Known for his intense and vibrant cooking style, described as Baja’s coastal brightness meets the depth of the Sonoran Desert, Wes Avila has created a stellar menu at Hecho Libre, an artful and stylish restaurant at the newly renovated Kimpton Miralina Resort & Villas in Scottsdale.
Avila, author of “Guerilla Tacos: Recipes from the Streets of L.A.,” transformed his successful street cart into a brick-and-mortar restaurant in L.A.’s Arts District, winning accolades and awards and propelling his assertive, flavorful culinary take into an international restaurant career.
Photo Joe Thomas.
‘‘Hecho Libre means made free,” says Avila, who twice was a James Beard Award finalist. “It’s about freedom in cooking, honoring tradition but also creating your own path. We wanted to marry that idea with the spirit of the Sonoran Desert.’’
When Cassie Hepler and I met Avila at Hecho Libre, he was getting ready to leave for PIOPIKO, his restaurant in Kyoto, Japan. But Avila always has time to chat, spending time with us talking about the menu items at Hecho Libre and what to try. So, of course we did.
Wes Avila in the kitchen. Photo Jakob Layman.
Among those stellar dishes were Frijoles Charros, Chiles Veneno—bacon wrapped chile Guero peppers stuffed with carnitas, cheese and frijoles charros and then brushed with guajillo honey, Halibut Veracruzana—pan-seared Pacific halibut, roasted tomato, sliced onion, garlic, peppers, olives, and capers, Yellowtail Aguachile with red onion, Asian pear, cucumber, and avocado, Jumbo Garlic Prawns which Cassie rightly compared to succulent lobster meat, and The Cowboy, a 26 ounce K-4 ranch bone-in ribeye with grilled scallions and salsa macha.
If you can’t get to one of his restaurants any time soon, here’s Avila’s recipe for Roasted Tomatillo Salsa.
“Tomatillos can be used raw or prepared in one of many ways – roasting, boiling, simmering. That way I like to do them is roasting them over fire – especially if you have an open fire-pit outdoors. You can make makeshift an open fire-pit indoors with a grate placed over gas stove burner, then give some color to your tomatillos. This recipe specifically uses oven-roasted tomatillos for ease of preparation. Use fresh or store refrigerated for one week.”
Ingredients
1 pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and halved if larger than a silver dollar
1/2 cup sliced yellow or white onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 serrano chile, stemmed
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and sliced
Vegetable oil for drizzling
Kosher salt
Juice from 2 limes
Place a rack at the highest possible position in your oven and preheat the broiler.
Put the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and both chiles on a large baking sheet. Drizzle lightly with vegetable oil, season with salt, and gently toss with your hands to lightly coat the vegetables. Broil for 10 minutes, remove from the oven and toss the vegetables once with a spatula, then broil for another 5 minutes. You’re looking for the vegetables to be nicely roasted and slightly blackened in spots.
Slide the contents of the baking sheet into a food processor and pulse until chunky but not liquified or fully blended. There should be chunks of the chiles and flecks of roasted skin. Add the lime juice and pulse once more to incorporate. Season with salt. Use fresh or refrigerate for up to one week.
Independent Restaurants Show Remarkable Resilience and Strategic Problem Solving as Industry Navigates Continued Rising Costs, Shifting Consumer Behavior, and Rapid Technological Change
The James Beard Foundation® (JBF), in collaboration with Deloitte, announced today the findings of its 2026 Independent Restaurant Industry Report, a comprehensive analysis of the independent restaurant industry, synthesizing insights from independent owners and chefs, to reveal the industry’s top challenges and opportunities. Drawing from interviews with leading chefs and a nationwide survey of hundreds of owners and operators across the nation, the report provides a wide-ranging view of the current state of the industry, emerging trends, and critical factors that restaurants can leverage to thrive in 2026.
“Independent restaurants areessential to our society,culture,and communities.Theyemploy millions of people, generate billionsineconomic activity,and serve asvital gathering placesformeaningful human connection,” saidClare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “The landscape has never been more complex, butchefs andoperators are rising to meet it with incredible fortitude and creativity. The James Beard Foundation is deeply committed to supporting their successthrough this report, the JBF Institute, and our entire suite of impact programs and advocacy work.”
