Four individuals recognized for their commitment to people and community at the 2025 Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards

Washington, DC – September 17, 2025 – The restaurant industry’s commitment to people-first leadership took center stage at the 2025 Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards, held Tuesday evening in Washington, D.C. The event honored four exceptional individuals who are driving opportunity, building careers, and strengthening communities across the industry.

Hosted by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and sponsored by American Express, Ecolab, PepsiCo, and the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance, the annual awards spotlight the restaurant and foodservice industry’s role in cultivating leaders who prioritize people and purpose. Honorees were recognized across categories that celebrate career-building for individuals of all backgrounds, investment in local communities, and personal journeys that create opportunity for others. One final award honored a leader whose lifetime of service has left a lasting impact on the industry.

Winners were recognized during a dinner on September 17, held during the National Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation board meeting in Washington, D.C. The Foundation has named a $2,500 scholarship after each award winner, which will support a student pursuing a post-secondary degree in the restaurant and foodservice industry. Watch a recording of the 2025 Restaurants Advance Leadership Awards here.

“At the heart of every restaurant are people. From team members, to owners and operators, everyone working in a restaurant has the opportunity to demonstrate leadership in one form or another,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association and CEO of the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “Leadership is when people include others who may not have had career opportunities before; when people see ways they can serve their community and take care of their neighbors; when people demonstrate the essence of hospitality; and when people model leadership in their own journey in overcoming life’s obstacles. This year’s Restaurants Advance Leadership Award winners show us that leadership is about more than running a business – it’s about lifting communities, creating opportunity, and making an impact that lasts.”

The Inclusion Innovator Award was presented by the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance to Kim Morrison co-founder of BeanZ & Co., a coffee café with a mission: to create meaningful employment opportunities for adults with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Since opening in 2018, BeanZ & Co. has provided jobs to more than 65 individuals, including 30 adults with IDD, while building a culture of collaboration, mentorship, and mutual respect. Under Morrison’s leadership, the café partners with schools and job training programs to provide internships and hands-on skill building, preparing students for future employment. Today, the team includes 19 employees (9 with IDD and 10 without) working side by side.

The Community Champion Award was presented by American Express to John E. Michel, Co-Founder of Soulcial Kitchen. A retired Air Force Brigadier General, John Michel is passionate about people and possibilities. Today, he serves as Founder of Soulcial Kitchen as well as President of the Food is Love Foundation. He has worked to create a hospitality innovation hub that trains aspiring entrepreneurs – including people with disabilities – through mentorship and hands-on experience. He also launched an innovative and groundbreaking Food Truck Apprenticeship, raised $2.5 million to support their mission, and created a “Currency of Caring” that turns compassion into meals.

The My Journey Award was presented by PepsiCo to Jamie McDonald owner of Bear’s Smokehouse BBQ, a fast-growing restaurant group with 16 locations across Connecticut and North Carolina. As a Navy veteran, Jamie’s journey to entrepreneurship is rooted in resilience. After overcoming addiction, depression, and mental health struggles, he transformed $70,000 in competitive eating contest winnings into a thriving barbecue brand. McDonald believes that a restaurant can be more than a business; it can be a force for social change. Today, nearly 70 percent of Bear’s employees are returning citizens, reflecting his deep commitment to second-chance hiring and the belief that meaningful work can be a foundation for recovery and renewal.

Finally, the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award was presented by Ecolab to Gregory J. Hamer, Sr., CEO of B&G Food Enterprises, LLC, which operates more than 215 Taco Bell restaurants, employing almost 5,000 employees, across Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida. He created B&G Food Enterprises, LLC alongside his wife, Brenda, opening their first Taco Bell in Morgan City, Louisiana, in 1982. Hamer’s public service includes twelve years in elected office, along with service on numerous boards and commissions. He is an Emeritus Director of the National Restaurant Association and the 2017 Chairman of the National Restaurant Association Education Foundation. His long tenure with the Louisiana Restaurant Association has seen him honored as President in 2000, a member of the LRA Hall of Fame, Active Member of the Year, and Chapter President of the Year.

Learn more about this year’s Restaurants Advance Leadership Award winners at ChooseRestaurants.org.

About The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) 

As the supporting philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF’s charitable mission includes enhancing the industry’s training and education, career development, and community engagement efforts. The NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower, and Advance today’s and tomorrow’s restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education program; Restaurant Ready/HOPES – Partnering with community based organizations to provide people with skills training and job opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers; Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and the Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center (RHLC) – accredited apprenticeship programs designed to build the careers of service professionals. For more information on the NRAEF, visit ChooseRestaurants.org.

CONTACT:

Hannah Oliver
holiver@nraef.org