Sustainability & Social Responsibility

Watch the 2012 Restaurant Industry Award winners

2011 Restaurant Neighbor Award Winners

The National Restaurant Association and American Express salute restaurateurs who go above and beyond in giving back to their communities through the Restaurant Neighbor Award. Each year four national winners receive $5,000 each to continue their charitable works.

Scroll down to view the 2011 national winners and state finalists..

CORNERSTONE HUMANITARIAN

Mike Whalen
Heart of America Restaurants
Moline, Iowa
Read more
Watch award video

As a boy in Davenport, Iowa, Mike Whalen never considered that other children did not live the same kind of idyllic life he did. "I kind of grew up in a '7Leave It to Beaver' world," he said. It wasn’t until much later that he understood "there are kids out there who need help."

NATIONAL LARGE BUSINESS WINNER

Eat'n Park Hospitality Group
Locations throughout Western Pennsylvania and Ohio
Read more
Watch award video

Eat'n Park Hospitality Group is known as the "Place for Smiles," but the company and its employees may get the greatest enjoyment from the smiles they bring to the faces of the patients at local children’s hospitals. Eat'n Park's Caring for Kids program has raised more than $7 million for these hospitals since Eat'n Park started the program as a fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh in 1979.

NATIONAL MID-SIZE BUSINESS WINNER

Charleston Feed the Need Program
Charleston, S.C.
Read more
Watch award video

The general manager of the Charleston Grill at Charleston Place Hotel formed a coalition made up of 52 local restaurants and catering operations to provide the meals that the shelter needed to provide for the hungry.

NATIONAL SMALL BUSINESS WINNER

Kona Kai Coffee
Kent, Wash.
Read more
Watch award video

Through a partnership with the Halo Network Foundation, the Kent, Wash.-based Kona Kai offers a six- to eight-week training program for people in need. The program includes on-the-job training in espresso-making and other foodservice and hospitality skills.

Congratulations to the 2011 State Finalists

Choose a state or scroll down to view the state finalists

Arizona Flancer's Gilbert The Keg Steakhouse & Bar/Arizona territory Cave Creek	California FREEBIRDS World Burrito Emeryville Rosti Tuscan Kitchen Santa Monica The Cheesecake Factory Inc. Calabassas Hills	Colorado ELana Donaue Ocedon dba Burger King Denver Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee Steamboat Restaurant Group Steamboat Springs The Washington Park Grille Denver
Delaware Caffe Gelato Newark High 5 LLC Bear Iron Hill Brewery Wilmington	Florida Burger King Corp. Miami Casual Restaurant Concepts dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Tampa Euphemia Haye restaurant Longboat Key, Firehouse Subs Restaurant Group Jacksonville Hard Rock International Orlando Sonny's Real Pit Bar-B-Q Maitland	Georgia AmRest LLC dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Augusta Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. Atlanta HomeGrown Restaurant Concept dba Doc Chey's Noodle House and Osteria 832 Pizza & Pasta Atlanta Radial Caf? East Point
Hawaii Duke's Waikiki Honolulu	Illinois Hooters Management Corp. Downers Grove Nick's Pizza & Pub Crystal Lake Texas de Brazil Chicago	Indiana Daddy Jack's Indianapolis Randy Shields, McDonald's Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee
Iowa Mike Whalen, Heart of America Restaurants Moline Cornerstone Humanitarian Award Rastrelli's restaurant Clinton	Kansas Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Lenexa Warren Theatres Wichita	Kentucky KFC Foundation Inc. Louisville Montana Grille Bowling Green Texas Roadhouse Louisville
Louisiana Charley G's Lafayette Phil's Grill Metarie Southern River Restaurants dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Harahan	Maine Azure Italian Caf? Freeport Gritty McDuff's Portland King Eider's Pub Damariscotta Ri-Ra Irish Pub & Restaurant Portland	Maryland Galaxy 66 Bar & Grille Ocean City, Glory Days Grill Gaithersburg Graul's Market & Caf? Lutherville Moxie Bakery & Caf? Frederick Phillips Seafood Baltimore Ri-Ra Irish Pub & Restaurant Bethesda The Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille Edgewater
Massachusetts boloco Boston Boston Bread LLC dba Panera Watertown Ninety Nine Restaurants Woburn PR Management Corp. dba Panera Newton	Michigan Buddy's Pizza Farmington Hills Shield's Restaurants Troy Skip's Restaurant New Buffalo	Minnesota Chickadee Cottage Caf? Lake City Fat Lorenzo's Minneapolis
Mississippi The Shed BBQ & Blues Joint of Gulfport Gulfport	Missouri Jimm's Steakhouse and Pub Springfield McMurphy's Grill St. Louis	Nebraska Grandmother's Omaha Liberty Tavern and Lounge Omaha Valentino's Lincoln
Nevada Origin India Restaurant & Bar Las Vegas	New Hampshire Margaritas Mexican Restaurant Portsmouth Patrick's Pub & Eatery Gilford The Common Man Family of Restaurants Ashland	New Jersey Branches Catering West Long Branch Doherty Enterprises Inc. dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Allendale
New York Apple-Metro Inc. dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Harrison TL Cannon Companies dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Williamsville	North Carolina Alan Riley, Dugans Pub Pinehurst Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee Apple Gold Group dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Raleigh Fat Tony's Italian Pub Wilmington	Ohio Avalanche Pizza Athens Cameron Mitchell Restaurants Columbus Roosters Dublin Rusty Bucket Restaurant and Tavern Columbus White Castle System Inc. Columbus
Oregon Rogue Ales Newport	Pennsylvania Aramark Philadelphia Eat'n Park Hospitality Group Large Business Winner Harrison's Wine Grill State College Rose Casual Dining dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Newtown	Rhode Island Kenneth Rianna and Rob Rianna, Apple Valley R.O.B.C.O./KFC franchisee Smithfield Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee
South Carolina Apple-J dba Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar Greenville Charleston Feed the Need Program Charleston Mid-Size Business Winner Fleet Landing Restaurant & Bar Charleston	Tennessee Big River Grille & Brewing Works Chattanooga Huey's Restaurants Memphis Logan's Roadhouse Nashville Noshville Delicatessen Nashville	Texas Ed Murph, Norma's Caf? Carrollton Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee K&N Management Austin Kent Rathbun Concepts Plano Luby's Cafeteria Wichita Falls Wichita Falls Snappy Salads Dallas
Utah Utah Del Taco Salt Lake City	Virginia Blue Talon Bistro Williamsburg David Miller, FOD Restaurants Inc./Dave's Taverna Harrisonburg Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee Jim Wordsworth, J.R.'s Goodtimes Inc. McLean Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee Lynnhaven Fish House Restaurant Virginia Beach Rockafeller's Restaurant Virginia Beach	Washington Kona Kai Coffee Kent Small Business Winner Lynn Fischer, Keg Steakhouse & Bar Lynnwood Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee The Harmon Brewing Co. Tacoma
Wisconsin Appetize Inc. Appleton Buckhorn Supper Club Milton Terry Bolland, Summertime Restaurant LLC Fish Creek Cornerstone Humanitarian Nominee Wisconsin Hospitality Group LLC Wauwatosa