The findings paint a picture of an industry moving into 2026 with cautious optimism. Not because pressures have eased, but because independent operators have demonstrated remarkable endurance and adaptability in the face of cost pressures, shifting consumer behavior and expectations, workforce complexity, and rapid technological change. Despite these hurdles, most restaurateurs are implementing innovative strategies to meet current market demands, deepen guest connection, and ensure long-term sustainability.
The study identified four major trends that are helping reshape the industry landscape:
Protecting Margins Amidst Volatility: Fluctuations in ingredient prices, combined with persistent cost pressures, is making margin management increasingly inflexible and reactive.
Supporting the Workforce Beyond Wages: Labor pressures have largely shifted from mitigating shortages to navigating retention, cost management, and regulatory complexity.
Navigating An Expanding Technology Ecosystem: A rapidly growing and increasingly costly technology ecosystem is resulting in more disciplined adoption and intentional investment.
Managing the Consumer Expectation Gap: Converging and increasing consumer experience expectations seems to be widening the disconnect between guest assumptions and operational realities.
The research synthesizes insights from a survey of over 380 independent restaurant owners, chefs, and operators conducted September to November 2025, as well as interviews with 40 chefs. Participants represented a broad cross-section of the industry across 47 states and all four census regions, ranging from fine dining establishments to fast-casual venues, breweries, and caterers.
To read the full report click here. Highlights of key findings are below.
2026 STATE OF THE INDEPENDENT RESTAURANT INDUSTRY
Across survey and roundtable discussions, owners, chefs, and operators described a year marked by continued pressure—on costs, demand, and predictability—but also by profound adaptation. Familiar challenges took on new dimensions in 2025, feeling meaningfully different for many respondents. Inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions, and rapid shifts in technology converged to reportedly make planning and decision-making more complex. Consumer affordability concerns are reshaping the landscape, while food cost volatility made forecasting, menu planning, and pricing decisions increasingly difficult. Meanwhile, AI and an expanding restaurant technology sector added new complexity and competitive pressure.
Yet despite operating in this recalibrated reality, the 2026 findings reveal an independent restaurant industry marked by steadfast, cautious optimism and hard-earned determination. Fueled by creativity, persistence, and a deep commitment to their communities, they are shaping a future rooted in adaptability, one tactical decision at a time.
HIGHLIGHTS OF FINDINGS
2026 State of Business
Rising general costs, rising labor costs, and finding staff to hirewere the top business concerns among those surveyed and interviewed in 2025.
Wage increases cooled in 2025, with 67% of respondents increasing wages less than 10%. In addition, 18% did not increase wages at all—more than twice the number from last year—reflecting a move towards tighter cost control.
Despite significant pressures, nearly three quarters of respondents (73%) have a positive outlook for 2026, speaking to the determination and experience of independent restaurants to navigate the challenges ahead.
In 2025, 62% of respondents reported excellent or good business performance—increasing YoY from both 2024 and 2023.
Customer volume improved slightly from 2024, with two-thirds of respondents reporting the same or more customers in 2025.
THEME 1: Protecting Margins Amidst Volatility
Rising costs remained the top issue for surveyed chefs in 2025. Sudden price fluctuations in key ingredients forced operators into near-constant adjustment, managing margins reactively while working to preserve quality, guest experience, and cultural identity.
As such, price increases are no longer the reliable margin lever they once were, as many operators noted that they have reached a ceiling in what customers are willing or able to pay.
Restaurants raising menu prices by more than 10% were most likely to report lower profits and expect fewer customers than those that raised prices modestly.
The rise of non-alcoholic beverages was cited as the top consumer trend affecting restaurant operations, putting additional pressure on high-margin categories.
THEME 2: Supporting the Workforce Beyond Wages
Labor concerns remained a top three issue among surveyed chefs. Nearly half of operators (49%) reported some level of staffing insufficiency, with finding qualified staff to hire as the leading factor influencing workforce operations.
