Iowa City Mercy Hospital Executive Chef Ron Hall was named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2014 Restaurant Neighbor Philanthropy Award winner. Chef Hall accepted the award at the Association’s annual awards ceremony last month at the Renaissance Savery Hotel in downtown Des Moines. Feeding Those in Need The multi-award winning chef was selected for his work with two organizations addressing food insecurity. The first, a fresh food rescue program called Table-to-Table assembles volunteers to gather and distribute food to local agencies. In 1999, Hall founded “Thanksgiving-in-July”, a now annual food drive to benefit food banks in the Iowa City and surrounding areas.  The first year his efforts collected 5 tons of food. This year, 65 tons were collected and distributed to pantries in 7 different communities. Passion for the Hungry As a child, Hall’s home was destroyed in a fire. He and his family converted a railroad boxcar into their new home with charity dollars. Hall went without for a large portion of his life, and has been dedicated to making sure no one else has to go through the same. “We live in the nation’s breadbasket,” stated Hall. “No one here should ever go hungry.” Hall’s award was presented by both the chairman of the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors and the National Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors. Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association, commented, “Ron’s personal story made this award even more meaningful.  Our industry ‘feeds people,’ and Ron’s charitable work exemplifies our industry’s heart.”

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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 Contacts Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist Iowa Restaurant Association kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454  

Mark Doll, President and CEO of Doll Distributing, LLC. has been named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2014 Purveyor Partner of the Year. Each year this honor is given by the Association in recognition of the partner who goes above and beyond to provide exceptional services or products including professional integrity and care for Iowa’s restaurant community. Doll accepted the award at the Iowa Restaurant Association’s annual hospitality industryawards ceremony held on September 25 at the Renaissance Savery Hotel in downtown Des Moines. Doll Distributing was founded by Merlin and Edith Doll in 1965 when they purchased a two-truck beer distributorship in Nebraska. In 1988 Doll and his siblings purchased the company from their parents and began to grow across the state. Now Iowa’s largest beer wholesaler, Doll Distributing LLC has three locations, employs 290 people and services 3,500 customers in 41 counties across Iowa. Political Leader Through their growth, Doll has remained active within the Iowa Restaurant Association. “Mark has served as Chairman of the Iowa Restaurant Association and National Beer Wholesalers Association Board,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “He is a political leader and forerunner for our industry and the beverage industry.”

Doll Distributing remains a family business with four of the five siblings involved in the day-to-day operations. In addition to the Anheuser Busch and Corona beers, Doll distributes a large number of craft brands including many beers brewed in Iowa. ###

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

Chef Robert Anderson, Certified Executive Chef, Certified Culinary Educator and Program Chair of the Iowa Culinary Institute located at Des Moines Area Community College Ankeny campus has received the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Lifetime Achievement award. Anderson received the award at the Association’s annual hospitality industry awards ceremony held September 25 at the Renaissance Savery Hotel in downtown Des Moines. Humble Beginnings From a young age, Anderson knew he wanted to be a chef and took every opportunity to experiment in any kitchen available. In 1972 Anderson began his career in earnest at the Broadmoor Hotel and Air Force Academy Officer’s Club in Colorado Springs. In 1974 he moved to Ankeny, IA to serve as program chair to a three-student culinary and hospitality program at Des Moines Area Community College. His program now has a waitlist of 100+ students and is the state’s largest post-secondary culinary program. Anderson became certified by the American Culinary Federation as a Certified Executive Chef and Certified Culinary Educator. In 2000 he was inducted into the Honorable Order of the Golden Toque. He is only one of 99 American chefs in this elite society of distinguished culinary arts professionals and the only active chef from Iowa. “Robert has been a huge proponent for the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s ProStart High School culinary arts and restaurant management program,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “He has traveled the state helping schools understand the career opportunities available to those who pursue the hospitality profession.” Anderson joins the handful of culinary masters to receive the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. ### 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 Jessica Dunker President & CEO Iowa Restaurant Association jdunker@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

Des Moines, IA – Iowa House of Representatives Speaker Kraig Paulsen has been named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2014 Legislator of the Year. The honor was presented to the Speaker at the Association’s annual awards gala by both the Chairmen of the Iowa Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Board of Directors Scott Carlson and Jack Crawford. A Pro-Business Mindset “This award honors the legislator who goes above and beyond to champion hospitality issues at the statehouse,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “Speaker Paulsen encourages job creation and business growth in Iowa, and with 11,000 jobs projected to be added in Iowa in the next decade, we appreciate his support.” Speaker Paulsen’s standard by which he measures decisions requires the state to spend less than it collects and return unused tax dollars to Iowans. It also requires the state not use one-time money to fun on-going needs nor balance the budget by intentionally underfunding programs. His leadership qualities and pro-business legislation made Speaker Paulsen an obvious choice for the Association’s 2014 Legislator of the Year. ### 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 Jessica Dunker President & CEO Iowa Restaurant Association jdunker@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454  

Maria Muhs of Rastrelli’s Restaurant in Clinton was named the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 2014 Restaurant Employee of the Year. Muhs accepted the award at a ceremony hosted by the Iowa Restaurant Association at the Renaissance Savery Hotel on September 25. “There are more than 143,000 restaurant employees in the state of Iowa,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. Dunker pointed to the fact that Muhs, a 15+ year team member, is asked for by name from Rastrelli’s patrons, and that those who know her rave about her special salads. “Maria is this year’s best of the best. She is an excellent representative of the state’s hospitality industry.” The honor was presented to Muhs by the Chairmen of both the Iowa Restaurant Association and National Restaurant Association Board of Directors. This year, the family-owned restaurant celebrated 75 years of business with many of its long-time employees and devout patrons. ### 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 Iowa Restaurant Association kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

