Foodservice royalty came out in their finest on Saturday to recognize eight new inductees into the ranks of winners of the Silver Plate Awards.
The honors are bestowed by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association on the most inspiring leaders from each of the industry’s major operator segments. The awards are presented during a gala that culminates in the announcement of who among the recipients has been chosen by an independent jury as the operator of the year, the winner of the Gold Plate.
The prestige of the Gold and Silver Plate Awards was reflected in the roster of this year’s attendees, a veritable Who’s Who of industry celebrities from the last 40 years.
The Sardine Factory reinvented fine dining in the 1970s and ‘80s, sparking a global interest in California wines and American cuisine. Its proprietor, 1984 Gold Plate Winner Ted Balestreri, was there.
So, too, was Golden Corral co-founder James Maynard, winner of a Silver Plate in 1985, who attended to honor longtime protege and past Golden Corral CEO Ted Fowler.
A longtime giant of the industry (and the 2003 Gold Plate winner), Fowler was there with his wife, kids, and grandchildren to accept the National Restaurant Association’s Legends lifetime achievement award.
Also on the red carpet: CEO of Hojeij Branded Foods, Dr. Regynald Washington (Gold - 2019); CEO of Sterling Hospitality, John Metz, Jr. (Gold - 2013); and CEO of the fabled Angus Barn, Van Eure (Gold - 2004).
More recent past recipients included an all-star roster of chain executives and Gold Plate winners like First Watch CEO Chris Tomasso (2024), current Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary (2022), and Miller’s Ale House Chairman, and past Rare Hospitality CEO Phil Hickey (2020).
The onsite segments of the business also had plenty of big-name past recipients in attendance. Mary Molt literally wrote the book on running the kitchens of high-volume foodservice operations like college dining rooms and employee cafeterias. The longtime leader of Kansas State University’s celebrated foodservice operations (Gold Plate, 2012) was cheered as she paraded down the red carpet with fellow past winners such as Ken Toong, Executive Director of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Silver Plate, 2013).
But the brightest spotlight was on the 2025 class of Silver Plate winners. (Click here for the complete list.)
The segment standouts were introduced to attendees first with a ceremonial procession down a red carpet. A short recap of each Silver Plate winner’s life and career was provided via video recaps.
A personal explanation of why they’re winners was provided for each of the eight honorees by their mentors, a signature feature of the annual awards ceremony. Each winner selected the mentor they’d like to have introduce them during the ceremony.
The roster of mentors was itself an all-star list. It included Mike Hislop, a former CEO of Il Fornaio and Chevys, the mentor for Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth, the Silver Plate winner in the limited-service restaurants category.
Chain full-service Silver Plate recipient Kevin Hochman, CEO of Chili’s parent Brinker International, chose Jack in the Box chairman and former Applebee’s CEO Dave Goebel as his introducer.
Richard Schneider, Chief Development Officer for concessionaire Areas USA and the Silver Plate winner for Travel & Leisure Foodservice, had his career highlighted by mentor Roz Mallet, a past Silver Plate, Gold Plate and Legends award winner.
Throughout the kick-off cocktail party and subsequent sit-down banquet, there was considerable speculation about which of the Silver Plate winners had been selected by an independent jury as the best of the best, the 2025 recipient of the Gold Plate.
Attendees have been known to bet on who was chosen, since the only party privy to the selection is an outside accounting firm hired by the association to handle the secret balloting.
The Gold Plate winner: Brinker International’s Hochman.
A beaming Hochman closed the dinner by sharing the simple approach that had landed him in such esteemed company:
“One: Dining out is not dead...eating out is as relevant as ever for consumers. Two: If you can do the fundamentals well...you can make your operation a success. And Three: Listen to the front lines. Those closest to the customer can help you make better decisions."
The awards night was held in the Great Hall of Chicago’s landmark Union Station. Nominations are being accepted for the 2026 Silver Plate Awards through September 30, 2025.
As Managing Editor for IFMA The Food Away from Home Association, Romeo is responsible for generating the group's news and feature content. He brings more than 40 years of experience in covering restaurants to the position.