How to Win a Restaurant or Cafe Award: Insider Tips for Success
In this highly competitive industry, winning a restaurant award or cafe recognition is not just prestigious; it can also drive business growth, team motivation, and operational improvement.
But what does it take to win an award? We asked a number of Foodie Coaches members who’ve won awards, for their success tips, and added these to the winning moves our coaches have helped with over the years.
It’s all about paying close attention to the award criteria, using feedback for continuous improvement, and using the awards as a motivational tool with the team – it all creates a ripple effect of positive changes. And it’s not necessarily the best business that wins, it’s the one that answers every question well and appeals to the judges.
Choose Appropriate Restaurant and Cafe Awards
Make sure they align with your values and strengths – don’t go for a sustainability award if it’s not something you’re passionate about.
Look for awards run by your industry associations, such as the Restaurant & Catering Association or a Hotels Association. Tourism organisations also run them, as do local media groups (which may expect you to advertise as part of the application process). Local government often sponsors awards as part of their business development programs.
There are so many programs to enter. I built our business reputation on awards, which were mainly tourism-related. The tourism awards are not easy to write, but they allow you to benchmark your business with various questions regarding sustainability, training, business planning, and marketing. Reviews, social media and websites are all judged. You need to contact your local tourism bodies and align with their strategies. Business Chamber Awards are competitive but relatively short submissions.
I like the Restaurant & Catering Awards because it’s like having a mystery shopper in your venue, but I haven’t entered for a while; they are quite expensive. Then there are the Hotel Association awards as well. I have been a judge for most, and this gave me great insight. My advice for written submissions is to answer the questions properly and not get sidetracked. The difference between the winner and the next entry could be 1 point. We have done pretty well over the years, leading to great publicity.
Donna Carrier, Bent on Food, Wingham NSW
Analyse and Follow the Restaurant Award Criteria
If the award is for supporting local tourism, training or sustainability, address those issues in detail – give those parts the most attention. Answer the question!
Quote numbers to make what you say more believable – how many trainees have you employed in the last 12 months, or how much have you saved by changing energy suppliers? How many events have you run for community groups, or how many people have completed industry training courses? Give examples and show photos if possible – be specific, not vague.
Don’t just use a copy-and-paste pitch from your website of how great you are.
All the award submissions fall as we are heading into our busiest time of the year, so it’s not a great time for me to spend time on something (writing the submissions) that I’m not confident doing. If you are going to pay someone, make the most of it, they are great at what they do but only as good as the information you give them. After our first successful awards submission (with help) last year, I created a folder to place notes, pictures, testimonials, etc. for the following year.
Jade Skotniczny, Soak on Dampier WA
Write a Data-Driven Submission
Depending on what’s requested, include as much detail as possible: financial information, average customer spend (ACS), customer satisfaction metrics, and staff retention rates. Many operators don’t have this information to hand, and when you quote it, you will stand out for your transparency and how well you understand your business.
If the entry form says ‘Optional attachment’… it’s not optional. Add examples to back up your answers, giving you a better chance of winning.
Talk about positive changes over the last 12 months – the ACS increase and why that happened, how you’ve reduced the number of waste bins used each week, and any other examples of how you’re always working on improvements. This inspires people.
Google Review numbers are very useful – quote your score and how it’s improved in recent months. Maybe quote some of the negative ones and how the issues were addressed.
Share how you use modern systems and technology for rostering, ordering, bookkeeping, worklists, security and social media. This shows you’re focused on innovation, not sticking to the past.
When we won Restaurant & Catering Assoc Best Cafe Dining, we had entered two years earlier, and the feedback that we had received from the judges turned into our steps of service. We paid five or six mystery diners to come in and give us their feedback based on the same criteria that we had previously received from the judges and made changes to our venue of service to ensure we were the best cafe. After we won the award, we made sure to display the award logo on our menu for six months And displayed it on our website for 12 months. We also updated our venue description across as many directories as possible to include the words “award-winning venue”. During the 12 months following our award win, our revenue grew 16%.
Fabian Folghera, Banksia Tree Cafe, Port Adelaide SA
Use Restaurant Award Feedback to Improve Service and Operations
Teachers train their students to answer exam questions correctly; the award criteria are a great opportunity to train your staff on award-winning performance. Use the entry criteria as your training guide.
Check if your service style or operations need to change to meet the criteria for winning, and if you didn’t win this year, use the judging feedback as your guide for better performance.
