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WRA Regional AwardsCelebrate our industry’s accomplishments! The WRA is excited to announce the third annual regional award winners from regions around the state. Scroll down to see the list of 2022 winners!
Champion of Restaurant Entrepreneurship Best Back of House | Best Front of the House Innovation Award |
Sponsored by:
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Champion of Restaurant Entrepreneurship (CORE)An owner/operator will be recognized for their contributions to Wisconsin’s restaurant industry in the following areas: demonstrated passion for and success in their business, committed community involvement and support of WRA through membership. Nominees should show strong leadership skills, business acumen, a knack for moving the industry forward as innovators and be well-respected employers.
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REGION 3
Champion of Restaurant Entrepreneurship - Sue Lamers, Grand Meridian, Appleton Sue is continually looking for ways to keep the industry relevant. She takes the time to work with interns and teaches them her passion for serving others. Sue has committed countless time and effort into being part of our community and representing the restaurant industry in a positive way. She is selfless, wise and exceptional. |
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REGION 4
Champion of Restaurant Entrepreneurship - Mark Gold, Pizza Shuttle, Milwaukee Mark's generosity is well-known and far-reaching from local college events, former employees initiatives and charity organizations. Mark displays exemplary leadership, still regularly working in the restaurant day to day. Pizza Shuttle has won numerous awards in the past 37 years including best pizza, Top 100 Independent Pizzerias in the US and many more. He is big hearted, persevering and prolific. |
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REGION 5
Champion of Restaurant Entrepreneurship - Danielle Wheatman, Kalahari Resorts, Wisconsin Dells Danielle has contributed to the success of the Kalahari for the past 12 years. This past year was no exception. She championed their team with the highest revenue in the past 21 years in one of the most difficult times in our lives. Dani loves a challenge, creates excellent experiences and treats her team with the utmost respect. She is selfless, adaptable and a leader. |
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Best of the House—Back of the House (BOH)Nominees in these categories should be inspiring examples of employees who demonstrate professionalism in their jobs and help to further the positive image of the foodservice industry in Wisconsin.
Eligible employees include staff from the back of the house. The award recognizes staff who exhibit attention to detail, calm under pressure, strong work ethic and leadership skills. |
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REGION 1
Best Back of House - Kathy Colon, Draganetti's Ristorante, Eau Claire Kathy has a continuous positive attitude, great work ethic and a welcoming company culture. She loves being creative, sharing amazing food recipes and has found a way to increase our kitchen staff and improve the work environment drastically. She is optimistic and wise and is a hard worker. |
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REGION 5
Best Back of House - Chris Ott, Fireside Theatre, Fort Atkinson Chris always finds a way to make tough situations work. When the Fireside Theatre was forced to close in March 2020, he found a way to bring in revenue by implementing on online ordering platform that worked smoothly with the kitchen staff. Chris truly does whatever is needed. He is resourceful, steady and competitive. |
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Best of the House—Front of the House (FOH)Nominees in these categories should be inspiring examples of employees who demonstrate professionalism in their jobs and help to further the positive image of the foodservice industry in Wisconsin.
Eligible employees include staff who have regular contact with customers. The award recognizes front of the house staff who exhibit outstanding customer service, strong work ethic, leadership skills and have earned the respect of their colleagues and employer. |
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REGION 4
Best Front of the House - Abby Veitch, Summerfest/Milwaukee World Festival, Milwaukee Abby spearheaded the spirits program and elevated the beverage experience at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater. She enjoys making memorable food and beverage experiences for her guests. She is passionate, respectful and humble. |
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Innovation AwardA business will be recognized for their new methods and creative thinking during the unfortunate shutdowns and difficult times we have faced during the pandemic.
Since the start of the pandemic, restaurants have had to stretch concepts beyond their normalcy and come up with new and innovated ways to keep their staff and public safe and stay in business.
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We Have a Tie!
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Ryan and Kristi Klopcic, Fireside Theatre, Fort Atkinson
With the impact of the pandemic, Ryan and Kristi needed to make use of the existing inventory. The gift shop began to offer online shopping while the restaurant side of things needed to figure out "to go" service for the first time while still living up to high-quality standards. The entire management staff was moved to positions they were not used to but all persevered under Ryan and Kristi's leadership. Stage managers ran curbside pickup, IT managers and accountants assisted the chefs and washed dishes, the marketing manager promoted everything using only free platforms to help with costs. Once it was clear productions would be moved to the following year, the Fireside began a Summer Concert Series. With the concerts being smaller than the normal productions due to social distancing, they were able to try out a new concept that they had been considering pre-pandemic but were just never able to do it. Ryan and Kristi took a difficult situation, made changes and made things work to keep their business alive. |
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Erin Vranas, Parthenon Gyros and Yips Yogurt Chips, Madison
Erin came up with an innovative idea and has grown it into a booming business. She took a hard look at the products Parthenon's specializes in - gyros and Greek yogurt - and created Yips Yogurt Chips. Yips are the first chips made from real probiotic Greek yogurt. Yips is currently found in 32 stores across the US. Nationally, Erin has been named one of 28 Your Leaders to Watch. Yips has also been featured in several magazines, QSR and Prepared Foods to name a couple. Erin's drive and unwillingness to let circumstances dictate success has led her to create a brand new product all while keeping Parthenon's up and running. |