The share of surveyed operators raising wages by more than 10% fell sharply, from 71% in 2024 to just 15% in 2025—as providing bigger paychecks became financially unfeasible.
Among operators facing staffing difficulties, high turnover and retention challenges emerged as the most significant factors reported.
As margins tighten, operators increasingly view building internal culture as essential—through such things as cross-training and growth opportunities.
THEME 3: Navigating an Expanded Technology Ecosystem
The technology landscape has expanded dramatically, with more tools, platforms, and decisions confronting operators already managing tight margins and limited capacity. Many report struggling to identify where to invest as providers add features, raise fees, and make switching costly—all while platforms increasingly control customer relationships.
Restaurants with moderate, intentional adoption reported stronger business performance. Both low- and high-tech extremes were associated with weaker outcomes among respondents, reinforcing that more technology does not inherently drive better results.
Reports of better business performance by respondents correlated more with operations-focused technologies like inventory management software than marketing-oriented tools like CRM systems.
In addition, 40% of operators who reported implementing online ordering and delivery integration reported lower profits.
Over 80% of those surveyed say they plan to increase their AI investments in the next year. Inventory and supply chain management, staffing and scheduling, and reservations and customer service were the top three potential AI implementations among respondents.
However, 38% reported that AI tools currently feel irrelevant to their business, reflecting uncertainty about how to leverage these tools effectively.
THEME 4: Managing the Consumer Expectation Gap
Independent restaurants report navigating a widening gap between rising guest expectations and what operators can realistically deliver—as social media and online platforms reshape how guests discover, engage with, and evaluate restaurants.
After increasing food costs, social media marketing and in-person engagement were the top trends surveyed chefs predicted to affect restaurant operations in 2026.
Some owners reported viral exposure negatively affecting performance when they were unable to scale quickly enough to meet demand and deliver consistent quality.
Despite more transactional expectations, restaurants focused on community-driven dining reported stronger outcomes, with 45% indicating increased customer volume compared to 36% for those not citing community influence.
“As independent restaurants face ongoing cost fluctuations, tighter labor dynamics, and rapidly shifting guest expectations, the operators across the industry are responding with disciplined, practical problem solving,” said Evert Gruyaert, US Restaurants & Food Service leader and principal, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “The report suggests that many restaurants are protecting margins through their decisions—supporting teams beyond wages, making intentional technology and AI investments where they improve operations, and deepening guest connection through community-driven dining. Deloitte is proud to collaborate with the James Beard Foundation to help share these insights with independent restaurants as they navigate 2026.”
The annual industry report is part of the James Beard Foundation Institute (JBF Institute), a central hub for training, programs, and resources to support the success of independent chefs and operators. From business resiliency, leadership, and management skills to advocacy training towards policy change, the JBF Institute is the definitive educational resource for the independent restaurant industry and leaders in the broader food system.
ABOUT THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATON
The James Beard Foundation® (JBF) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit dedicated to leading chefs and the broader culinary industry toward a new standard of excellence. Our guiding principle, Good Food for Good®, informs our vision of a vibrant, equitable, and sustainable independent restaurant industry that stands as a cornerstone of American culture, community, and economy, and drives toward a better food system. For 40 years, JBF has been instrumental in recognizing, amplifying, educating, and training the individuals who shape American food culture. Today, our mission comes to life through the prestigious James Beard Awards, industry and community-focused programming, advocacy and policy initiatives, and culinary events and partnerships nationwide—including at Platform by JBF® and the James Beard House in New York City. Learn more at jamesbeard.org, sign up for our emails, and follow @beardfoundation on social media.
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte Consulting LLP, a subsidiary of Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/us/about for a detailed description of our legal structure. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting.
And for fun, here’s a recipe courtesy of the James Beard Foundation.
Ingredients
For the Chicken Pinchos
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1.5-inch pieces
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp onion powder
½ tsp ground turmeric (curcuma)
1 tsp smoked paprika
Juice of 2 limes
3 Tbsp canola oil
Ingredients
For the Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangos, diced
¼ cup finely diced red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp finely chopped jalapeño
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp olive oil
Method
Pinchos
In a large bowl, mix the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin, onion powder, turmeric, smoked paprika, lime juice, and oil.
Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
Thread marinated chicken onto skewers.
Grill over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until cooked through and slightly charred, about 10–12 minutes.
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Mango Salsa
In a bowl, gently toss all ingredients together.
Let sit for 10–15 minutes to allow flavors to meld.
Serve chilled or at room temperature over the grilled pinchos.
Louisville’s iconic Highlands neighborhood starts a new culinary chapter inspired by award-winning Chef Lawrence Weeks. Weeks, a James Beard semifinalist and rising Southern culinary talent proudly announces the grand opening of Murray’s Creole Pub, a restaurant rooted in family legacy, bursting with passion, and built to honor the culinary dreams of those who came before him.
Named in tribute to his great-grandfather Lawrence Ignatius “Buzz” Murray and grandfather Lawrence Xavier Murray, Murray’s carries the dreams of two men who always aspired to run their own kitchen.
“This is more than food,” says Weeks. “It’s a tribute to the men who inspired my fire for cooking. They never got their shot to be head chefs – so I’m giving them the stage they always deserved.”
At Murray’s Creole Pub, the convivial spirit of British pub culture finds unexpected harmony with the bold, soulful cadence of Creole cuisine. Here, the comforting ritual of gathering over a pint meets the vibrant storytelling of the Southern table. With its warm and welcoming ambiance, the downstairs pub is the place to try such classic menu items as their burgers, fish & chips and tikka masala curry.
Chef Lawrence Weeks, James Beard semifinalist and rising Southern culinary talent, has just opened Murray’s Creole Pub in Louisville. Named in tribute to Chef Weeks’ great-grandfather, the warm and welcoming atmosphere offers a menu ranging from casual pub classics to soulful southern and Creole flavors. Murray’s Creole Pub is now open at 📍1576 Bardstown Road. 🕰️ Lunch service begins at 12 p.m 🕰️ Dinner service from 5:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. 🕰️ Happy hour from 3:30 p.m – 5 p.m. Dishes pictured in the video: ▫️Acadian Oysters ▫️Scotch Eggs & Olives ▫️Fish & Chips ▫️Chicken Tikka Masala ▫️Coconut Curry-lentil ▫️Parmesan Fries ▫️Sticky Toffee Pudding-butterscotch (don’t skip! 😍) #newinlouisville#creole#louisvilleeats#louisvillerestaurants#louisvilleky
Upstairs, the mood shifts. The dining room evokes a more refined rhythm – intimate lighting, thoughtful plating, and a menu that leans into fine dining without losing its soulful roots. Oysters and caviar service lead the way for an experiential pub style menu – reimagined to take you on a culinary journey like never before. It’s a dual experience under one roof and an ode to the art of Southern hospitality, plated with intention and poured with grace.
Murray’s Creole Pub is open to the public on Dec. 12th at 1576 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, KY. Lunch service begins at 12 p.m with dinner service from 5:00 p.m to 10:00 p.m. Happy hour from 3:30 p.m – 5 p.m. Reservations are available now on Resy and walk-ins are welcome.
The James Beard Foundation® is proud to announce the winners of the 2025 James Beard Media Awards, presented by Capital One, honoring the nation’s top food authors, broadcast producers, hosts, journalists, podcasters, and social media content creators. The full list of winners, which includes Book, Broadcast Media, and Journalism, can be found below and on the James Beard Foundation website.
James Beard Award winner®, Emmy-nominated producer, TV host, and New York Times best-selling author Padma Lakshmi hosted the 2025 Media Awards ceremony on Saturday, June 14, 2025 at Columbia College Chicago. Presenters also included luminary food media personalities such as Nyesha Arrington, Molly Baz, Rose Levy Beranbaum, Dr. Jessica B. Harris, Francis Lam, Adam Richman, Alexander Smalls, Andrew Zimmern, and others.
“Congratulations to the 2025 Media Award winners, whose compelling narratives shape our food culture and set the standard of excellence in culinary storytelling and reporting,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO, James Beard Foundation. “We’re honored to celebrate phenomenal work that will surely impact how people cook, think about food, and engage with our shared culinary landscape for years to come.”