Des Moines Central Campus retired Culinary Arts Instructor Elaine Wolf has been named Iowa’s 2014 ProStart® Educator of Excellence by the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation. ProStart is a comprehensive high school curriculum that teaches both culinary and hospitality management skills, and is currently taught in 23 Iowa high schools.   Wolf’s resume reads like a menu of achievements from institutional food to fine dining to teaching. She introduced the ProStart Program into Des Moines Central Campus in 2004, making the school the second Iowa high school to integrate ProStart into the curriculum.   Raising Funds Beside Local Chefs Wolf’s determination to see her students succeed drove her to apply for grants to remodel the school’s 1950’s kitchen. $100,000 later, Des Moines Central Campus began construction on new culinary classrooms. Wolf retired at the end of 2013 and leaves a strong classroom and competitive program.   Case in point, to help fun their competitions, Wolf and her students partnered with local chef and now Wolf’s successor Chef John Andres to host biannual dinners for the public at Bŏs Restaurant in the Renaissance Savery Hotel.   May Schaben, executive director of the Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation, said of Wolf, “She has been a manager, coach, cheerleader, advisor and mentor to her students throughout the years. Her passion for the culinary arts and dedication to her students made Wolf an obvious choice for this award.”

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  The Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation The Iowa Restaurant Association Education Foundation exists to create and promote awareness of hospitality as a professional career path and to strengthen and improve the educational offerings, opportunities and services for the advancement of the restaurant and retail beverage industries in the state of Iowa.   Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454

Chef Dominic Iannarelli, Executive Chef at Splash Seafood Bar & Grill and Jethros BBQ in Des Moines has been selected the 2014 Iowa Restaurant Association Chef of the Year. Iannarelli accepted the award at the Iowa Restaurant Association’s Hospitality Industry Award Ceremony at the Renaissance Savery Hotel in downtown Des Moines.   “This award honors the professional chef who exemplifies creativity, culinary excellence and service to the profession and the industry,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “Dominic is an innovative and determined culinary master. He’s always striving for the next level of excellence.” Pushing the Culinary Envelope After earning a degree in hotel and restaurant management from Iowa State University, Iannarelli began travelling around the world to find new culinary experiences, but eventually came back home to Iowa. In 1998, Iannarelli partnered with Bruce Gerleman – an entrepreneur who developed a five star restaurant in downtown Des Moines – and Iannarelli quickly became the Executive Chef. Splash soon became one of only two Iowa restaurants to receive the prestigious Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award. The partnership quickly grew and Jethro’s BBQ was also formed.   Iannarelli is always ready to push the culinary envelope just a little further, but he is pleased with the progress of the region, stating, “I’m happy to see how far Des Moines has come in the past 10 years.” Iannarelli will continue to be at the forefront of the Des Moines restaurant scene and is already planning new ways to introduce people to innovative cuisines and culinary styles.

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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 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com 515-276-1454  

The Iowa Restaurant Association is once again accepting nominations for Iowa’s Restaurateur, Chef and Employee (host, server, bartender, etc.) of the Year. The public is invited to nominate outstanding people in the restaurant and hospitality industry for any of these awards. Winners will be honored at the Association’s annual Celebrating Excellence Hospitality Awards event held September 25 at the Renaissance Des Moines Savery Hotel. Visit www.restaurantiowa.com to submit your nomination today. Deadline for submissions is August 1st.

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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 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com

Iowa is in a battle to the finish in Roll Call’s Annual “Taste of America Competition.”  Iowa’s entry of “bacon” has advanced to the Final 8 among favorite regional foods, and is now battling against some tough competitors from seven other regional finalists including stiff competition from entries such as Maryland’s crab cakes and Illinois’ deep dish pizza. “It’s time for us to show some serious Iowa pride,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association.  “Iowa restaurants and at-home cooks alike have shown a nearly endless level of culinary creativity with bacon—it’s time to brag about it.”   People can vote through June 20th at Roll Call’s Taste of America website: www.rollcalltasteofamerica.com. Iowa bacon was one of 64 foods from across the country featured in the competition which started in bracket format on May 12th.  Iowa made its way to the Final 8 by beating out Ohio’s Buckeye Candy, Missouri’s Ice Cream Cone, and Wisconsin’s Mac and Cheese.  The champion will be the state food that receives the most votes during the final round. The winner will be announced at a reception at the Congressional Baseball Game at Nationals Park in Washington D.C. on June 25, 2014. Since 1909 the Congressional Baseball Game has pitted Senate and House members of each party against one another on the baseball field to raise money for charity. Help Iowa be featured at the big event by voting today at www.rollcalltasteofamerica.com .

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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 kkostek@restaurantiowa.com

On January 1, Iowa instituted a new food code which includes a requirement that every food service establishment have a certified food protection manager on staff. This certification is earned by taking an approved food safety and sanitation course and passing a national standards exam. Since the adoption of the new standard, more than 1,500 people across the state have earned the designation – a 30% increase over the number of people who had taken the exam in first quarter last year. “Prior to the new requirement, many of Iowa’s 6,000+ restaurants and bars had already determined that having a certified food safety professional is good for business,” said Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “This new standard ups the ante for all food service establishments and will ultimately enhance the experience for all customers.” ServSafe Food Safety certification classes are offered bi-monthly through the Iowa Restaurant Association and ISU extension offices across the state. The certification is good for five years.

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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. www.restaurantiowa.com Media Contact: Katelyn Kostek Public Relations Specialist kkostek@restaurantiowa.com