NRA Announces 2014 Operator Innovations Awards Finalists

National Restaurant Association Announces 2014 Operator Innovations Awards Finalists
The Operator Innovations Awards recognize and celebrate operational excellence and ingenuity in health and nutrition, marketing, menu development, sustainability and technology.

An independent panel of foodservice operator experts from across the industry has selected finalists for the 3rd annual 2014 Operator Innovation Awards in five categories. They are Health and Nutrition, Marketing, Menu Development, Sustainability and Technology. The winners in each category, in addition to the Innovator of the Year, will be announced live in Chicago at the Destination: Celebration gala on Saturday, May 17th, during the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.

“The Operator Innovations Awards finalists demonstrate the business case for innovation by connecting with consumers in new and interesting ways that produce measurable results for their businesses,” says 2014 NRA Show Convention Chair Sam Facchini, co-owner of Metro Pizza. “These finalists were selected by a panel of fellow operators who have firsthand knowledge of how innovation drives success in the foodservice industry.”

The 2014 Operator Innovations Awards finalists include a large number of operators from the onsite foodservice segments. Here are all the finalists:

HEALTH & NUTRITION
UCSF Medical Center
Smart Choice Smart U
A comprehensive, technology driven wellness program that uses online platforms, mobile applications, and digital signage to provide real-time nutritional information on the center’s food outlets—balanced with a personal activity component driven by partnerships with MyFitnessPal and Fitbit.

Kennesaw State University
“Farm-to-Fit” Program
This campus dining program encompasses all aspects of healthy living, starting with the nutritional improvement of food grown on campus farms by increasing their nutrient-density, to thoughtful menu creation and preparation, to programming designed to encourage healthy lifestyle choices.

Aramark    
Healthy For Life™ Health & Wellness Program
Reaching more than 2.5 million college and university students, this holistic platform builds on a healthy menu with digital wellness centers, nutrition education and wellness programs that work together to support healthier lifestyles on campus.
 
MARKETING
Orange County Public Schools
OCPS Truck Of The Month (T.O.M.)
This program capitalizes on the food truck craze to increase students’ daily participation in their school lunch program—partnering with a new vendor each month to develop items that are food truck inspired, nutritionally compliant and served off Orange County Public School’s very own food truck.

Boston Pizza International
BP All Stars Kids & Family Engagement Program
Designed to engage kids & parents together, this program features an activity kit, branded tattoos and crayons that integrate with a 3D augmented reality mobile app, featuring interactive games that encourage playful competition and generate frequency.

SUBWAY Restaurants
Project Subway
To enter the NY Fashion Week conversation, this project challenged designers to craft dresses entirely out of recyclable SUBWAY packaging, including subwrap, straws and salad bowls—wowing attendees and media on the runway while reaching a new demographic of customers.
 
MENU DEVELOPMENT
UNC Health Care
Restaurant Delivery Program
A new paradigm in Healthcare food service that provides patients at UNC’s hospital with nearly 100 entrées using 20-page menu categorized into distinct restaurant brands—resulting in a significant rise in patient satisfaction scores and over $1.3 million in savings since its inception two years ago.

Potawatomi Bingo Casino
Menu Development Initiative
This progressive culinary philosophy uses calculated risks to push the limits of menu development and execution—going beyond sustainable, organic and underutilized local food, SOUL, to incorporate invasive species, offal and indigenous ingredients on menus throughout the property.

Captain D's
It's A Brand New D's: Menu Revamp
Integral to the successful transition of the brand from fast food fish to a fast casual seafood restaurant, this menu overhaul utilizes high-end creative and signage to feature new categories, premium sides, new kid’s meals and a high-quality, fresh-grilled seafood menu.
 
SUSTAINABILITY
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts
GreenPath
This stewardship platform assigns roles, responsibilities and best practices reaching from dedicated leadership to individual associates to meet stringent standards in waste disposal, conservation, supply chain and is verified by receiving third party audits—promoting sustainability and healthy communities/people across many diverse and seasonal properties.

HMSHost
startsomewhere®
A comprehensive sustainability program that encompasses three broad initiatives including the environment, nutrition and wellness, and community partnerships, with specific goals and guidelines for each, to touch every aspect of the business and improve corporate citizenship.

Chumash Casino Resort
Whole Systems Approach to Waste Management Program
This sustainability approach goes beyond locally sourced food, energy efficient kitchen systems and renewable energy.  It is a comprehensive waste reduction strategy that includes recycling, repurposing and composting to decrease waste by more than 50% with an incremental cost reduction.
 
TECHNOLOGY
Indiana University Health
Hand Hygiene - Vision Safety Solutions
This program utilizes technology to measure the frequency, duration and quality of individual hand washing against back-of-house entry/exits to ensure compliant hygiene—posting results publicly for all associates in real time.

Dickie Brennan Restaurants
RAIL Payment Platform
This system features digital, touch-screen check presenters that allow guests to split checks, auto-calculate tips, pay via credit card and trigger e-mail receipts all at the table for more streamlined, secure transactions that save staff time.

FIG & OLIVE
Guest Management System (FOGMS)
This technology integrates restaurants’ point-of-sale and reservation systems to track dining/service preferences and spend/purchase history at an individual and aggregate level, yielding data that is sharable between locations for more personalized service and better-targeted marketing messages.
 
The 2014 Operator Innovations Awards Panel of Judges:
·         Patricia Bando, Associate Vice President, Auxiliary Services, Boston College
·         Scott Barton, President, Fine Dining Division, Lettuce Entertain You
·         Jeff Broadhurst, President & CEO, Eat'n Park Hospitality Group
·         Jean-Marie Clement, Director Food & Beverage Concept Development Walt Disney Parks & Resorts Worldwide
·         Douglas Davis, Sr. Director, Global Food Safety, Marriott International
·         Chris Demery, Vice President, Applications, Bloomin’ Brands, Inc.
·         Mary Gregoire, Director of Food and Nutritional Services, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
·         James Houser, Chief Operating Officer, Parks & Resorts Division, Delaware North
·         Joe Jasper, Chairman, McDonald's Franchisee Innovations Committee
·         John Metz, Jr., Executive Chef, President and Co-Founder, Sterling Hospitality
·         C.W. Craig Reed, Director of Food & Beverage, Broadmoor Hotel