January 28, 2025 at the Albany Capital Center
Come out and join NYSRA in celebrating the best and brightest the NY restaurant scene has to offer at the RISE Awards! This year we will kick off the event with a legislative reception to toast to New York’s restaurant industry with state legislators.
6:00 – 8:00 p.m. – Cocktails & Dinner with RISE attendees and NYS legislators
8:00 – 9:00 p.m. – RISE Awards Presentation
9:00 – 10:30 p.m. – Dessert & Dancing After Party
The RISE Awards honor the following categories – Click on each category to vote now!
⭐Best Restaurant (Regional)
NYC Fine Dining | NYC Classic
Hudson Valley
Eastern Region
Western Region
Long Island
⭐Best Front of House Team Upstate | NYC
⭐Best Back of House Team
⭐MVP
⭐Community Impact
⭐Best Social Media
⭐Rising Star
⭐Caterer of the Year Upstate | NYC
Don’t Wait! Voting closes on January 3!
⭐Hospitality Career Achievement: Yono & Donna Purnomo
Donna Purnomo co-founded Yono’s, a renowned Albany restaurant, with her husband Chef Yono in 1983. She started her career in Education, Music, and Theater, then transitioned to manage the business 40 years ago, while also serving as a pastry chef and event planner.
A co-founder of the Albany Chefs’ Food and Wine Festival, which has raised over $1.2 million for local arts, Donna is active in numerous charities and organizations. She’s a past President of the NYS Restaurant Association’s Capital District Chapter and a recipient of awards like Restaurateur of the Year and the Governor’s Award for Excellence.
An advocate for organ donation and kidney health, Donna also enjoys writing, singing, and theater. She is proud of her children, Dominick and Alexondra, and loves being “Glammy” to her three granddaughters.
Chef Yono Purnomo, born in Solo, Indonesia, in 1951, began his culinary career aboard the SS Rotterdam with Holland America Cruise Lines after graduating from APN/NHI in 1971. Renowned for his mastery of blending Indonesian spices and flavors, he works with embassies worldwide to “Spice up the World” as a Culinary Ambassador, Entrepreneur, and Philanthropist.
Chef Yono has presented his cuisine at the James Beard House and been featured on the Today Show and TVFood Network. He has earned numerous awards, including the American Dream Award, the ACF President’s Medallion, and an Honorary Doctorate from SUNY in 2021. A passionate educator, he teaches, judges competitions, and supports scholarships for culinary students in the U.S. and Indonesia.
⭐ProStart Educator of the Year: Christine Cornell, St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES: SW Career & Technical Center
⭐Allied Member of the Year: Jackson Lewis
Focused on employment and labor law since 1958, Jackson Lewis P.C. currently has 185 attorneys across New York State, consistently identifying and responding to new ways in which workplace law intersects with business. The firm helps employers develop proactive strategies, strong policies and business-oriented solutions to cultivate high-functioning workforces that are engaged, stable and diverse, while aligning with their clients’ goals to emphasize inclusivity and respect for the contributions of every employee.
With experience advising restaurant corporations, hotels, casinos, gaming and other resort destinations, gyms, cruise lines, caterers and liquor stores across the country, Jackson Lewis understands the competitive demands of hospitality businesses and provides solutions that help its clients best serve consumers. In addition to its firmwide hospitality practice and national hospitality industry association involvement, several of its offices have formed relationships with local hospitality industry associations.
Jackson Lewis’ hospitality team encompasses both labor and employment law practitioners and attorneys firmwide with extensive knowledge of federal, state and local laws and regulatory concerns that impact hospitality business operations. The firm also leverages its international capabilities to further its knowledge of the global environment in which its clients manage their operations.
⭐Most Innovative: Chef Dan Martello, Restaurant Good Luck & Jackrabbit Club
⭐Outstanding Woman In Hospitality, presented by Google: Tezra Bryant, Master Restaurant Consultant
With over 30 years in the restaurant industry, Tezra is a seasoned consultant empowering restaurateurs and their teams to achieve excellence. She is a trusted expert in transforming dining establishments into thriving enterprises.
Tezra specializes in cultivating dynamic leadership and resilient, goal-driven teams. Her approach emphasizes not only operational success but also employee development, fostering ambitious professionals ready to excel in the industry and beyond. She believes strong leadership and motivated staff are the foundation of a successful restaurant.
Drawing from her extensive experience, Tezra provides tailored solutions in operations, team development, and strategic growth. Whether guiding new entrepreneurs or elevating established businesses, her passion and expertise make her a vital resource in the competitive restaurant world.
Her next chapter includes speaking engagements and workshops to inspire the next generation of hospitality professionals. Tezra remains committed to elevating restaurants and creating lasting impacts on business owners, employees, and communities.
Celebrate NY’s culinary excellence, and show your support for our industry and its brightest stars.
Network with industry peers and legislators, celebrate NY’s culinary excellence, and show your support for our industry.
Book your stay: A special room block is available at the Renaissance Hotel Albany.
Rate: $199 (Book by January 10th)
⭐Best Restaurant (Regional) – The restaurant or establishment in this region that not only serves incredible food and drink but delivers a truly unique and distinctive dining experience. This restaurant consistently provides exceptional food and superlative service. An emphasis is placed on originality and personalized, attentive service.
⭐Best Front of House Team – The team that is always there: Shining brightly in the front of the house—greeting guests, clearing spaces, serving up the best drinks, or supporting the guests and staff. This award is for your bussers, hosts, bartenders, servers, barbacks, managers, or other front of house team who are the stand-out group in their position and our industry.
⭐Best Back of House Team – The stars behind the scenes: They have your back, making everything work seamlessly, bringing forth the best food, prepping early in the morning or late in the evening to make it all happen. This category includes chefs, expeditors, sous chefs, pastry chefs, and dishwasher teams in the back of the house who exemplify their position and our industry.
⭐MVP – The all-encompassing: An individual who has risen to the top and is the restaurant industry star we all wish to emulate.
⭐Most Innovative – This award is presented to a restaurateur or foodservice establishment that has applied a creative approach or new product, resulting in growth or transformation of their business.
⭐Community Impact – An individual or group who made a significant impact on their own community or in our restaurant community during the past year.
⭐Best Social Media – This award recognizes the best efforts of restaurants to build community engagement and trust, creatively share information, and expand their overall customer experience through social media.
⭐Rising Star – Honors an emerging leader in the hospitality industry whose work demonstrates ongoing exceptional growth and high potential for future impact.
⭐Caterer of the Year – An individual or business who exemplifies excellence in on-premises and/or off-premises catering. This nominee creates an environment of exceptional hospitality by providing a superior guest experience and creative culinary concepts.
