September 25, 2015 – Waterloo, IA –Waterloo Hy-Vee Executive Chef Brice Dix has been named the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s first ProStart Mentor of the Year. He was recognized at an awards ceremony at The Temple for Performing Arts in downtown Des Moines on September 24^th. The award distinguishes a person who provides exceptional support to a high school ProStart program. ProStart is a two-year career-building program which blends classroom learning with mentored work experience to teach high school students the management and culinary skills needed for a career in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

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Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation The Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation works to advance professionalism and career opportunities in the hospitality industry through education, scholarships, and community involvement. The IRAEF serves as the charitable arm of the Iowa Restaurant Association. Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association 515-276-1454 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com

September 25, 2015 – Des Moines, IA – Mickey’s Irish Pub in Waukee has been named one of the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2015 State Restaurant Neighbor Philanthropy Award Winners. Owners/Operators Andy and Amy Walsh were recognized at an award ceremony at The Temple for Performing Arts in downtown Des Moines on September 24^th. This award distinguishes restaurants that make an impact in their communities through charitable giving and fundraising.

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Iowa Restaurant Association The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa’s restaurant and bar industry with educational and promotional programs across the state.   Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

September 25, 2015 – Des Moines, IA – Full Court Press, Inc. has been named one of the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2015 State Restaurant Neighbor Philanthropy Award Winners. Owner Jeff Bruning accepted the award on behalf of the company at an award ceremony at The Temple for Performing Arts in downtown Des Moines on September 24^th. This award distinguishes restaurants that make an impact in their communities through charitable giving and fundraising.

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Iowa Restaurant Association The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa’s restaurant and bar industry with educational and promotional programs across the state.   Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

Des Moines restaurateur Pamela Patton of Patton’s Restaurant & Catering received the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation’s 2015 Faces of Diversity American Dream award. Watch her story here.

An Iowa restaurant owner has been selected to receive one of the most prestigious annual business honors given by the National Restaurant Association’s Educational Foundation. Pamela Patton, owner and operator of Patton’s Restaurant and Catering in Des Moines, is one of three restaurant entrepreneurs from across the country to be selected for the 2015 Faces of Diversity American Dream Award. Patton Not Deterred by Statistics “This award is given to diverse members of the restaurant industry whose hard work and success exemplify the American Dream,” explained Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “Iowa ranks last or nearly last in the nation in both women and minority business ownership—Pamela let none of that deter her. She has taken her passion for “showing love through food” out of her home—where she once hosted Sunday dinner for as many as 100 Drake students each week— and built it into a thriving catering and sit down restaurant business north of the State Capitol.” Restaurant Business a Second Career  Patton, a Georgia native, was one of eight children. She developed a passion for cooking as a child when she spent summers in rural Alabama with her Great-Grandmother. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and she went on to work in corporate America. However, her love of cooking never left her. Encouraged by many of those same Drake students as well as friends, Patton took a risk and started a catering business.  In 2010 she secured a Targeted Small Business (TSB) loan and opened a sit down restaurant at 1552 East Grand Avenue in January 2011. Her menu features true soul food ranging from southern fried chicken and red velvet waffles to collard greens and catfish. Her food has also received national acclaim—last  year being featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network Channel. National Gala will Celebrate Winners Patton will receive her award on April 14th at a Gala in Washington DC.  In Patton’s honor, the NRAEF together with PepsiCo, will make a $2,500 donation to the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation to support its high school culinary and restaurant management program and a $2,500 scholarship donation for an Iowa student pursuing a degree in a restaurant-related field. “This award celebrates the stories of opportunity and community engagement within the restaurant industry,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of strategic operations and philanthropy for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “We applaud Pamela for her immense passion and what she has done for her community.”

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About the Iowa Restaurant Association and IRA Education Foundation: The Iowa Restaurant Association protects, promotes and educates Iowa’s restaurant and retail beverage industries. The IRA Education Foundation  works to advance professionalism and career opportunities in the hospitality industry through education, scholarships, and community involvement. The IRA is the state affiliate of the National Restaurant Association. About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation: As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. In 2015, the restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to comprise 1 million outlets and a workforce of 14 million employees, making it one of the nation’s largest employers. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org. Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association 515-276-1454 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com

Patton Not Deterred by Statistics “This award is given to diverse members of the restaurant industry whose hard work and success exemplify the American Dream,” explained Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “Iowa ranks last or nearly last in the nation in both women and minority business ownership—Pamela let none of that deter her. She has taken her passion for “showing love through food” out of her home—where she once hosted Sunday dinner for as many as 100 Drake students each week— and built it into a thriving catering and sit down restaurant business north of the State Capitol.” Restaurant Business a Second Career  Patton, a Georgia native, was one of eight children. She developed a passion for cooking as a child when she spent summers in rural Alabama with her Great-Grandmother. She was the first in her family to graduate from college and she went on to work in corporate America. However, her love of cooking never left her. Encouraged by many of those same Drake students as well as friends, Patton took a risk and started a catering business.  In 2010 she secured a Targeted Small Business (TSB) loan and opened a sit down restaurant at 1552 East Grand Avenue in January 2011. Her menu features true soul food ranging from southern fried chicken and red velvet waffles to collard greens and catfish. Her food has also received national acclaim—last  year being featured on Guy Fieri’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives on the Food Network Channel. National Gala will Celebrate Winners Patton will receive her award on April 14th at a Gala in Washington DC.  In Patton’s honor, the NRAEF together with PepsiCo, will make a $2,500 donation to the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation to support its high school culinary and restaurant management program and a $2,500 scholarship donation for an Iowa student pursuing a degree in a restaurant-related field. “This award celebrates the stories of opportunity and community engagement within the restaurant industry,” said Rob Gifford, executive vice president of strategic operations and philanthropy for the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation. “We applaud Pamela for her immense passion and what she has done for her community.”