2025 marks a notable milestone: the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Awards. This year’s ceremonies commemorate the transformative role the Awards have played in recognizing excellence and shaping the evolution of American food culture, while reaffirming the Foundation’s commitment to leading and supporting the industry for years to come.
“The Media Awards celebrate all those who expand our understanding of food through exceptional storytelling thateducates, entertains, and inspires,” said Dawn Padmore, VP of Awards, James Beard Foundation. “A heartfelt thanks to our subcommittee members and judges for their dedication and the thoughtful consideration they put into these awards. Their time and expertise are deeply appreciated.”
The James Beard Foundation began honoring excellence in food media more than 30 years ago, with the first Book Awards presented in 1990. This year’s Book Awards recognize cookbooks and other nonfiction food- or beverage-related books that were published in the U.S. in 2024. Books from foreign publishers must bear a 2024 U.S. copyright date and/or must have been distributed in the U.S. during 2024.
“Congratulations to this year’s winners, who have taken us on journeys through kitchens and communities worldwide,” said Genevieve Villamora, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Book Awards program. “From technical mastery to cultural storytelling and preservation—these books represent the very best in culinary publishing, proving that great food writing comes in many forms.”
The 2025 James Beard Book Award winners are:
Baking and Desserts: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of baking, pastries, and desserts, both sweet and savory items, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions
Beverage without Recipes: Books without recipes that focus on beverages, such as cocktails, beer, wine, spirits, coffee, tea, or juices; or books that cover these subject areas where recipes are not the focus of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region.
Bread: Books with recipes focused on the art and craft of making bread, including ingredients, techniques, equipment, and traditions.
Richard Hart Bread: Intuitive Sourdough Baking by Richard Hart, Henrietta Lovell, and Laurie Woolever (Clarkson Potter)
Food Issues and Advocacy: Books that focus on investigative journalism, food policy, food advocacy, deep dives, and critical analysis of the changing social landscape around food.
General: Books with recipes that address a broad scope of cooking, not just a single topic, technique, or region, and are accessible to a general audience.
International: Books with recipes focused on presenting cuisines of the world in their cultural context: their history, distinctive characteristics, and techniques.
The Balkan Kitchen: Recipes and Stories from the Heart of the Balkans, Irina Janakievska (Quadrille)
Literary Writing: Narrative nonfiction books, including memoirs, culinary travel, culinary tourism, biography, reflections on food in a cultural context, and personal essays.
Professional and Restaurant: Books written by a culinary professional or restaurant chef with recipes that may include advanced cooking techniques, the use of specialty ingredients and professional equipment, including culinary arts textbooks.
More information about the Book Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.
BROADCAST MEDIA AWARDS
The Broadcast Media Awards were established in 1993 to recognize nonfiction works in English that exemplify excellence and keep with the mission and values of the James Beard Foundation. This year’s winners spotlight food and beverage topics appearing widely for the first time in the U.S. in 2024 across digital and terrestrial media—including radio, television broadcasts, podcasts, documentaries, online sites, and social media.
“We’re honored to recognize those whose thoughtful production and authentic storytelling bring our dynamic food culture to life,” said Cynthia Graubart, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Broadcast Media Awards program. “Congratulations to the 2025 winners for offering a unique lens into the people, trends, and traditions that shape how we experience food and dining.”
The 2025 James Beard Broadcast Media Award winners are:
Audio Programming: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related radio or podcast program.
Loading Dock Talks with Chef Preeti Mistry
“Cream Pie with Telly Justice” Airs on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and other podcast platforms
Audio Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in reporting and narratives about food and/or food issues in radio or podcasts. This work is issue or deadline-driven, investigative, topical, or timely in nature.
Post Reports
“Bacon: The Best-Kept Secret in Washington” Airs on: Post Reports
Commercial Media: This award recognizes excellence in food- or beverage-related media including video production, audio programming, or other media that is clearly developed and marketed with prominent visual branding, is sponsored or commercially funded, and/or contains paid advertising. It may be broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.
