WASHINGTON, Dec. 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Guy Fieri, chef, restaurateur and Food Network
Emmy Award-winning TV host, has been named the 2021 Thad and Alice
Eure Ambassador of Hospitality by the National Restaurant
Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF). Presented
annually by Ecolab, the Ambassador of Hospitality is the NRAEF's
most prestigious honor presented to an outstanding leader, advocate
and role model for today's and tomorrow's restaurant workers.
Fieri was selected by a distinguished panel of judges, which
included NRAEF and National Restaurant Association trustees and
board members. In addition to his many years of dedication
and commitment to community service and the industry, Fieri is
being celebrated for his tireless support for restaurant workers
and operators during the pandemic.
In 2020, he championed the NRAEF's Restaurant Employee Relief
Fund (RERF), which raised more than $21.5 million in financial aid for over 43,000
unemployed restaurant workers, and executive produced and
co-directed Restaurant Hustle 2020: All on The Line, a
Food Network documentary about four chefs trying to stay in
business at the start of the pandemic.
The Guy Fieri Foundation has served more than 120,000 meals
from its "Rescue Trailer," a mobile kitchen that served meals to
firefighters, rescue, and relief workers during the California wildfires as well as hospital
workers throughout the state. Fieri is also committed to supporting
military service members and veterans and has entertained and
cooked for troops in the Persian Gulf.
"I'm truly honored to receive the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador
of Hospitality award from the National Restaurant Association and
the Educational Foundation. Restaurants feed more than just
our stomachs, they nourish our communities, and supporting
the hard-working people behind these businesses is more
important now than ever," said Fieri.
"Guy's leadership and quick action to help thousands of
restaurant workers and operators perfectly represents the true
spirit of the Ambassador of Hospitality award," said Rob Gifford, president, NRAEF. "During these
challenging times, Guy's mission to support our industry and
restaurant workers from all backgrounds is more important than
ever. He is an inspiring leader and exceptional example for us all
as we work together to get our communities and restaurant workers
back on their feet, and back to building futures in this industry
of limitless opportunity."
"We congratulate Guy Fieri on
this award - a worthy winner who continues the great tradition of
exceptional leadership and advocacy in the restaurant industry,"
said Greg Cook, Executive Vice
President and General Manager of Global Institutional for Ecolab.
"Through thick and thin, Guy has championed the unique voice of
restaurant workers, and the pandemic has been no exception. We're
proud to have partnered with him on the Restaurant Employee Relief
Fund and thank him for his dedication to raising awareness and
donations for this important cause."
Established in 1987, the NRAEF Ambassador of Hospitality award
is named for Thad and Alice Eure,
industry icons and founders of the famed Angus Barn in Raleigh,
N.C. The Eures embodied exceptional character and leadership
and devoted their lives and resources to advancing the restaurant
industry along with creating opportunities for people everywhere.
"On behalf of my parents, I'm proud to present the Ambassador of
Hospitality Award to Guy, who so beautifully reflects their
ideals," says Van Eure, owner of
Angus Barn.
The Ambassador of Hospitality award caps off the NRAEF's
three-month Restaurants Advance: Journeys that Inspire
series of real-life stories about restaurateurs persevering during
the pandemic and advancing the industry through diversity, equity
and inclusion, community service and leadership. The Journeys
That Inspire series is presented by longstanding NRAEF and
National Restaurant Association supporters – PepsiCo, American
Express and Ecolab.
More about Guy
Fieri – Chef, restaurateur, New York Times Best
Selling author and Emmy® Award-winning TV host, Guy Fieri, is one of the world's most
recognizable and influential culinary stars. In 2019, Guy received
a star on the celebrated Hollywood Walk Fame, a rare feat for a
chef.
Guy began his love affair with food at the age of ten, selling
soft pretzels from a three-wheeled bicycle cart he built with his
father called "The Awesome Pretzel." After selling pretzels and
washing dishes for six years, Guy earned enough money to pursue his
dream of studying abroad in Chantilly, France, where he gained a profound
appreciation for international cuisines and further strengthened
his passion for food. He returned to the US and graduated from the
University of Nevada Las Vegas with a
degree in Hospitality Management. Upon his graduation, Guy jumped
headfirst into the restaurant business, ultimately opening his own
casual dining concepts in Northern
California.
In 2006, Guy won Food Network's popular television competition
show, "Next Food Network Star" and was awarded his own series, the
Emmy nominated "Guy's Big Bite." Since that time, Guy has taken
food television by storm as host of top-rated TV shows including
the iconic, Emmy-nominated "Diners, Drive Ins & Dives," "Guy's
Grocery Games," "Tournament of Champions" and "Guy's Ranch
Kitchen."
Additionally, Guy and his team at Knuckle Sandwich, LLC, have
created a thriving food and beverage empire. He recently launched
Flavortown Kitchen, a 175-location virtual brand to complement his
eighty plus scratch kitchen restaurant concepts worldwide. In
addition, he's partnered with legendary rocker and spirits pioneer,
Sammy Hagar in Santo Tequila. On
land and at sea, from the Las Vegas Strip to the Atlantic City
Boardwalk, from South Africa to
Colombia and from Costa Rica to Dubai, Guy's culinary and spirits creations
are enjoyed globally, every day. Guy believes that giving
back is one of the most important things you can do. "I was raised
to always help your community, to always help people who need help,
and to participate. You have to be an active member."
About the National Restaurant Association Educational
Foundation – as the philanthropic foundation of the
National Restaurant Association, the National Restaurant
Association Educational Foundation's mission of service to the
public is dedicated to enhancing the industry's training and
education, career development and community engagement efforts. The
NRAEF and its programs work to Attract, Empower and Advance todays
and tomorrow's restaurant and foodservice workforce. NRAEF programs
include: ProStart® – a high-school career and technical education
program; Restaurant Ready – partnering with community based
organizations to provide opportunity youth and previously
incarcerated individuals with skills training and job
opportunities; Military – helping military servicemen and women
transition their skills to restaurant and foodservice careers;
Scholarships – financial assistance for students pursuing
restaurant, foodservice and hospitality degrees; and, the
Restaurant & Hospitality Leadership Center – providing
standardized apprenticeship programs across the industry.
For more information on the NRAEF, visit
ChooseRestaurants.org.
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