IFMA The Food Away from Home Association honors the CEO & President of Brinker International with coveted Gold Plate Award

CHICAGO, May 18, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Hundreds of industry leaders were on hand in the Great Hall of Chicago's Union Station on Saturday night, May 17, as Kevin Hochman, CEO & President of Brinker International was awarded the 2025 Gold Plate Award from the IFMA The Food Away from Home Association. Hochman was nominated in the Chain Full Service category by The Coca Cola Company and selected from the eight honorees who took home Silver Plate awards this year.

Hochman became CEO and President of Brinker International, Inc., in 2022. Brinker is one of the world's leading casual dining companies and home of Chili's® Grill & Bar, and Maggiano's Little Italy®. Brinker-owned restaurants serve about 800,000 guests daily, with a workforce of 70,000+. Under Hochman's leadership, the company's market capitalization has increased to over $7 billion.

Hochman was introduced at the awards ceremony by his mentor, Dave Goebel, Chairman of Jack in the Box, who told the attending crowd that "The combination of Kevin's intellectual capacity, his spirit of inclusiveness, his transparency and authenticity, his heart and genuine concern for the thousands of Chiliheads and Maggiano's team members is core to his success, what brings him here this evening and will serve those brands well for years to come."

In accepting the Gold Plate, Hochman thanked the many people who have supported him, from his mother, wife, and family to his colleagues and mentors. He said that, reflecting on the great success of Chili's led him to three important realizations, "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."

For 71 years, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association has presented awards to extraordinary foodservice operators through the Gold & Silver Plate Awards, the most respected awards program in foodservice. Each year, the group solicits nominations from across the industry and a distinguished jury of industry experts weighs the merits of candidates who represent a variety of foodservice segments. Selected honorees receive a Silver Plate Award, and one is then chosen by secret ballot to receive the Gold Plate Award for overall industry excellence.

Past Gold Plate winners include Danny Meyer (2000), Van Eure (2004), Charlie Trotter (2008), Timothy J. Dietzler (2010), Wolfgang Puck (2017), Regynald G. Washington (2019), Antionette Watkins (2021), Lance Trenary (2022), Jessica Shelly (2023), and Chris Tomasso (2024).

In addition to Hochman, 2025 Silver Plate recipients are:

Geoff Alexander, President and CEO of Wow Bao, in the category of Grocery, Convenience, & Specialty Retail, nominated by Ecolab

Ryan Conklin, Director & Executive Chef Culinary and Nutrition Services at UNC Health Rex, in the category of Healthcare, nominated by ITW Food Equipment Group

Gary Crompton, President & CEO of Aramark Workplace Experience Group, in the category of Business & Industry / Foodservice Management, nominated by PepsiCo

 Whitney Ellersick, Executive Director for Nutrition Services at Hillsboro School District, in the category of Elementary & Secondary Schools, nominated by Nestlé Professional Solutions

Patti Klos, Director of Dining Services at Tufts University, in the category of Colleges & Universities, nominated by ITW Food Equipment Group

Richard Schneider, Chief Development Officer at Areas USA, in the category of Travel & Leisure Foodservice, nominated by Ecolab, Hormel Foods, and Nestlé Professional Solutions

Michael Skipworth, President and CEO of Wingstop, in the category of Chain Limited Service, nominated by Ecolab and Tyson Foods

"It was an honor to present the Gold Plate to Kevin Hochman this year," said Phil Kafarakis, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association's President & CEO. "All our winners are nominated by food, beverage, and equipment manufacturer partners who know their stories first-hand. It's a remarkable class of honorees that proves the point that our entire industry is interconnected and stronger together. And it's exciting to realize that these leaders will continue their relationship with us through the Gold & Silver Plate Society, made up of all past award winners."

The black-tie celebration for the 2025 Silver Plate Class was attended by hundreds of food-away-from-home leaders and luminaries and emceed by the 2022 Gold Plate honoree and CEO of Golden Corral, Lance Trenary. The event opened with the presentation of the National Restaurant Association's Legends Award, presented to Past Golden Corral CEO, Ted Fowler.

Trenary spoke from the heart in honoring Fowler, "I have had the privilege of having a front row seat to this man's life and as my mentor, my friend, my confidant, my fellow foodie, and my fly-fishing buddy so I can honestly say, I am grateful beyond words."  

IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is currently soliciting candidates for the 2026 Silver Plate Awards. Nominations will be accepted through September. The 2026 Gold & Silver Plate Awards Celebration will be held on Saturday, May 16, 2026. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com.

About IFMA The Food Away from Home Association
IFMA The Food Away from Home Association is a trade association founded in 1952. The organization empowers, nurtures, and connects an inclusive and diverse $1.5 trillion food-away-from-home ecosystem of manufacturers, distributors, operators, and others. By sharing insights, fostering best practices, and developing networking and educational opportunities through events, IFMA The Food Away from Home Association informs and instructs its members, and motivates change to improve both individual organizations and the food-away-from-home industry at large. For more information, visit ifmaworld.com.

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SOURCE IFMA The Food Away from Home Association