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.

 

 
Selection Process 

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!  

Gold & Silver Plate Society
Society members, comprised of past Gold and Silver Plate winners, gather annually at the Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration in Chicago. During this time members welcome a new class of award recipients in addition to reconnecting with past winners.
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Catching up with Julia Stewart, Class of 2005

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

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The inside story of how Gold and Silver Plate winners are chosen

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

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GSP Society members at CIA Leadership Awards

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.

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From the vault: How Ted Minah changed the C&U segment

Minah's head-turning work would earn him a Silver Plate in the College & Universities category in 1968.

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The stars came out for the FAFH industry’s big night, the Gold and Silver Plates Awards Celebration

Foodservice royalty came out in their finest on Saturday to recognize eight new inductees into the ranks of winners of the Silver Plate Awards.

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Tomorrow's FAFH execs get a preview of possible careers at Education Foundation Summit

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.

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Ted Fowler’s extraordinary restaurant career garners 2025 Legends Award

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

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Every now & then expect the unexpected: 71 years of Silver and Gold Plates

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

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Only the very best win a Gold Plate Award. Here's why

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.

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Winning a Silver Plate can be a family tradition. Here's proof

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

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This is not your father’s Gold and Silver Plate event

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.

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The history of foodservice is told in the list of Gold Plate Award winners

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.

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Jessica Shelly

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.

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Toni Watkins

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.

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Mary Molt

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

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Van Eure

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.

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Ruth Fertel

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

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Helen Corbitt

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.

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2025 Silver Plate Award Winners Announced

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.

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2025 Gold & Silver Plate Celebration to include Legends Award

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.

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The 2024 IFMA Education Foundation Summit

Featuring top industry talent and six universities, the IFMA Education Foundation Summit provided valuable insights into career success, leadership, and industry trends.

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Highlights of IFMA’s 2024 Gold & Silver Plate Weekend

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.