National Restaurant Association Names Industry Icon Ted Fowler as 2025 Legends Award Winner
The Legends Award is presented to an individual demonstrating a lifetime of dedication to the restaurant and hospitality industry. Fowler will be honored for his legacy shaping the future of the restaurant industry across a four-decade career that started as a 16-year-old dishwasher and culminated in a 25-year tenure as the second President and CEO of Golden Corral Corporation. Fowler served as Chair of the National Restaurant Association Board in 2001 and was awarded the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in 2016.One of his many passions was championing the individuals who form the backbone of the restaurant industry, focusing on creating career pathways both within Golden Corral and across the broader industry. Fowler played a pivotal role in the launch of ProStart, a program by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation that equips high school students with essential culinary and restaurant management skills, preparing the next generation of industry leaders. Thanks to Fowler’s advocacy and support, ProStart has equipped more than 1 million young people with skills and knowledge aimed at connecting them with industry careers.
“Ted Fowler is a true legend in every sense of the word, with a legacy that exemplifies the power of hard work and a drive to give back in service to others,” said Michelle Korsmo, President & CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “Ted’s extraordinary career, visionary leadership, and unwavering dedication to our industry makes him a perfect recipient of this year’s Legends Award, and I look forward to honoring him in May at the 2025 Gold & Silver Plate Awards.”
The celebration of the Legends Award returns this year to the Gold & Silver Plate Awards for the first time since the pandemic. Since 1954, the Gold & Silver Plate awards have celebrated restaurant and foodservice operators for their outstanding achievements and contributions. Learn more about the Gold & Silver Plate Awards here.
About the National Restaurant Association
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises more than 1 million restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of 15.7 million employees. Together with 52 State Associations, we are a network of professional organizations dedicated to serving every restaurant through advocacy, education, and food safety. We sponsor the industry's largest trade show (National Restaurant Association Show); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF's ProStart). For more information, visit Restaurant.org and find @WeRRestaurants on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.