Source: Restaurant INFORMER, 2014, Vol. 4, Issue 4

On November 2, the restaurant industry gathered at the eighth annual Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Awards Gala to recognize and pay tribute to the leaders who have made outstanding contributions to Georgia’s restaurant industry.

Lifetime Achievement Award Winner: Hal Nowak

Source: Thomasville Times-Enterprise
By Karen Murphy 

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THOMASVILLE - Shiver me timbers! The Plaza, Thomasville’s iconic restaurant, beat out Savannah’s Pirate House for the oldest continuous restaurant in Georgia.

The Pirate House, established around 1734, is the first inn and tavern in the state, but it became a museum at one point and only recently became a restaurant again. According to Yahoo Food and Yvonne Morgan with the Georgia Restaurant Association, that makes The Plaza the “oldest continuously running restaurant in Georgia.”

Source: Washington Post
By Tina Griego

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Ryan Turner, one of three self-described “bozos” who’ve made a name for themselves in Atlanta’s restaurant scene, was chatting with some fellow restaurateurs a few weeks back. The occasion was the Georgia Restaurant Association’s annual Grace industry awards and the crowd was, as you would expect, informed and invested and possessed by the optimism that comes from promoting an immutable truth: We all must eat.

Source: Savannah CEO
Press release from the issuing company

The Georgia Restaurant Association (GRA), Georgia’s only not-for-profit representing the state’s foodservice industry, has elected Jamie Durrence, Managing Partner for Daniel Reed Hospitality, to the GRA’s Board of Directors.

Source: National Restaurant Association

At an event recognizing the sustainable efforts of two of its pioneer members, the National Restaurant Association’s Zero Waste Zones program officially re-launched in Atlanta on Veterans Day.

The kick-off, held Nov. 11 at Coca-Cola Co.’s headquarters, highlighted the work of caterer Affairs to Remember for diverting 1 million pounds of recoverable material away from landfills. This achievement followed the recently announced Georgia World Congress Center certification of Silver LEED status by the U.S. Green Building Council. The GWCC, also a ZWZ founding member, has diverted 602 tons of material from landfills in 2014 alone.

Source: Farm Flavor
By Teree Caruthers

Chef Holly Chute knows local. Through the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s Georgia Grown Executive Chef Program, a partnership with the Georgia Restaurant Association designed to engage chefs across the state with Georgia products, Chute has traveled across the state introducing chefs and consumers, schoolchildren and teachers to the state’s commodities and the people who grow them.

Source: Atlanta Business Chronicle

Georgia is quickly becoming recognized as one of the nation's top travel destinations. In fact, last year the tourism industry achieved record-breaking results generating $53.6 billion in economic impact. The impact of the industry goes beyond the direct spending of visitors; it provides employment opportunities for more than 411,000 Georgians across the state. This means that 10.2 percent of all workers in Georgia are employed because of one of the state's leading industries. The rising economic impact of this industry not only provides revenue and jobs, but it impacts nearly every community in Georgia.

Source: RestaurantInformer.com

It was a great night at the annual Georgia Restaurant Association’s GRACE Awards Gala. With more than 300 restaurant professionals and guests attending, the evening was a wonderful tribute to leaders in Georgia’s hospitality trade.

Below is a list of GRACE Award Winners. Look for your copy of Restaurant INFORMER in the mail for full coverage of the GRACE Awards, including write-ups on all award finalists.

Source: PerishableNews.com
By Georgia Restaurant Association

The winners of the 2014 Georgia Restaurant Association Crystal of Excellence (GRACE) Awards were announced Sunday, Nov. 2 at The Foundry at Puritan Mill in Atlanta. The GRACE Awards is the Georgia Restaurant Association’s (GRA) annual black-tie gala event honoring Georgia’s restaurant industry. Jim Stacy, host of the Cooking Channel's “Offbeat Eats” and owner of Pallookaville Fine Foods, served as the Master of Ceremonies and Seven Handle Circus provided live musical entertainment.

Source: Eater Atlanta
By Chris Fuhrmeister

A new Taco Mac is coming soon to Cobb County.

COBB COUNTY - Taco Mac is opening its newest location in Cumberland on Monday, November 10. The new T.Mac will feature the Atlanta chain's latest design from ai3 and is located at 3101 Cobb Parkway SE, Suite 210, near the future home of the Atlanta Braves. [EaterWire]

DECATUR - Ohio-based ice cream purveyor Jeni's is officially opening in Decatur Square on Friday, November 7. On Thursday, November 6, the shop will host a free ice cream party from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., and the first 50 people through the door will receive a limited edition print created by the Jeni's Splendid Art + Design Team. Jeni's Decatur is located at 545 North McDonough Street. [EaterWire]

AWARDS SEASON - The Georgia Restaurant Association announced the winners of its eighth-annual GRACE Awards on Monday. Among the honorees are Gunshow chef/owner Kevin Gillespie, who received the Innovator Award, and Todd Ginsberg, Ben Johnson, Jennifer Johnson, and Shelley Sweet, who combined to win Restaurateur of the Year. See the full list of winners online. [EaterWire]