South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association to host its 69th Annual Stars of the Hospitality Industry Awards

The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association (SCRLA) will host its 69th Annual Stars of South Carolina Hospitality Awards on Monday, February 21 at 1881 Event Hall in Spartanburg.

The Stars of South Carolina Hospitality Industry Awards celebrate the exceptional professionalism and outstanding service of top individuals in the hospitality industry. These individuals go above and beyond to contribute to the positive image of the hospitality industry while also being confronted with supply and labor shortages.

“Every hotel or restaurant guest can tell you of a time when a particular individual made their experience exceptional,” said Susan Cohen, SCRLA’s new President and CEO. “Recognizing the true stars of our industry, who daily exemplify the meaning of hospitality through their professionalism and service, is one of the highlights of our year.”

This year’s awards finalists are listed below.

Community-Based Award winners include:

Hospitality Educator of the Year
Bill Twaler • Truist Culinary & Hospitality Innovation Center

Hospitality Supplier of the Year
SpotOn

Outstanding Community Service Program (<5 locations)
Haydn Shaak • Restaurant 17 and Hotel Domestique

Outstanding Community Service Program (>5 locations)
Ryan Larson • SERG Restaurant Group

Outstanding Community Event

Midlands Area Vaccination Clinic for Hospitality Employees
Blue Marlin
Lovelace Family Medicine, P.A.
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center

Rising Star
Qiah Hernandez • Lazy Goat/Table 301 Apprenticeship

Stars of the Industry finalists include:

Hotelier of the Year
Jason Price • Pinnacle Partnership
Yatish Patel • Sycamore Investment Group

Lodging Manager of the Year
Jana Medlin • Wingate by Wyndham Columbia/Lexington
Chris Osborne • Embassy Suites by Hilton Greenville Golf Resort & Conference Center

Lodging Front of House Employee of the Year
Bryan Hernandez • Wentworth Mansion
Delphine Holden • IMIC Hotels

Lodging Heart of House Employee of the Year
Rosa Fonseca • Sheraton Myrtle Beach
Telly West • North Charleston Marriott

Hotel Chef of the Year
Fernando Coppola • AC by Marriott Hotel Greenville

Restaurateur of the Year
Michael Ivey • Rick Erwin Dining Group
Bob Munnich • Dray Bar and Grill & 1800 Drayton Catering and Events

Restaurant Manager of the Year
Natasha Cline • Southern888 LLC
Lucas Haramut • Soby’s New South Cuisine

Restaurant Front of House Employee of the Year
Nichelle Torres • Rick Erwin Dining Group
Sydney Lopez • Market on Main

Restaurant Heart of House Employee of the Year
James Glenn • Hilton Greenville
Tierra Locklear • Greenville Country Club

Restaurant Bartender of the Year
Ben Fleming • Heirloom – A Milltown Eatery
Kelsey Bundy • Market on Main

Restaurant Chef of the Year
Adam Cooke • Topsoil Restaurant
Robin Hinton • Lucy Buffet’s LuLu’s North Myrtle Beach

Outstanding Certified Sommelier
Hernan Martinez • Hampton Street Vineyard
Tori Whittenberg • Ruth’s Chris Steak House

All finalists will be recognized for their hard work and dedication to the hospitality industry on stage at the gala in February. More information about tickets and sponsorship opportunities can be found at www.scrla.org.

Tickets are $75 for SCRLA members and $100 for non-members.

 

About the SC Restaurant and Lodging Association

For more than 75 years, the SCRLA has represented more than 2,200 member companies and 210,000 employees across the state. Our mission is to promote, protect and educate the foodservice and lodging industries of our state and to ensure positive business growth for our members. The SCRLA strives to represent the best interests of its members on small business issues, hospitality and tourism concerns and towards the protection of South Carolina’s quality of life. For more information, please visit SCRLA.org