We had entered the year before for the Restaurant & Catering Association Awards, and we only had 2 x negative points to focus on (cold venue & cold coffees), so we fixed those by installing air-con and adding stick thermometers to all milk jugs. We also made sure we didn’t change anything in our sequence of service or not too much in general in our venue, as everything else ticked their boxes.
Laura Stamp, Birchwood Jindabyne, NSW
Entering the Restaurant & Catering Awards again this year, we looked at how we compared to the winners, where we did well, and where we could improve. We took the comments made by the judges on board. Then, we reviewed the judging criteria individually with our team and addressed each in turn. It was a chance to drill down and focus on any areas we need to fine-tune. This makes the difference – not just with awards, but why customers choose us over the restaurant down the road.
Winning an award can absolutely give a bump to bookings. It introduces you to new customers and puts you front of mind for existing customers who want to be a part of your success. Put it out on socials, add it to your bio, promote in the venue, website, email signatures, wherever you can. Also, contact tourism bodies and local media, who are always looking for local success stories to promote.
Marion Hansford, The Pickled Sister’s Cafe. Rutherglen Vic.
Tips on Writing the Submission
ChatGPT is your friend for writing simple summaries about your business and how things have changed. Add bullet points and details from your website as part of the writing prompt.
Tell some stories – how things have gone from bad to good or how people have changed. These make your submission human and build an emotional connection with the judges.
Keep it short, and don’t forget to proofread! It’s more than just spell-checking – use the grammar and format checking available in Word and Google Docs.
Submission writers are available, but there is a cost, and they still need you to give them the facts to work with.
My tip is to examine the criteria carefully and nail the brief. Depending on the criteria, discussing growth and your KPIs is important. It’s all good to have the best food and service, but it’s important that you demonstrate growth and profitability. Awards are an amazing marketing tool that gives great credibility to your brand. And of you don’t win, market the fact that you almost got there. Plus, they are a great team motivator.
Brad Fitzgibbons, Fitzy’s Hotel, Toowoomba, Qld
Be Ready to Leverage the Restaurant Award for Publicity
Push the publicity hard, even when you are announced as a ‘finalist’ – that’s part of the organiser’s process to build interest and keep sponsors happy. In fact, most people don’t notice the difference between finalist and winner 😀.
Don’t underplay your role as the entrepreneur and architect of this success – people love that you acknowledge the team, but you pulled it all together!
Pre-write a Media Release for winning or congratulating others who won (a nice touch). Tips on your Media Release are below.
Include items from your Media Kit:
A short Owner Biography (could be from your LinkedIn profile) outlining how you developed in the industry. ChatGPT can help you write this.
Business Fact Sheet – quick facts about the business, including its history, specialties and achievements.
High-quality Photos available for media who need them – of the owners, the team, interior and exterior. These should be available throughout the year, and modern phone cameras can do a good enough job if you focus on the most attractive parts of the business.
Testimonials – these could be quotes from online reviews or event feedback.
Contact details and social media links.
Promote the win and any award ceremony on your social media, website, and newsletter. Plus, put a nice big sign on your window! And don’t make it a one-off announcement – a week or a month later, remind people that you still remember the surprise and delight!
If you win an award, create a graphic with the award name and a frame around it and use this on your website and marketing materials. This kind of branding is immediately recognisable; you can create it easily with Canva.
Reach out to local media – local papers, local TV and radio stations, especially if you’re in a regional area where this is much bigger news. It’s time to build relationships with local journalists so you can alert them to other stories or wins you have through the year – they also like to have business owners who are ‘quotable’; there’s no reason why that could not be you!
Use the award as a stepping stone to aim for more prestigious awards or higher categories in the future – winning a local or State award sets you up for national success; you just need to enter!
I promote wins mainly to local media and business groups. Plus, there is usually a release from the awards program; I get that and share it, too. You will usually get an interview on your local ABC radio and TV stations. It’s good to start building up a database of media contacts. A twist on your title gets their attention for big awards like State and National. We got to page 2 of the Daily Telegraph once with the title “The little cafe that could”. Your local tourism association may share a list with you.
Donna Carrier, Bent on Food, Wingham NSW
Use the Award to Build Team Morale and Performance
Celebrate the award with your team – acknowledge their hard work and dedication in meetings and through internal communications.
Organise a celebration, such as a staff party or a special dinner, to mark the achievement. This will reinforce the team’s role in earning the accolade.
Use the award as a benchmark for future performance. Set new goals for the team, aligning them with the standards recognised by the award.
Emphasise that the award is a collective achievement. Encourage staff to feel a sense of pride and ownership in their roles.
