The National Restaurant Association named former Golden Corral executive Ted Fowler the recipient of its 2025 Legends Award.
The Legends Award goes “to an individual demonstrating a lifetime of dedication to the restaurant and hospitality industry,” per a release from the NRA. Fowler is receiving this recognition “for his legacy shaping the future of the restaurant industry across a four-decade career. Fowler began working in the restaurant industry at 16 years old serving as a dishwasher. He eventually went on to spend 25 years with Golden Corral Corp. serving as president and CEO of the buffet chain.
Fowler also served as chair of the National Restaurant Association Board in 2001 and was awarded the Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality Award by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation in 2016.
Fowler played a pivotal role in the launch of ProStart, a program by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation that equips high school students with essential culinary and restaurant management skills, the release added.
