Several well-known names in the restaurant industry are among the winners of the 2026 Silver Plate Awards, announced Thursday by IFMA The Food Away from Home Association.
The annual awards, which have been presented for 72 years, honor excellence in foodservice leadership across segments including restaurants, retail, healthcare, travel and leisure, business and industry, colleges and universities, and elementary and secondary schools.
“It’s an honor to celebrate our industry by recognizing leadership, hard work, and commitment through these Awards," IFMA President and CEO Phil Kafarakis said in a statement. "For over 70 years, our association has presented Silver and Gold Plates to real innovators, industry-builders, and world-changing entrepreneurs.”
All of the honorees, Kafarakis said, "share a common commitment to food excellence and service."
2026 Silver Plate winners are:
Chain, Full Service: Jerry Morgan, CEO & executive vice chairman of Texas Roadhouse; nominated by The Coca Cola Company, Ecolab
Chain, Limited Service: Scott Murphy, chief brand officer of Inspire Brands and Dunkin’ brand president; nominated by PepsiCo
Independent Restaurants: Chip Wade, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group; nominated by Nestle, PepsiCo
Colleges & Universities: Jeff Palmer, executive director, Campus Dining & Retail at University of California San Diego; nominated by Hormel Foods, PepsiCo
Elementary & Secondary Schools: Danielle Bock, director for Nutrition Services at Greeley-Evans School District #6, Colorado; nominated by Nestle, J.M. Smucker Co.
Healthcare: Leisa Bryant, executive director at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center; nominated by Ecolab, ITW, PepsiCo
Grocery, Convenience & Specialty Retail: Brad Haga, SVP, Prepared Food and Dispensed Beverages at Casey’s; Nominated by Nestle
Business & Industry/Foodservice Management: Sally Minier, head of Workplace Strategies at Jane Street; nominated by PepsiCo
Travel & Leisure Foodservice: Sean Gamble, president & CEO of Cinemark; nominated by The Coca Cola Company
Winners will be celebrated on May 16 at the Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration at Chicago's historic Union Station. There, the winner of the industry's most prestigios award, the Gold Plate, will be revealed.
Winners are chosen from a slate of candidates who are nominated by suppliers and judged by a jury of trade press editors and previous award winners.
IFMA is a trade association representing manufacturers, distributors, operators and others in the foodservice industry.
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