10.23.17

Brian Frakes Honored with Salute to Excellence Award

Brian Frakes, Executive Chef at The Pfister Hotel/Marcus Hotels and Resorts in Milwaukee, will receive the Wisconsin Restaurant Association Education Foundation’s (WRA EF) Salute to Excellence Mentor Award at the industry’s Celebration of Excellence dinner taking place on October 22nd at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. He is honored for his dedication to excellence in food service and his passion for educating and training the future leaders of the industry.

“Brian Frakes spends countless hours sharing his expertise to help students learn and grow their culinary skills and hospitality knowledge,” said Connie Fedor, Executive Director of the WRA EF. “His involvement as a ProStart® mentor at Greendale High School has made a positive and meaningful impact on students.”

Frakes is currently a member of the WRA EF board of directors and was honored with the WRA EF Salute to Excellence Chef award in 2014.

He has earned many other awards including Fort Lauderdale/Sun Sentinel’s Top 10 Best New Chef in 2000, a Milwaukee Business Journal Forty Under 40 in 2007 and the American Liver Foundation Silver Cleaver in 2015.

Frakes also volunteers for several charitable causes including the American Liver Foundation – Great Lakes Division, Wisconsin March of Dimes, the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, Hope House, Hunger Task Force, the Catholic Archdiocese and others.

He is a volunteer advisor for Milwaukee Area Technical College, Culinary Institute of America, Le Cordon Bleu, Johnson and Wales University and Kendall College.

Passionate about sustainability and the use of local Wisconsin products, he is a recognized public spokesperson on these topics.

The WRA EF recognizes six individuals and one company for dedication and commitment to education in the restaurant industry as Salute to Excellence honorees. Other 2017 Salute to Excellence honorees include: RC Schroeder, Jr. (Fox Valley Technical College), Glee Brechler (James Madison Memorial High School), Trey Hester (Rocky Rococo Restaurants), Chris Roderique (Piggy’s Restaurant), Tom Surwillo (Milwaukee Area Technical College) and Gordon Food Service.

Each honoree creates opportunities for people interested in foodservice industry careers. While they have worked in a variety of roles and in different parts of the state, they all share enthusiasm and optimism for the future of the restaurant industry.

The Salute to Excellence awards will be presented at the 2017 Celebration of Excellence on Sunday, October 22 at the Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake. More information on the event is available at www.wirestaurant.org.

The WRA Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has been in existence since 1987 and is one of the nation’s largest state restaurant association foundations. The Foundation’s vision is to advance professionalism through education, scholarships and community involvement to ensure the future success of the foodservice industry.

The ProStart® program, administered by National Restaurant Association Solutions, LLC and state restaurant associations, is a college-prep, two-year curriculum designed to teach high school students the skills needed for careers in the restaurant and foodservice industry.

About The Pfister Hotel
The Pfister Hotel has been the premier hotel in downtown Milwaukee for over 120 years. Originally built in 1893 by businessman Guido Pfister, it was the most lavish hotel of its time. The hotel’s storied elegance had faded following World War II, until 1962, when Ben Marcus, founder of The Marcus Corporation, purchased this grand hotel out of bankruptcy. The Marcus family renovated and restored the hotel to its original glory, adding convention facilities, a parking garage and 23-story guest tower. The Pfister Hotel remains home to the largest collection of Victorian art of any hotel in the world, and offers an interactive augmented reality tour of pieces in this impressive collection.

Today the Pfister Hotel continues its tradition of gracious service and impeccable style, and has been recognized for 41 consecutive years by AAA as a Four-Diamond property. In 2017, The Pfister Hotel was ranked the No. 1 Best Milwaukee Hotel by U.S. News & World Report. This exceptional property is a member of two prestigious hotel organizations, Historic Hotels of America and Preferred Hotels & Resorts. The Pfister Hotel is located at 424 E. Wisconsin Ave. in downtown Milwaukee. For more information, please visit www.thepfisterhotel.com and follow the hotel on Facebook and Twitter (@PfisterHotel).