Evelyn Hill Inc., Concessioner To The Statue Of Liberty & Ellis Island, Named 'innovator Of The Year' By National Restaurant Association

In the inaugural Operator Innovation Awards, sponsored by the National Restaurant Association, Evelyn Hill Inc. received two prestigious awards, "Innovator of the Year" and "Operator Innovator for Sustainability". The award winners were announced at the annual 2012 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show in Chicago, Ill.

"Evelyn Hill, Inc. (Liberty Island) is a true pioneer of innovation and leadership, who is breaking new ground on how to successfully run a foodservice business," said Jack Crawford, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2012 and President and CEO of Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC. "It is our honor to recognize our inaugural Operator Innovations Award's 'Innovator of the Year,' and, we believe they serve as an inspiration to restaurant and foodservice operators throughout our industry."

"We have been silent and working hard to reduce waste and reduce our footprint on this earth. The National Restaurant Association recognized our accomplishments as something extraordinary and not only awarded us their highest honors but told America of what can be done. If the NRA's attention to our company motivates others, we are truly all winners in preserving the environment," said Brad Hill, President Evelyn Hill Inc.

Evelyn Hill Inc., at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, was awarded "Operator Innovator for Sustainability" based on several key factors:

- 94% of all waste was diverted from landfills in 2011
- 22% improvement in diversion of all waste from landfills between 2010 to 2011
- 47,000 lbs. of food scraps composted
- 57 tons of cardboard, 18.5 tons of a plastic and 1.7 tons of glass & aluminum recycled
- And more than 5 million visitors, plus nearly zero waste!

In 2010, Evelyn Hill added a 7,000 square feet Gift Pavilion featuring state-of-the-art energy conservation, including but not limited to skylights, 100% LED lighting and daylight sensors. Through the use of the new facility, as well as installing energy-efficient equipment at Ellis Cafe, Evelyn Hill Inc.'s overall electricity usage has decreased 24% over the past three years. Due to the aggressive Energy Conservation measures, the Gift Pavilion has been certified LEED Platinum. All of these factors plus more contributed to Evelyn Hill Inc. being named the National Restaurant Association's first-ever "Innovator of the Year."

The independent panel of expert judges for the Operator Innovations Awards includes: 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), Marc Buehler (President, O'Charleys), Jean-Marie Clement (Director, Global Food & Beverage Line of Business, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide), Douglas Davis (Director, Global Food Safety, Marriott International), Chris Demery (Vice President, Applications, OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC), James Houser (Vice President of Administration, Delaware North), John Metz, Jr. (Executive Chef, President and Co-Founder, Sterling Hospitality), Christopher Pappas (CEO, Pappas Restaurants, Inc.), C.W. Craig Reed (Director of Food & Beverage, Broadmoor Hotel) and Ron Serluco (Senior Vice President of Operators, Guckenheimer).

The annual National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show is the largest single gathering of restaurant, foodservice and lodging professionals. NRA Show 2013 will be held at May 18-21 at McCormick Place in Chicago. The event attracts 61,000+ attendees and visitors from all 50 states and 100+ countries, and showcases the latest products, services, innovative ideas, up-to-the-minute information about