Winners will be revealed during the 2023 Texas Restaurant Awards ceremony, Sunday, July 9, 2023.  The anticipated celebration kicks off the Texas Restaurant Foundation’s (TRF) annual Lone Star Bash during the Texas Restaurant Show, which takes place July 7-10, 2023, at George R. Brown Convention Center, in Houston, Texas. The Texas Restaurant Show, is the largest industry trade show and educational conference in the southwestern United States and regularly attracts more than 5,000 attendees.

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The TRA is the nation’s largest restaurant association and represents the state’s $87 billion restaurant industry, which encompasses more than 53,000 locations and a workforce of over 1.3 million employees. For more than 30 years, the TRA Awards are coveted by the state’s hospitality leaders. Three new awards have been introduced for 2023:

INNOVATION IN EDUCATION AWARD

EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM AWARD

RESTAURANT INDUSTRY CHAMPION AWARD

Innovation in Education Award

New for this year, the Innovation in Education Award serves to recognize individuals, groups or organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to innovation and excellence in the field of culinary and hospitality education. The Award is a celebration of those who have dedicated themselves to improving the education experience for both students and teachers and demonstrated a willingness to push boundaries in order to support the preparation of our workforce.

2023 Awardee: McAllen ISD, S.T.R.I.D.E.S. Program

Excellence in Journalism Award

Also new for this year, the Excellence in Journalism Award recognizes work in media and journalism that goes above and beyond to promote the restaurant and foodservice industry as well as provide insight into how our industry functions and the issues facing operators. We proudly recognize the hard work and dedication of journalists and/or organizations who strive to inform and educate the public while upholding the highest journalistic standards.

2023 Awardee: Pat Sharpe, Executive Editor, Texas Monthly 

Restaurant Industry Champion Award

The TRA is introducing the Restaurant Industry Champion Award this year to celebrate policymakers, organizations and individuals who go above and beyond to protect and strengthen Texas’ restaurant industry. Recipients will be selected on the basis of their service and the exceptional impact they’ve had on the laws, regulations, and business environment that empower restaurants to serve their communities. 

2023 Awardee: Will be announced at the Awards.

Rising Star Award

This award recognizes the hard work that goes into opening a restaurant. This person or concept is an up-and-comer with ambitious goals and the grit to achieve them. Open to restaurant owners and chefs with a restaurant business which opened no later than the award year: January 1, 2023.

2023 Nominees:

• 2022: Christian Dortch, Georgie by Curtis Stone (Dallas)
• 2021: Harlan Scott, Industry (San Marcos)

Deep in the Heart Award

Texas is massive and filled with amazing talent. This award is designed to highlight those successful and creative restaurant owners and chefs with concepts not located in one of the big four metro areas (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, or Austin).

• 2022: Norma Frances "Tootsie" Tomanetz, Snow's BBQ (Lexington)
• 2021: Sanif Maredia, MESS Waffles (College Station)

Community Impact Award

The TRA’s Inaugural Community Impact Award is awarded to a nominee who is an active member of the TRA who has a demonstrated legacy of uniting and empowering their community. Community may be defined in many different ways to reflect the tremendous diversity within our industry, including race, religion, gender, sexuality, veteran, culture, and more.  

• 2022: Ruth Thompson, Hugs Cafe (McKinney)

Outstanding Restaurateur Award

Every year, restaurateurs around the state are honored for work in their communities, leadership success, and entrepreneurial spirit. Winners of the Outstanding Restaurateur Award are recognized during Lone Star Bash ft. the Texas Restaurant Awards event. The finalists for this award come from the pool of Outstanding Restaurateur Awards, chosen by their chapter. 

2023 Nominees:

Hall of Honor

A long-standing Texas Restaurant Association tradition, outstanding individuals are inducted to the Hall of Honor each year to recognize their significant contribution to the Texas restaurant industry and to the association. This honor is the highest that the Association can bestow. To qualify, nominees must have a minimum of 15 years of TRA membership and exemplify superior business ethics. Criteria include significant time and energy devoted to the benefit of TRA and its members, as well as his or her local chapter. Nominees must also gain proper recognition for the restaurant industry and help to build a positive image.

2023 Hall of Honor Inductees:

• Cappy Lawton, Cappy's Restaurant, San Antonio
• Jerry Morales, Mulberry Cafe, Midland

Texas Restaurant Foundation Chef Tim Kelly Educator Excellence

Texas ProStart instructors who demonstrate leadership and excellence in culinary education are eligible to contend for the annual Educator Excellence Award. Teachers must be advocates of the Texas ProStart program and dedicated to helping students achieve success.

2023 Honoree: Cheryll Harris, Emmett J. Conrad High School

• $1000 cash prize 
• Complimentary registration to the Culinary Educators Training Conference 
• 2 tickets to the Texas Restaurant Show 
• 2 tickets to Texas Restaurant Awards & Lone Star Bash 
• One-night hotel stay at the Texas Restaurant Show 
• The winner will go on to represent Texas at the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s Educator Excellence Awards Dinner in Chicago. Students, colleagues, parents and community members are welcome to nominate deserving teachers.

2022 Honoree: Chef Tyler Kent Osburn "Chef TKO", Waller High School

The Carmelo Mauro SPIRIT OF GENEROSITY Award

The Carmelo Mauro Award is an annual recognition, given by the Texas Restaurant Foundation (TRF), for outstanding achievement by an individual philanthropist who has demonstrated the highest ethical standards, commitment, dedication and talent towards the future of the restaurant and foodservice industry.

Prior Recipients of the Carmelo Award:

• 2022 - Patrick Costello, St. Philip's College (San Antonio)
• 2021 - Skeeter Miller, County Line BBQ (Austin)
• 2019 – Roger Kaplan, RK Innovations
• 2018 – Russell Woodward, Texas Beef Council 
• 2017 – Russel Ybarra 
• 2016 – Margaret McKoin, The Time Group 
• 2016 – Carmelo Mauro, Carmelo’s Ristorante Italiano 

Award Criteria

• Must have a record of distinguished service to the TRF; 
• Must have made a lasting contribution to the restaurant and foodservice industry and the mission of the TRF; 
• Must have exhibited leadership and provided inspiration to others in the restaurant and foodservice industry; 
• Must have positively influenced the restaurant and foodservice industry on a state, national or international level. 

Nomination Process

The Carmelo Award will be presented to the recipient during the Texas Restaurant Awards. Nominees should be cleared to attend the event prior to submitting their name for the award.

For questions regarding the Carmelo Award or the nomination process, contact Susan Petty, Chief of Staff, at [email protected] .