Exemplary company leaders and concepts honored at annual conference in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ohio (September 13, 2024) – Cameron Mitchell Restaurants (CMR) recently celebrated several outstanding general managers, executive chefs, senior leaders and restaurant concepts at its annual Leadership Conference. The yearly awards acknowledge remarkable leadership and talent throughout CMR, aligned with the company’s dedication to its associates-first culture. This year’s conference was held in the company’s hometown of Columbus, Ohio.

“We have been grateful to build a team of incredible, dedicated associates over the years, and I’m especially impressed with the remarkable achievements of our leaders as they grow their careers at Cameron Mitchell Restaurants,” said David Miller, president and COO. “Our Leadership Conference is always a highlight of the year, where we can celebrate and recognize our exceptional team members for the work they do to uphold our associates-first culture and genuine hospitality for guests across the country. I am appreciative of their commitment to helping our company be better tomorrow than it is today.”
The following awards were presented:

2024 Cameron Mitchell Restaurants’ Specialty Restaurant Awards

Restaurant of the Year: The Pearl in Tampa, Florida, is this year’s recipient of the Specialty Restaurant of the Year. After opening 18 months ago in March 2023, the team at The Pearl Tampa has operated on an elevated level serving over 30,000 guests. Under the leadership of General Manager Alex Schultz and Executive Chef Olivia Giesler, each manager has worked to improve OpenTable scores, increase profitability and create a positive atmosphere in their respective departments where associates feel supported.

General Manager of the Year: Brett Nordstrom, the general manager of Molly Woo’s Asian Bistro, is the 2024 General Manager of the Year. Within his 23 years with CMR, Nordstrom has developed outstanding operational knowledge that allows him to lead from the front and truly care for his team. He has developed multiple leaders throughout the company and has made an impact on the culture of Molly Woo’s since he joined the team in 2023.

Executive Chef of the Year: Kaitlin Sharbo is the 2024 Executive Chef of the Year. She is the executive chef of The Pearl in Dublin, Ohio, celebrating 15 years with the company. Sharbo began as an intern at Ocean Prime in Troy, Michigan while attending the Culinary Studies Institute at Oakland Community College and elevated through the company due to her passion for leadership and mentorship. Sharbo is described as a “yes” person, always willing to take on new challenges and give it her all. She is well-organized and efficient with operation and has an easy-going nature when handling all the aspects of her role.

Dining Room Manager of the Year: The 2024 Dining Room Manager of the Year is Rachael Erb of Butcher & Rose. She has served as a dining room manager with CMR for two years, working with three different concepts and heavily contributing to the successful grand opening of Butcher & Rose in 2024. Erb thrives in her personal connections with associates and guests, in addition to a strong knowledge and execution of overall restaurant operations that allows her to support her fellow managers. Her influence is apparent throughout any team she works with daily.

Executive Sous Chef of the Year: Manny Montano, the executive sous chef at The Avenue Steak Tavern in Dublin, Ohio, is the 2024 Executive Sous Chef of the Year. Montano exudes CMR’s philosophy of “YES is always the answer.” He works with front-of-house and heart-of-house associates to push them to be better every day, and his calm demeanor is felt across the restaurant along with his creative cooking techniques and skills.

Cameron Mitchell “Milkshake” Award: This year’s Cameron Mitchell “Milkshake” leadership award was presented to Jeremy Mattson, director of purchasing. Mattson has been with CMR for more than 20 years, serving as an executive chef and in his current position. The milkshake has become a CMR icon, illustrating the company’s commitment to providing genuine hospitality. Mattson is a dedicated leader who exemplifies the CMR culture in his role every day.

2024 Ocean Prime Awards

Restaurant of the Year: Ocean Prime Las Vegas is this year’s recipient of the Restaurant of the Year award. Since opening in 2023, the restaurant has been awarded the 2024 Best Seafood Restaurant by the Southern Nevada Hotel Concierge Association, the Best Steakhouse in Las Vegas Weekly’s “Best of Las Vegas 2024” and Best New Seafood Restaurant in Vegas Magazine. The overall attitude and demeanor of the associates, in addition to the strong leadership of General Manager Bryan Graham and Executive Chef Eugenio Reyes, creates an atmosphere of genuine hospitality for all guests.

General Manager of the Year: Besfort Shala at Ocean Prime New York City is the General Manager of the Year. Shala continues to push the restaurant to break numerous daily sales records and maintain Best in Class OpenTable ratings. He leads by example and cultivates an environment of professionalism and approachability, resulting in many regular guests and low associate turnover.

Executive Chef of the Year: Jonathan Milan at Ocean Prime Beverly Hills is the Executive Chef of the Year. Milan has worked at the Beverly Hills restaurant for more than seven years in a variety of positions, moving up the ranks to executive chef in 2022. His incredible culinary skills pushed him to orchestrate CMR’s first omakase dinner, which is a Japanese-inspired dining experience that is completely chef-curated, that has transitioned beyond sushi to other exquisite dishes.

Dining Room Manager of the Year: Austin Bowen at Ocean Prime Tampa is the Dining Room Manager of the Year. Bowen began his career at the Tampa restaurant over 12 years ago and has worked as a server assistant, food runner and server before transitioning to a management position two years ago. Eight months ago, he completely took over the beverage program and has reduced beverage costs for the restaurant, significantly improved inventory and continues to adapt to make the program the best it can be. Bowen is described as driven, extremely passionate and determined to be the best in his craft, which is demonstrated through his quality of work.

Executive Sous Chef of the Year: Izzy Martinez at Ocean Prime Washington D.C. is the Executive Sous Chef of the Year. She has been with CMR since 2017, starting at Ocean Prime Denver at Larimer Square and moving to Washington D.C. to grow her career. She was promoted to executive sous chef in 2023 due to her strengths in culture development and staff management. Martinez is passionate about baking and sushi specials, and she has been an integral part of feature creation at the restaurant.

Private Dining Manager of the Year: Ebony Alston at Ocean Prime Washington D.C. is the Private Dining Manager of the Year. She is described as being kind, thoughtful and driven, exuding hospitality throughout the restaurant. Alston is constantly thinking outside of the box and seeking opportunities to grow and improve, which has led her to be highly respected and praised by her peers.

About Cameron Mitchell Restaurants
Founded by Cameron Mitchell in 1993, Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, LLC (CMR) has built a diverse portfolio of varied concepts, ranging from multi-location upscale destinations to single neighborhood favorites. Today, CMR operates 50 restaurants company-wide under 20 different concepts, with 23 locations in Columbus, Ohio, including Budd Dairy Food Hall. In addition, Cameron Mitchell Premier Events, the premier catering and event planning company in Central Ohio, oversees three venues in Columbus. The national Ocean Prime brand has 21 locations in 15 states plus the District of Columbia, with upcoming locations opening in Sarasota and Ft. Lauderdale, Florida and Nashville, Tennessee in 2024-2025. The Rusty Bucket Restaurant & Tavern, a sister company of CMR, currently operates 19 locations in four states. CMR and the various concepts have received numerous culinary, leadership, entrepreneur, community service and readers’ choice awards. For more information, visit www.cameronmitchell.com.

# # #
Media Contact: Hannah Schuller, 330-357-7817
Photos are available upon request.