Invest in training programs to develop the skills that contributed to the award, or to fix the shortcomings that explain why you didn’t win this year.
Encourage staff to talk about the award with customers.
You should nail your customer experience and not forget the fine details. The first year, we didn’t win, but based on the judges’ feedback, we beat the winning team in customer experience but lost out because of our amenities (there was old graffiti in the toilets).
We have been focused on quality and customer experience, presentation and consistency. In hindsight, looking back at our silver last year compared to this year, we definitely dialled it in more with training for our FoH team on wines and menu updates, more for higher SPH and better numbers. Still, it also has the flow in effect with them being better equipped to serve customers’ needs.
1. Family-Owned Restaurant’s Community Spirit Celebrated
Title: From Our Family to the Community: [Your Restaurant Name] Wins [Award Name]
[Your Restaurant Name], proudly owned by the [Founder’s Family Name], is delighted to receive the [Award Name]. This is a powerful recognition of our efforts to create a dining experience that extends beyond food to embrace community spirit and the many people who make up our local area. It reflects the hard work and dedication invested since our family first opened the restaurant’s doors.
[Add a few sentences about the business style, size and your menu.]
We are immensely thankful to our dedicated staff and the community for their constant support. We look forward to sharing our journey and achievements with the media. [Your Name] is available for interviews, and we have a comprehensive media kit with information and photos.
Contact: [Your Contact Information]
2. Pioneering a Green Future: [Your Restaurant Name] Awarded [Award Name]
The story of [Your Restaurant Name], from its founding by [Founder’s Names] to being a local symbol of sustainable dining, has now been further recognised with the [Award Name]. This honours our commitment to sustainability, local sourcing, and minimising our environmental impact.
[Add a few sentences about the business style, size and your menu.]
Our journey, driven by the collective passion of our team and the visionary leadership of our head chef, [Chef’s Name], stands as a powerful symbol of our commitment to eco-friendly practices.
We invite the media to explore our story of sustainability. [Your Name] is available for interviews, and a detailed media kit, including photos, is on available.
In this highly competitive industry, winning a restaurant award or cafe recognition is not just prestigious; it can also drive business growth, team motivation, and operational improvement.
But what does it take to win an award? We asked a number of Foodie Coaches members who’ve won awards, for their success tips, and added these to the winning moves our coaches have helped with over the years.
It’s all about paying close attention to the award criteria, using feedback for continuous improvement, and using the awards as a motivational tool with the team – it all creates a ripple effect of positive changes. And it’s not necessarily the best business that wins, it’s the one that answers every question well and appeals to the judges.
Choose Appropriate Restaurant and Cafe Awards
Make sure they align with your values and strengths – don’t go for a sustainability award if it’s not something you’re passionate about.
Look for awards run by your industry associations, such as the Restaurant & Catering Association or a Hotels Association. Tourism organisations also run them, as do local media groups (which may expect you to advertise as part of the application process). Local government often sponsors awards as part of their business development programs.
Analyse and Follow the Restaurant Award Criteria
If the award is for supporting local tourism, training or sustainability, address those issues in detail – give those parts the most attention. Answer the question!
Quote numbers to make what you say more believable – how many trainees have you employed in the last 12 months, or how much have you saved by changing energy suppliers? How many events have you run for community groups, or how many people have completed industry training courses? Give examples and show photos if possible – be specific, not vague.
Don’t just use a copy-and-paste pitch from your website of how great you are.
Write a Data-Driven Submission
Depending on what’s requested, include as much detail as possible: financial information, average customer spend (ACS), customer satisfaction metrics, and staff retention rates. Many operators don’t have this information to hand, and when you quote it, you will stand out for your transparency and how well you understand your business.
If the entry form says ‘Optional attachment’… it’s not optional. Add examples to back up your answers, giving you a better chance of winning.
Talk about positive changes over the last 12 months – the ACS increase and why that happened, how you’ve reduced the number of waste bins used each week, and any other examples of how you’re always working on improvements. This inspires people.
Google Review numbers are very useful – quote your score and how it’s improved in recent months. Maybe quote some of the negative ones and how the issues were addressed.
Share how you use modern systems and technology for rostering, ordering, bookkeeping, worklists, security and social media. This shows you’re focused on innovation, not sticking to the past.
Use Restaurant Award Feedback to Improve Service and Operations
Teachers train their students to answer exam questions correctly; the award criteria are a great opportunity to train your staff on award-winning performance. Use the entry criteria as your training guide.