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About the Iowa Restaurant Association and IRA Education Foundation: The Iowa Restaurant Association protects, promotes and educates Iowa’s restaurant and retail beverage industries. The IRA Education Foundation  works to advance professionalism and career opportunities in the hospitality industry through education, scholarships, and community involvement. The IRA is the state affiliate of the National Restaurant Association. About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation: As the philanthropic foundation of the National Restaurant Association, the NRAEF exists to enhance the restaurant industry’s service to the public through education, community engagement and promotion of career opportunities. The NRAEF works to attract, develop and retain a career-oriented professional workforce for the restaurant industry. In 2015, the restaurant and foodservice industry is projected to comprise 1 million outlets and a workforce of 14 million employees, making it one of the nation’s largest employers. For more information on the NRAEF, visit NRAEF.org. Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association 515-276-1454 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com

Despite ranking 42nd in the nation in revenue growth, Iowa’s restaurant industry outpaced predictions for job growth in 2014. Posting only a 2.8 percent increase in gross revenues, the foodservice sector still added more than 2,600 jobs last year—that is more than twice the projected 1,000 new jobs that had been expected. What’s more, Iowa should see an additional 12,300 new foodservice jobs in the coming decade. This includes a mix of entry level and management positions according to a just released National Restaurant Association Forecast. “Iowa’s restaurant industry is one of tremendous opportunity,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “In fact, it is home to 1 in 10 working people in the state.  It is easy to see why one in three Iowans found their first job in the restaurant industry, but what excites us about today’s report is that this type of job growth, means more and more people are finding lifelong career in hospitality and foodservice.”

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Iowa Restaurant Association The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa’s restaurant and bar industry with educational and promotional programs across the state. For more information on the Iowa Restaurant Association, visit www.restaurantiowa.com. For more information about the National Restaurant Association 2015 Restaurant Industry Forecast, contact Katelyn Kostek at the Iowa Restaurant Association. Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

Chef Troy Trostel of Trostel’s Greenbriar Restaurant in Johnston won first place honors at the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Dine Iowa Grand Tasting Gala held at the Atrium in Capital Square in downtown Des Moines on September 25. The competition was sponsored by the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Soyfoods Council. All chefs featured a beef ribeye and a tofu side dish or sauce. The chefs worked with Braveheart Angus Beef® courtesy of Performance Food Group. Chef Mike Holman of Dos Rios Cantina & Tequila Lounge placed second in the competition and Chef Augustin Quintana of Prairie Meadows Racetrack & Casino won People’s Choice honors. All three chefs received medals and cash prizes. Creative & Innovative Culinary Masterpieces As part of the competition, nine Iowa chefs presented their original culinary masterpieces in a professionally judged format. Throughout the month of September, a team of judges traveled to each chef’s establishment to taste and critique each competition dish. Each dish was judged on appearance, taste, tenderness, texture and use of product as well as overall creativity and practicality. Creativity and innovation were rewarded with bonus points. After all dishes were judged, the chefs came together at the Dine Iowa Grand Tasting Gala and presented sample size portions of the same dishes to more than 300 culinary connoisseurs. Each attendee cast their vote and awards were presented at the end of the evening. Winning Dish Trostel’s winning dish, entitled Trostel’s Two Generations Ribeye, featured a char grilled, gunpowder seasoning ribeye filet with horseradish parsnip potato puree and pinwheel ribeye cap steak on roasted sweet corn pepper croutons and sliced tofu stuffed beets, and was finished with a Wild Horse merlot reduction and poblano cream sauce. “This competition is held as a celebration of Iowa restaurant industry month,” said May Schaben, vice president of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “The level of difficulty and creativity from year to year is consistently better than the last. This year’s chefs were extremely competitive, and the scores proved it. To receive top honors in a statewide competition like this is a great accomplishment.”

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Iowa Restaurant Association The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa’s industry with educational and promotional programs across the state. www.restaurantiowa.com Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

G. Mig’s 5^th Street Pub Owner/Operator George Migliero has been named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Restaurateur of the Year. Migliero accepted the award on September 25 at the Iowa Restaurant Association’s hospitality industry award ceremony at the Des Moines Savery Hotel in downtown Des Moines. “This award honors the restaurant owner who inspires patrons, employees and the industry,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “George consistently over-delivers on expectations – whether it’s in his restaurant, a corporate function or a private catering event.” An Innovative Transformation Migliero’s culinary resume made opening a fine dining restaurant a seemingly logical next step in his career, but he took on a challenge in the form of a pub. He transformed a small, dark pub into a culinary destination. Bright lights and décor, an ever-evolving made-from-scratch menu, and fantastic staff put this once old tavern on the map. “I’ve tried to build culture,” said Migliero of his pub-turned-masterpiece. “I wanted to have a place that was comfortable and welcoming to anyone. I just want to make people happy with food.” ### Iowa Restaurant Association The Iowa Restaurant Association is an advocacy organization supporting Iowa’s industry with educational and promotional programs across the state. www.restaurantiowa.com Media Contacts Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454