New Orleans-based culinary development team receives prestigious
New Orleans-based culinary development team receives prestigious Restaurant Neighbor Award for disaster relief
New Orleans, LA (May 1, 2012) – The National Restaurant Association recently recognized Taste Buds Management as one of this year’s Restaurant Neighbor Award winners during a gala dinner at its 2012 Public Affairs Conference in Washington, D.C. The award celebrates outstanding service efforts that restaurateurs perform in their respective communities.
Taste Buds Management was recognized as the Mid-Size Business Category winner for their volunteer service organization known as “Community Buds,” their charitable donations to local non profits, schools and philanthropic organizations, and “Three Chefs One Mission”. The company, formed by chefs Greg Reggio, Hans Limburgh and Gary Darling, is the corporate branch of Zea Rotisserie & Grill and Semolina.
“We are proud to present the Restaurant Neighbor Award to some of the most inspiring examples of community service in our industry,” said Dawn Sweeney, National Restaurant Association President and CEO. “We are committed to positively enhancing the quality of life for all we serve, and philanthropic activities are an important part of this mission. The tremendous efforts of Taste Buds Management have provided much needed relief to communities impacted by devastating disasters last year, underscoring that restaurants are often on the front lines in emergency response.”
Reggio, Limburgh and Darling, who also co-own Zea Rotisserie & Grill and Semolina, decided to launch “Three Chefs One Mission” after back-to-back tornadoes hit Tuscaloosa, Ala. and Joplin, Mo. in April 2011. Remembering the generosity New Orleans received after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the restaurateurs wanted to respond in kind.
In its infancy, the organization planned a trifecta of fundraising events, including Tuscaloosa Tornado Relief, Liuzza Palooza and Jumping for Joplin. Appealing to the citizens of New Orleans, Three Chefs One Mission was able to deliver food and supplies, such as clothes, tools and toys. The three men share a twenty-year track record of supporting their community through various causes, including raising $130,000 for a fellow restaurateur who was seriously injured in an automobile accident.
“Our region has faced many great challenges during the last few years,” said Reggio. “My partners and I feel truly honored be able to use our resources to benefit the lives of those in need and help rebuild our communities.”
The National Restaurant Association presented Taste Buds Management with the award, along with a $5,000 contribution to a charity of their choice. The Taste Buds chose the Louisiana Hospitality Foundation. American Express is the founding partner of the Restaurant Neighbor Award. It was developed in 1999 in an effort to raise awareness of the industry’s contributions to local communities throughout the country and to inspire more owners and operators to get involved and contribute to their respective communities.
“American Express is proud to partner with the National Restaurant Association to honor the contributions restaurateurs across the country make to their communities,” said Curtis L. Wilson, Vice President and General Manager, Restaurant, Lodging & Insurance Industries, American Express. “Through charitable gifts of food, time, and resources, restaurants have a tangible and lasting impact on their communities; we hope these actions inspire others to do the same.”
For more information on the Restaurant Neighbor Award program, as well as the national winners and finalists, visit the National Restaurant Association’s website, www.restaurant.org/awards.
To view a social media version of the Restaurant Neighbor Award news release, including downloadable photos and video, visit the Association’s website.
Taste Buds Management is the founder of Zea Rotisserie & Grill and Semolina restaurants. For more information about Greg Reggio, The Taste Buds or Zea Rotisserie & Grill, please visit http://www.zearestaurants.com.
Founded in 1919, the National Restaurant Association is the leading business association for the restaurant industry, which comprises 970,000 restaurant and foodservice outlets and a workforce of nearly 13 million employees. We represent the industry in Washington, D.C., and advocate on its behalf. We operate the industry’s largest trade show (NRA Show May 5-8, 2012, in Chicago); leading food safety training and certification program (ServSafe); unique career-building high school program (the NRAEF’s ProStart, including the National ProStart Invitational April 27-29, 2012, in Baltimore, Md.); as well as the Kids LiveWell program promoting healthful kids’ menu options. For more information, visit www.restaurant.org and find us on Twitter @WeRRestaurants, Facebook and YouTube.
Zea Rotisserie & Grill is the brainchild of Hans Limburg, Gary Darling, and Greg Reggio who together form the innovative culinary and restaurant development company Taste Buds, Inc. The first location of Zea Rotisserie & Grill opened in Harahan, LA in June 1997 and now has grown to six locations in the Greater New Orleans Area and beyond including Lafayette, LA; Baton Rouge, LA; Mobile, AL, and Birmingham, AL. Zea Rotisserie & Grill features inspired American food abundant with succulent roasted meats and selections from a wood-burning grill. Zea Rotisserie & Grill has won many awards for its signature menu items, such as the Spinach Salad with Pepper Jelly Vinaigrette and Thai Ribs. For more information about Zea Rotisserie & Grill locations and menu, visit www.zearestaurants.com.
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