Check if your service style or operations need to change to meet the criteria for winning, and if you didn’t win this year, use the judging feedback as your guide for better performance.
Tips on Writing the Submission
ChatGPT is your friend for writing simple summaries about your business and how things have changed. Add bullet points and details from your website as part of the writing prompt.
Tell some stories – how things have gone from bad to good or how people have changed. These make your submission human and build an emotional connection with the judges.
Keep it short, and don’t forget to proofread! It’s more than just spell-checking – use the grammar and format checking available in Word and Google Docs.
Submission writers are available, but there is a cost, and they still need you to give them the facts to work with.
Be Ready to Leverage the Restaurant Award for Publicity
Push the publicity hard, even when you are announced as a ‘finalist’ – that’s part of the organiser’s process to build interest and keep sponsors happy. In fact, most people don’t notice the difference between finalist and winner 😀.
Don’t underplay your role as the entrepreneur and architect of this success – people love that you acknowledge the team, but you pulled it all together!
Pre-write a Media Release for winning or congratulating others who won (a nice touch). Tips on your Media Release are below.
Include items from your Media Kit:
A short Owner Biography (could be from your LinkedIn profile) outlining how you developed in the industry. ChatGPT can help you write this.
Business Fact Sheet – quick facts about the business, including its history, specialties and achievements.
High-quality Photos available for media who need them – of the owners, the team, interior and exterior. These should be available throughout the year, and modern phone cameras can do a good enough job if you focus on the most attractive parts of the business.
Testimonials – these could be quotes from online reviews or event feedback.
Contact details and social media links.
Promote the win and any award ceremony on your social media, website, and newsletter. Plus, put a nice big sign on your window! And don’t make it a one-off announcement – a week or a month later, remind people that you still remember the surprise and delight!
If you win an award, create a graphic with the award name and a frame around it and use this on your website and marketing materials. This kind of branding is immediately recognisable; you can create it easily with Canva.
Reach out to local media – local papers, local TV and radio stations, especially if you’re in a regional area where this is much bigger news. It’s time to build relationships with local journalists so you can alert them to other stories or wins you have through the year – they also like to have business owners who are ‘quotable’; there’s no reason why that could not be you!
Use the award as a stepping stone to aim for more prestigious awards or higher categories in the future – winning a local or State award sets you up for national success; you just need to enter!
Use the Award to Build Team Morale and Performance
Celebrate the award with your team – acknowledge their hard work and dedication in meetings and through internal communications.
Organise a celebration, such as a staff party or a special dinner, to mark the achievement. This will reinforce the team’s role in earning the accolade.
Use the award as a benchmark for future performance. Set new goals for the team, aligning them with the standards recognised by the award.
Emphasise that the award is a collective achievement. Encourage staff to feel a sense of pride and ownership in their roles.
Invest in training programs to develop the skills that contributed to the award, or to fix the shortcomings that explain why you didn’t win this year.
Encourage staff to talk about the award with customers.
Media Release Examples – adapt for your venue
1. Family-Owned Restaurant’s Community Spirit Celebrated
Title: From Our Family to the Community: [Your Restaurant Name] Wins [Award Name]
[Your Restaurant Name], proudly owned by the [Founder’s Family Name], is delighted to receive the [Award Name]. This is a powerful recognition of our efforts to create a dining experience that extends beyond food to embrace community spirit and the many people who make up our local area. It reflects the hard work and dedication invested since our family first opened the restaurant’s doors.
[Add a few sentences about the business style, size and your menu.]
We are immensely thankful to our dedicated staff and the community for their constant support. We look forward to sharing our journey and achievements with the media. [Your Name] is available for interviews, and we have a comprehensive media kit with information and photos.
Contact: [Your Contact Information]
2. Pioneering a Green Future: [Your Restaurant Name] Awarded [Award Name]
The story of [Your Restaurant Name], from its founding by [Founder’s Names] to being a local symbol of sustainable dining, has now been further recognised with the [Award Name]. This honours our commitment to sustainability, local sourcing, and minimising our environmental impact.
[Add a few sentences about the business style, size and your menu.]
Our journey, driven by the collective passion of our team and the visionary leadership of our head chef, [Chef’s Name], stands as a powerful symbol of our commitment to eco-friendly practices.
We invite the media to explore our story of sustainability. [Your Name] is available for interviews, and a detailed media kit, including photos, is on available.
Contact: [Your Contact Information]
Check the other useful blog posts on the Foodie Coaches website…
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