La Mera Mera Tamalera, Airs on: YouTube
Documentary Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related documentary that is at least 15 minutes long.
MARCELLA, Airs on: PBS American Masters
Docuseries Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related docuseries.
World Eats Bread, Airs on: National Geographic Channel
Instructional Visual Media: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related video production with instruction and/or education as its primary intent, whether broadcast, streamed, accessed online, or through an app.
G.O.A.T., Airs on: MasterClass
Lifestyle Visual Media: New in 2025, this category honors excellence in food-centric talk shows and lifestyle programs that explore food or beverage alongside broader societal and cultural themes. Entries can range from interview-based shows featuring chefs and food personalities to those that delve into food history, science, and culture. This year, submissions to the Competition Visual Media category were included for consideration within the Lifestyle Visual Media category.
Relish, Airs on: PBS, Passport, TPT, TPT-2 and YouTube
Social Media Account: This award recognizes excellence in a food- or beverage-related social media account or platform.
Little Fat Boy, Airs on: Instagram, TikTok, Substack and YouTube
Travel Visual Media: New in 2025, this category celebrates excellence in food- or beverage-focused travel shows. Entries should showcase the unique culinary culture and traditions of a specific region or country, highlighting the connection between people, food, regions, and communities.
Drink: A Look Inside the Glass, Airs on: Apple TV, Prime Video, Tubi, and Roku
More information about Broadcast Media Awards eligibility and criteria can be viewed here.
JOURNALISM AWARDS
The Journalism Awards were established by the James Beard Foundation in 1992. This year’s Journalism Awards recognize works in English and cover food- or drink-related content which were published—or self-published—in 2024 in any medium.
“The reporting by the 2025 Journalism Award winners shows so poignantly how food plays an integral role in every aspect of our lives,” said Rochelle Oliver, chair of the James Beard Foundation’s Journalism Awards program. “Thank you to these journalists for their dedication to deepening the conversation around culture, history, community, and sense of identity from a culinary lens.”
The 2025 James Beard Journalism Award winners are:
Beverage: This award recognizes distinctive style, thorough knowledge, plainspoken prose, and innovative approach in a single article on alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages.
“Want to Make Spirits in Thailand? Good Luck.” by Craig Sauers, Punch
Columns and Newsletters: This award recognizes the work of an individual or team/group that demonstrates thought-provoking opinion and a compelling style on food- or drink-related topics.
“The farm bill hall of shame”; “The essential workers missing from the farm bill”; “Tribal nations want more control over their food supply” by Teresa Cotsirilos, Bridget Huber, and Claire Kelloway, Food & Environment Reporting Network and Mother Jones
Craig Claiborne Distinguished Criticism Award: This award recognizes discerning criticism or commentary that contributes to the larger discourse on food, drink, and related topics. An entry consists of three pieces that can include restaurant reviews, cultural critiques, or analyses that demonstrate thought-provoking opinion and compelling style.
“New tasting menu dinners at Honeysuckle Provisions are provocative and delicious”; “The enduring, confusing, and always delicious Octopus Cart is still puffing along after 34 years”; “Loch Bar, a new high-end seafood spot on Broad, swings big and misses” by Craig LaBan, Philadelphia Inquirer
Dining and Travel: This award recognizes exemplary and comprehensive service journalism that relies on both critical voice and thorough research to bring a variety of dining options into perspective, whether in a single city, a region, or a country.
“Gastro Obscura’s Feast” by Anne Ewbank, Diana Hubbell, and Sam O’Brien, Gastro Obscura
Feature Reporting: This award recognizes excellence for engaging writing and in-depth reporting in food and/or drink features.
“We Need to Talk About Trader Joe’s” by Adam Reiner
TASTE
Food Coverage in a General Interest Publication: This award recognizes excellence in food and/or drink writing, reporting, and presentation in a general interest site or print publication. Judges evaluate each entry for overall breadth and depth of coverage.
The Bitter Southerner
Foodways: This award recognizes the importance of culture and history in food journalism. Entries in this category explore the connection between what we eat and who we are, with an emphasis on reporting.
