Blog Post

South Carolina Restaurant & Lodging Association Celebrates “Stars of the Industry”

The South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association will host its 70th Annual Stars of the Hospitality Industry Awards Gala on February 20 at the Francis Marion Hotel in downtown Charleston.

The Stars of Industry Awards celebrate in exceptional professionalism and outstanding service of top individuals in the hospitality industry. These individuals go above and beyond to contribute to the positive image of the hospitality industry while also being confronted with supply and labor shortages.

The Gala will be held the evening of February 20 at the Francis Marion Hotel in Charleston, and will begin at 5:30 p.m. with a reception.

Tickets are $75 per person for SCRLA members, and $100 for non-members. Due to high volume, limited tickets remain.

Congratulations to our Stars of the Industry winners in the open categories! Join us in celebrating Kevin Mitchell, Breakthru Beverage South Carolina, Hubitality, and JonesCraft Restaurant & Hospitality Recruiters for their dedication to the hospitality industry.

The accomplishments of Kevin Mitchell, our Hospitality Educator of the Year and faculty member at the Culinary Institute of Charleston, are widely measured inside and outside the kitchen. His skillset recognizes him as a chef, educator, and influencer of a variety cuisines. Utilizing native ingredients of the Charleston area, his cooking never fails to pay tribute to the history of past Southern Cuisine.

Breakthru Beverage South Carolina is a valued partner of the SCRLA, so it’s no wonder they were selected as the Hospitality Supplier of the Year. Darterian Moore and his team are always willing and able to lend a helping hand no matter the event. Over the course of the past year, Breakthru has been a part of our annual Restaurant Week campaigns, Hubitality's inaugural golf tournament, Columbia's Restaurant Hall of Fame Dinner, our annual Marketing & Operations Conference, our annual Hospitality Leaders Golf Tournament, Columbia's inaugural Hop with Pop Progressive Dinner Stroll, just to name a few. Breakthru always adds an extra spark to SCRLA events, whether it's a tasting station, donating supplies, or speaking at our annual conference. The SCRLA looks forward to many more years of partnering together.

Hubitality, the Spartanburg Chapter's emergency assistance program for hospitality employees, launched more than a year ago and has already provided more than $50,000 in financial assistance to individuals experiencing personal and/or financial crisis. Through generous contributions and hosting numerous events over the past year since its launch, Hubitality has raised more than $150,000 to support Spartanburg County's hospitality industry. With a board of 15 passionate hospitality professionals, Hubitality works hard to not only continue the growth of the industry in the upstate, but also take care its hospitality employees. Their shared vision of creating an inclusive environment with strong community relations for Hub City's hospitality workers in critical need is the solid base of their foundation.

Adam and Kelley Ashcraft, the owners of JonesCraft Restaurant & Hospitality Recruiters, are being honored as our Allied Members of the Year. Adam currently serves on the SCRLA's board of directors, while both Adam and Kelley serve on the Spartanburg Chapter's board. As Allied Silver Members, they give so much of their time, money and effort to support the SCRLA's mission and the hospitality industry as a whole. JonesCraft passionately works to connect hospitality employers with vetted, capable members to add to their teams. The love of their work is reflected in all that they do, with their passion for hospitality continuing to fuel their contributions in South Carolina.