Industry News for September 21, 2024

Hot Off the Presses

24 Carrots Catering & Events is thrilled to announce our transition to a 100% employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). This exciting new structure, which takes effect immediately, allows the company’s employees to become co-owners, emphasizing a people-first culture that rewards dedication, service excellence, and collaboration. Under the ESOP, eligible 24 Carrots employees will now hold shares in the company, directly benefiting from its growth and success. This move is part of the company’s ongoing commitment to fostering a collaborative engaged and empowered workforce. The ESOP gives all eligible employees an ownership stake at no cost to them. This model not only serves as powerful incentive for continued personal and professional growth, but it also ensures that 24 Carrots remains rooted in its cored values of quality, integrity, and excellence for years to come.  

Upcoming Events

McCain Foods is strengthening its commitment to supporting foodservice professionals and their local communities by sponsoring a burger-themed competition at the Revelry Food & Wine Festival in Lake Forest, Illinois, on September 21. Hosted by hockey legend Jeremy Roenick and Food Network star Troy Johnson, the event’s ultimate burger battle will take place at Gordon Center on 400 E. Illinois Road and showcase signature burgers from 10 chef competitors. The winning burger will be selected by a panel of celebrity judges, and all submissions will be available for attendees to enjoy with servings of french fries supplied by McCain Foods. In addition to the burger battle, Revelry will host a robust lineup of chef tastings, local artists and live music. A portion of this year’s proceeds will benefit the Elawa Farm Foundation, and a $250 gift certificate for groceries will be awarded to the winner of a food-themed relay race between local police and fire departments.  

The ARA Show will make a return to the Las Vegas Convention Center in 2025, featuring a mid-week schedule and Future of Equipment Rental. Registration for The ARA Show 2025 opens Tuesday, September 24. Register early to benefit from incentive pricing through October 8 and advance pricing through January 26. The American Rental Association’s (ARA) annual trade show is a can’t miss event for those looking to discover what’s next in rental. The trade show has a few twists in store with a shift to a mid-week schedule in 2025 and the return of Future of Equipment Rental. The schedule kicks off with Future of Equipment Rental on Tuesday, January 28; a full day of education sessions planned for Wednesday, January 29; and a three-day trade show will take place from Thursday, January 30 to Saturday, February 1. For complete show details, including registration and pricing information, visit ARAshow.org.  

People on the Move

Proof of the Pudding, a leader in food service management and catering for prestige sporting events, state-of-the-art convention centers, sports and entertainment arenas and college stadiums, announced the following hirings, promotions and expanded roles of its leadership team. 

Proof of the Pudding recently announced the promotion of Jeremy Campbell to executive vice president of operations and the hiring of Tristan Porter as chief development officer and Mike Pappas as executive vice president of operations. 

Louis Martin has joined Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs as director of food & beverage to lead the 153-room hotel’s culinary program, including its restaurant and bar concepts: 4 Saints, Juniper Table, High Bar, and Window Bar. Martin brings over 23 years of hospitality leadership to the team at Kimpton Rowan Palm Springs. Born and raised in Türkiye, he moved to the United States to advance his career trajectory in hotel food and beverage management. Throughout his professional journey, he has developed, upgraded, and optimized culinary programming and operations at award-winning properties across the U.S. and in the Caribbean. His extensive experience spans luxury boutique resorts featuring fine-dining restaurants, lifestyle hotels, and multi-outlet destination resorts. Martin most recently served as director of food & beverage at Tanzerra Resorts (formerly Enchantment Group), where his leadership helped The Tides Inn on Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay earn a Forbes Travel Guide recommendation. In his role, Martin oversees property-wide banquet and catering operations, front and back-of-house management, and departmental strategies. He works closely with Executive Chef Richard Crespin to ensure the consistent delivery of exceptional guest service and high-quality food and beverage offerings.  

Proof of the Pudding, a leader in food service management and catering for prestige sporting events, state-of-the-art convention centers, sports and entertainment arenas and college stadiums, today announced that Mike Pappas has joined the company as executive vice president of operations. In this role, Pappas will oversee business operations nationwide with accountability for driving performance at sports and entertainment venues including eight D1 colleges, World of Coca-Cola, Atlanta’s Gas South District Center and Arena, and PGA’s Mitsubishi Electric Classic. With 30 years of hospitality experience, Pappas most recently served as vice president of operations for Franklin Junction where he led operations for a $100M+ virtual restaurant, cloud concept start-up bringing name brand virtual concepts to host partners. He has held multiple industry leadership roles including vice president of motorsports for Levy Restaurants and vice president at Americrown Services. At Levy, he led all F&B operations of 12 NASCAR, ten SMI and four independent racetracks, Coachella, Stagecoach, The Rolling Stones and F1, with annual revenue of $150M. Pappas has also served as an executive chef for Aramark, Harry’s of America and Centerplate.