“As Detroit sees a future in urban agriculture, some pushback harkens to a dark past” by Lyndsay C. Green, Detroit Free Press
Health and Wellness: This award recognizes excellence in food- and/or drink-related health and wellness coverage. Entries explore a variety of topics that may include (but are not limited to) addiction, aging, chronic disease, diet, mental health, mind-body connection, nutrition, and reproductive health.
“Florida Banned Farmworker Heat Protections. A Groundbreaking Partnership Offers a Solution.” Grey Moran. Civil Eats
Home Cooking: This award recognizes excellence in service journalism with a practical focus for the home cook. The award honors imaginative and substantive entries that use fresh, innovative approaches—both written and visual—to illuminate cooking methods, ingredients, and recipes.
“The Art and Science of Kimchi” by Andrea Geary, Cook’s Illustrated
Investigative Reporting: This award recognizes excellence in investigative reporting on environmental, political, business, or policy issues regarding food and/or drink.
“The North Koreans behind global seafood”; “The Whistleblower” by Ian Urbina and the Staff of The Outlaw Ocean Project, The Outlaw Ocean Project and The New Yorker
Jonathan Gold Local Voice Award: This award recognizes the work of an individual who engages readers through enterprising food and dining coverage in a specific region, which also displays versatility in form, including reviews, profiles, cooking, quick hits, and hard news reporting.
“Etta’s Five Bankruptcies Have Left a Collective Mess”; “White Sox Fans Came for the Losses, Stayed for the Milkshakes”; “Namasteak, USA” by Ashok Selvam, Eater Chicago
MFK Fisher Distinguished Writing Award: This award recognizes a single article of exceptional literary merit on the subject of food and/or drink published in any medium.
“The City that Rice Built” by Jeff Gordinier and George McCalman, Food & Wine
Narrative Photography: New in 2025, this award recognizes exemplary storytelling through the use of photography within food culture. An entry is composed of images from one published piece that captures a visual narrative with skill, perspective, and style.
“The Only Constant is Chuck’s” by Rory Doyle (Self-published)
Announcing the 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the Impact, Lifetime Achievement, and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees, for the James Beard Awards®presented by Capital One. Winners will be revealed at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago.
Eliesa Johnson Photography / JBF
Celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, the James Beard Awards® is upholding its role as the nation’s foremost culinary honors by evolving its awards structure. The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards is introducing three new categories: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.As an extension of the James Beard Foundation’s impact work and advocacy policy priorities, we are also proud to inaugurate the Impact Awards, which recognize individuals and/or organizations advancing standards for a more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system. Impact Award honorees will be acknowledged at a ceremony in Chicago on Sunday, June 15, as well as on stage at the Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 16, along with the Lifetime Achievement and Humanitarian of the Year Award honorees.
Tickets for the 35th anniversary of the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards in Chicago can be purchased here beginning at 3 P.M. ET on Wednesday, April 2. The Awards will be broadcast live on Eater. We encourage you to learn more about the James Beard Awards® categories, policies, and procedures here.
Check out the nominees and honorees below!
Christina Nguyen, Hai Hai, Minneapolis, MN. Galdones-Photography.
The 2024 Humanitarian of the Year Award honoree is Chad Houser, founder and CEO of Café Momentum, a Dallas-based nonprofit restaurant with multiple locations nationwide dedicated to equipping justice-involved teens aged 15-19 with skills, education, and employment opportunities in the culinary industry.
When: Sunday, December 22, 2024, with two seatings at 5 pm and 7:30 pm
How: Reservations are required by clicking here, or by calling (260) 278-0674
Tickets are $115 per person
What started years ago as a fun exchange about cheese at Zingerman’s in Ann Arbor, turned into a lasting friendship between Chefs Sean Richardson and Christian Hunter. Since those days, both were recognized in their own right by the James Beard Foundation. Later this month, they will reunite. Only this time, it’s on in the kitchen!
