Since its inception, MUFSO has been about honoring the best and brightest the foodservice industry has to offer. A highlight of every MUFSO conference is the presentation of awards to food-service operators who have distinguished themselves through industry innovation, leadership and service.
While the Pioneer, Operator of the Year and Golden Chain awards have been around since the 1970s and 1980s, one of the more recent additions has been the Innovator of the Year, which was inaugurated in 1994. Selected by the editorial board of Nation’s Restaurant News, this award honors innovative thinking and practical application of new ideas that have helped advance the foodservice industry and benefited its customers.
MUFSO’s Innovator of the Year honorees have featured a broad cross section of foodservice’s prodigious talent pool and have included chefs, educators and designers. Innovation has always been a hallmark of the foodservice industry, not only in new and exciting restaurant concepts, but also in the development of menu items that keep the dining experience fresh and exhilarating.
Here’s a complete list of winners:
1994 — John Martin, Taco Bell 1995 — Philip Romano, Brinker International 1996 — Richard Melman, Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises 1997 — Wolfgang Puck and Barbara Lazaroff, Wolfgang Puck Food Co. 1998 — Ferdinand E. Metz, The Culinary Institute of America 1999 — Adam D. Tihany, Adam D. Tihany International Ltd. 2000 — David M. Theno, Jack in the Box Inc. 2001 — William Rosenberg, Dunkin’ Donuts Inc. 2002 — Danny Meyer, Union Square Hospitality Group 2003 — Bob Basham, Tim Gannon and Chris Sullivan, Outback Steakhouse Inc. 2004 — Nina and Tim Zagat, Zagat Survey 2005 — David Rockwell, Rockwell Group 2006 — Bill Shore and Debbie Shore, Share Our Strength 2007 — Gerald Fernandez, Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance 2008 — Fedele Bauccio, Bon Appétit Management Co.
Innovation remains the key to survival and growth, so regardless of what lies ahead in the next 50 years, you can rest assured it will be new and different.