2009 Excellence Award Winners Announced

Austin, Texas - The Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation announced the winners of the 2009 Excellence Awards. More than 50 nominations were received from across the state and 17 local winners and three statewide winners were chosen. The Excellence Awards are presented in three categories, back of the house, front of the house and manager.

The Excellence Award, back of the house, is awarded to Jose Flavio Puentes, kitchen manager at Zentner’s Daughter Steakhouse in San Angelo. Taylor Stiles, a server at Reata Restaurant in Fort Worth will receive the Excellence Award, front of the house and Tod Lewis, general manger at Reata Restaurant in Fort Worth will receive the Excellence Award, manager. These three outstanding individuals each will receive $1000 and will be honored at the TRA President’s Gala in Dallas, Texas on June 29.

“By honoring individuals working in all facets of the restaurant, we bring attention to the importance of teamwork to the success of a restaurant, said Ralph Sheffield, Las Casas Restaurante and chair of the TRA Education Foundation. “These awards honor the talented employees who make a difference everyday in our restaurants.”

The Excellence Award winners in the back of the house category at the chapter level are:

Doris Simper, Kloesel’s Steakhouse Eola Fransaw, The Barn Door Steakhouse
Mid Coast Restaurant Association Permian Basin Restaurant Association

Antonio Tellez, Pelican’s Jonathan Gelman, Driskill Grill
North Texas Restaurant Association Greater Austin Restaurant Association

Kassi Dodge, Boot Hill Saloon & Grill
Panhandle Restaurant Association

The Excellence Award winners in the front of the house category at the chapter level are:

Terry Garza, Zentner’s Daughter Steakhouse Mica Edwards, Parkway Grill
San Angelo Restaurant Association North Texas Restaurant Association

Todd Newhouse, The Republic
Brazos Valley Restaurant Association

The Excellence Award winners in the manager category at the chapter level are:

Leo Duran, L&J Café James Cooke, Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse
El Paso Restaurant Association Greater Austin Restaurant Association

Shannon Danials, Zentner’s Daughter Steakhouse Scott Gunn, The Bar Restaurant
San Angelo Restaurant Association Permian Basin Restaurant Association

Valerie Rutledge, Pelican’s Paul Schultz, San Luis Resort
North Texas Restaurant Association Galveston Restaurant Association

LaShundra Price, Church’s Chicken Aaron Lara, The Republic
East Texas Restaurant Association Brazos Valley Restaurant Association

The Excellence Awards are sponsored by Ben E. Keith and Texas Mutual Insurance.

It is the mission of the Texas Restaurant Association Education Foundation to serve as the resource arm of the restaurant industry by maintaining educational programs and enhancing the industry’s image to benefit local communities, the state and the foodservice industry. www.restaurantville.com.