Place.
The industry-first awards will celebrate the best the industry has to offer in innovation in five distinct categories: Technology Applications, Sustainability, Menu Development, Food Safety, and Health & Nutrition.

The judging panel will narrow nominations to three finalists in each category. Winners in each category, as well as an innovator of the year, will be announced at an evening event featuring cocktails, dinner and marquee entertainment on Saturday, May 5.

The judges panel for the Operator Innovations Awards consists of Patricia Bando (Associate Vice President, Auxiliary Services, Boston College), Scott Barton (President, Fine Dining Division, Lettuce Entertain You), Jeff Broadhurst (President & CEO, Eat'n Park Hospitality Group), Marc Buehler (President, O'Charleys), Jean-Marie Clement (Director, Global Food & Beverage Line of Business, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide), Douglas Davis (Director, Global Food Safety, Marriott International), Chris Demery (Vice President, Applications, OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC), James Houser (Vice President of Administration, Delaware North), John Metz, Jr. (President, Sterling), Christopher Pappas (CEO, Pappas Restaurants, Inc.), C.W. Craig Reed (Director of Food & Beverage, Broadmoor Hotel), and Ron Serluco (Senior Vice President of Operators, Guckenheimer).