Fort Wayne locals have quickly become Rune devotees since its opening in March of this year. Chef Richardson uses locally raised ingredients for his seasonal menus that introduce guests to an array of international flavors in approachable ways. Chef Christian Hunter has a similar approach at his Michelin-starred restaurant, Atelier, in Chicago. Hunter is now a partner in the restaurant featuring a nightly 12-14 course menu highlighting dishes ranging from home cooking to something more fancy which always “tries to be true to our roots,” said the Lexington, Kentucky native.
The two lauded chefs are joining forces for a one-night-only collaborative tasting dinner at Rune Restaurant on December 22, 2024.
Richardson says guests can expect five courses featuring the best of the region’s producers. He’s excited to share the kitchen with his friend and said, “Any opportunity to share a space with another chef, especially one as successful and down to earth as Christian, is always exciting. The fact that it is our space in my city is extremely exciting.”
“It’s going to be a dinner that honors the local producers. So, I’m here to cook Fort Wayne food, and to learn about Fort Wayne. So, to me, it’s a very cool kind of exchange that we’re about to do. That’s what I’m looking forward to,” said Hunter.
About Christian Hunter
Chef Christian Hunter is inspired by his upbringing, global flavors, sustainable food production, and nutritional anthropology.
He first encountered diverse cuisines in his hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. As soon as he was earning his own money, he’d spend it checking out the newest restaurants in town from Mexican and Thai to Indian. “It was like I was searching for something,” Hunter recalls. That early childhood exposure all comes to fruition on his plates.
His signature style focuses on infusing New American fare with unexpected global flavors. He adds zing to locally sourced products with chermoula, freekeh, berbere, house-made garam masala, salsa macha, locally made miso, and many more.
Hunter has a culinary degree from Paul Smith’s College in upstate New York and has cooked at Relais & Châteaux’s Lake Placid Lodge and The Weekapaug Inn in Rhode Island. He spent four years in Charleston cultivating relationships with local farmers and also his own culinary identity, emphasizing global flavors. He joined Community Table in Litchfield, Connecticut during the challenging year of 2020. Chef used the time to familiarize himself with area farms and shape the culinary direction of the restaurant.
The Chef also brings his Southern heritage to Atelier. Coming from a humble background, he strives to get the most out of everything he brings into the kitchen. Hunter also wants to illuminate the ability of African American chefs to cook amazing food of any cuisine or genre.
Chef Hunter’s notable recognitions thus far:
2024 Chicago Magazine 50 Best New Restaurant
2024 Jean Banchet Rising Star Chef Nominee
2024 James Beard Best New Restaurant Semi-Finalist (Atelier)
2023 Michelin Chicago Young Chef Award Winner
2023 Michelin 1* (Atelier)
2023 James Beard Best Chef Finalist Northeast (Community Table/ CT)
About Sean Richardson
An Indiana native, Chef Sean Richardson remembers cooking alongside his grandparents as a child. Making everything from handmade sausages to varenyky and kapusta, he says that they “taught me what cooking could be.” So, when he moved to Fort Wayne to pursue a degree in creative writing from Purdue University, he also explored what cooking really could be by embarking upon his culinary career starting at The Oyster Bar in 2008, before honing his craft in 2013 at the award-winning Joseph Decuis in Roanoke in Indiana.
In 2017, he joined forces with Chef Aaron Butts to open The Golden in Fort Wayne where he was nominated by the James Beard Foundation as Best Great Chef of Great Lakes. His collaborative efforts have also put him on the map of notable chefs working on projects with Chef Jonathan Brooks of Milktooth, Chef and educator Kate Hill of Camont in Gascony, France, and Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill at Stone Barn.
Most recently he helmed the culinary program at another Fort Wayne original – Conjure. It was here that he began dreaming about his latest project – Rune Restaurant and Bar which opened its doors in March 2024 in the 07 (46807) neighborhood of Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Richardson says that he has worked over the past decade to perfect his voice, and feels he’s finally ready to express a voice that is “loud with big flavors, a bit chaotic, technical when it needs to be, but never fussy, and always delicious.” He and his wife, Natasha, live in the neighborhood and value family time with their two sons – Rune and Casper. He also explores his creative expression by writing songs with his band –Best Sleep which performs regularly at various listening rooms in Fort Wayne.
