This year’s Georgia Restaurant Association GRACE Award winners have been announced.
The GRACE Awards are put on by the Georgia Restaurant Association each year to honor the state’s restaurant industry. The winners were announced at a Nov. 30 ceremony at the Georgia Aquarium.
Award finalists are nominated by their peers and are chosen by a group called the GRACE Academy, which is made up of former GRACE finalists and honorees and current GRA Board members.
The list of winners can be found below.
Lifetime Achievement: Robby Kukler
Restaurateur of the Year: EPIC Restaurant
Restaurateur Rookie of the Year: MAD Hospitality
Hospitality Hero of the Year: Café Intermezzo
Industry Partner of the Year: United Distributors
People’s Choice Awards:
- Favorite Neighborhood Hangout: Taqueria Tsunami, Fork U Concepts
- Favorite Born-and-Raised Beverage: Monday Night Brewing
- Favorite Eatertainment Experience: The Painted Pin and The Painted Duck, Painted Hospitality
- Uniquely Georgia Restaurant: Local Three Kitchen & Bar, Unsukay
Restaurant Manager of the Year: Brian Steiper
Restaurant Employee of the Year: Matt Bryant
Georgia ProStart Teacher of the Year: Chef James Bryant
Georgia ProStart Student of the Year: Haja Kabba
Hall of Fame: Tony Conway, Anna Hsu, Ray Schoenbaum