The NRAEF recognizes Ralph Brennan for his dedication to the restaurant industry.
The National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) has named Ralph Brennan, president of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, the 2011 Thad and Alice Eure Ambassador of Hospitality. This award represents the NRAEF's highest honor presented annually to an individual who has shown extraordinary achievement and exemplary leadership in bringing public focus to the hospitality industry through philanthropy and community service.
"Each of our Ambassadors has demonstrated significant dedication to education and excellence in our industry, as well as a commitment to serving their communities," said Dawn Sweeney, president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association and NRAEF. "Ralph exemplifies these qualities through his steadfast support of the ProStart program, his efforts to revitalize New Orleans and assist its citizens following Hurricane Katrina, and his leadership in representing the restaurant industry after the 2010 Gulf Coast oil spill."
Brennan got his start in the foodservice industry as a teenager in the 1960's with a summer job as a prep cook at the original Brennan's Restaurant on Royal Street in the New Orleans French Quarter. A third-generation restaurateur, he is the owner and operator of multiple concepts in New Orleans such as Red Fish Grill, Ralph's on the Park, Ralph Brennan's Courtyard Cafe housed inside New Orleans Museum of Art, Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen® located in the Downtown Disney® District at the DISNEYLAND® Resort, and Ralph Brennan Catering & Events. Brennan is also co-owner of Mr. B's Bistro and Commander's Palace in New Orleans and Brennan's of Houston.
