Presented by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and Nation’s Restaurant News, the Awards honor exemplary recruitment, retention and recognition programs in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

CHICAGO – The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) and Nation’s Restaurant News, along with founding sponsor, The Coca-Cola Company, today announced that nominations are now being accepted for the 2008 SPIRIT Awards program.  Now in its fourth year, the SPIRIT Awards honor restaurant and foodservice companies that have proven their dedication to their workforce through exceptional recruitment, training, retention and recognition programs.  Award winners have demonstrated an understanding that improved guest satisfaction is a direct result of improved employee satisfaction.

“We are honored to once again partner with Nation’s Restaurant News and The Coca-Cola Company in presenting the 2008 SPIRIT Awards,” said Ruben Villavicencio, chairman of the Board of Trustees, NRAEF.  “Workforce recruitment and retention continues to be one of the greatest challenges our industry faces, and that is why the SPIRIT Awards are a vital tool for not only recognizing those companies that go to great lengths in ensuring employee satisfaction, but also to emphasize the importance of maintaining the workforce as our industry’s greatest asset.”

“Recruiting, training, retaining and recognizing personnel are vital to the success of restaurant and foodservice companies today. The SPIRIT Awards allow Nation’s Restaurant News to showcase some of the most innovative and best practices of operators within these areas,” said Tom Larranaga, publisher of Nation’s Restaurant News. “We are pleased once again to partner with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation and The Coca-Cola Company in highlighting these crucial personnel initiatives through the SPIRIT Awards.”

The SPIRIT Awards are open to any commercial, on-site, independent, corporate and franchise foodservice/restaurant company, in any service format, regardless of size.  One winner will be chosen in each of the following four categories:

• Quick service
• Full service
• Fine dining
• On-site

The winners of the 2008 SPIRIT Awards will be recognized during the 49th Annual Multi-unit Foodservice Operators Convention (MUFSO), to be held October 12-15, 2008 Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in Washington, D.C.  The winners will also be featured in The Spirit of the Industry 2008, a publication highlighting the organizations and their award-winning practices.  Past winners include: Famous Dave’s of America, Union Square Hospitality Group, Royal Caribbean International, Bruegger’s Enterprises, Bubba Gump Shrimp Company, Ohio State University Medical Center, Boston College, Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Bambara, Golden Corral Corp., Jack in the Box Inc. and Panzano.

To learn more about this innovative awards program and to download nomination information and forms, please visit http://www.mufso.com/Spirit.aspx.  The deadline for this year’s SPIRIT Awards nominations is June 13, 2008.

About the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fulfilling the educational mission of the National Restaurant Association. As the nation's second largest private sector employer, the restaurant and foodservice industry is the cornerstone of the American economy, of career-and-employment opportunities, and of local communities. Revenues from all NRAEF products and services benefit the industry by supporting the NRAEF's educational initiatives.  For more information on the NRAEF, visit www.nraef.org.