The New Mexico Restaurant Association is pleased to announce the winners of this year’s annual Hospitality Industry Awards. The winners were revealed at the Hospitality Industry Awards dinner, which was held at the Sandia Resort & Casino on September 16. It was an elegant Masquerade Ball and restaurant professionals from across New Mexico joined us to celebrate!

The pinnacle of recognition for a restaurateur in New Mexico is the Restaurateur of the Year award. Given the state’s diverse and vibrant restaurant scene, selecting a winner each year is no easy task. This year’s winner, Wayne Moore of D.H. Lescombes Winery and Bistros has long been a respected pillar of the hospitality industry. With over 30 years in the restaurant industry, Wayne continues to thrive. His commitment to inclusive team dynamics and a strong corporate culture has fueled the business’s growth since its first location opened in 2005. Wayne views hospitality as a team effort and believes his key challenge as a leader is to ask better questions.

The Chef of the Year award is given to recognize chefs who provide excellent cuisine as well as excellent service. Chef Ahmed Obo, Chef and Owner of Jambo Café and Jambo Bobcat Bite was honored as Chef of the Year for 2024. Chef Obo has been featured on Food Network shows, consistently participates in our state’s culinary festivals, and has a James Beard nomination. He has also published a cookbook with another on the way. These accolades do not stop him from working the line and working side by side with the restaurant’s prep cooks.

The Manager of the Year recognizes outstanding managers who are the team leaders in a restaurant establishment. This year’s recipient is Russell Reid, the General Manager of Two Fool’s Tavern. Russell has been at Two Fool’s for many years, wearing multiple hats—from kitchen management to payroll, and scheduling to building improvements. However, he is never above working the floor with the servers. He also donates time and care to charitable causes that benefit the hospitality industry.

Restaurants are strong supporters of the communities in which they reside. Nine out of ten restaurants contribute to a community service project or fundraiser on a regular basis. The Community Service Award honors a restaurant that is a driving force for community service in their area and has had a significant impact on the community. This year’s recipients are Lisa and Scott Stevens of Anaheim Jacks in Ruidoso. When the recent South Fork and Salt Fires struck their community, they jumped into service, even though their own restaurant was at risk. Their restaurant became a hub for the flood and firestricken community, and they co- hosted a healing event and auction that raised more than $25,000 dollars in just a few hours. They are truly a shining example of strength through adversity.

The Faces of Diversity for 2024 was awarded to Basit Gauba of Tikka Brands. Basit immigrated from Pakistan at the age of 3. Despite a language barrier and cultural hurdles, he has grown one food truck into 3 brick and mortar restaurants with 2 more opening soon. He works closely with charities that assist refugees and supports immigrant hiring. He has said that he’s discovered that the restaurant community accepts everyone despite their flaws and feels he has always been welcomed with open arms in his culinary career.

The New Mexico ProStart Program is a high school curriculum that teaches culinary, management and hospitality education in 36 high schools in New Mexico. Students completing the program have trained for over 400 hours and are well-equipped to enter the workforce in the hospitality industry. Carlsbad High was recognized as the winner for the management competition. For the culinary competition, Taos High School was recognized as the winner. The 2024 winner of the Hospitality Cup, the school with the best score combined in the culinary and management competitions, is Taos High School.

The 2024 ProStart Teacher of the year is Elly McAlpine of Volcano Vista High School.

Recipients of Hospitality Industry Education Foundation (HIEF) scholarships were also recognized at the dinner. HIEF awarded $1,500 each to 7 students pursuing a career in hospitality this year for a total of $10,500.

Photos of the event, photos of the winners, and more details on the winners are available upon request to NMRA at 505-343-9848

Espanola:
Javier Sanchez – La Cocina

Gallup:
Marie Chioda – Rocket Cafe

Las Cruces:
Ed Linderman – Butter Smith Kitchen/Corner Bakery

Mesilla:
Jerry Harrell – Double Eagle de Mesilla
Russell Hernandez – Salud! de Mesilla
Chris Hutchinson – La Posta de Mesilla

Santa Fe:
Al Lucero – Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits
Fernando Olea – Sazon Restaurant

Statewide:
Gene Baca, Gene – Bueno Foods
Kristina Elias, US Foods
Ryan Kelleher – Sysco
Randy Kenna – Rudy’s Country Store & Bar B Q
Kelley Potter – Shamrock Foods

Ex-Officio:
Jean Hertzman – NMSU Hotel & Rest Mgt Program
Lansing Adams – New Mexico Tourism Department
Tana Lucero-Ranke – FISIF