Awards and Recognition

One of the most admired hospitality companies in the world, Delaware North is recognized for its excellence in culinary, retail, customer service, environmental management and global stewardship.

Culinary Awards

2009 Awards
Los Angeles International Airport’s Encounter Restaurant is among the best airport restaurants in the country, according to popular culinary magazine Food & Wine.

Master Chef Roland Henin, Delaware North’s corporate chef and chief culinary ambassador, is recruited to coach Team USA in the 2009 international Bocuse d’Or cooking competition.

Henin travels to Erfurt, Germany, with five Delaware North chefs to compete in the International Culinary Olympics. Chefs Scott Green and Ambarish Lulay receive silver medals; Chef Kevin Doherty receives a bronze medal; and Chef Tab Daulton receives a diploma.

Delaware North at Melbourne Zoo is named caterer of the year by the Restaurant & Caterers Association (Victoria) for professionalism, vision and creativity of the front- and back-of the-house teams in consistently delivering service excellence in catering and hospitality.

2008 Awards
Jeremy Jacobs Jr. is given an ambassadorship of the Culinary Institute of America.

A team of chefs from TD Garden and nearby Agganis Arena receive the highest overall score for the third consecutive year during the American Culinary Federation’s competition at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Competing chefs are: Kevin Doherty, Patrick Kilduff, Josh Ingraham and Paul Hartz. The Ahwahnee Executive Chef Percy Whatley receives the highest overall score at another
ACF competition on the West Coast.

Delaware North enjoys another successful evening at the Restaurant & Caterers Association (Victoria) 2008 Awards for Excellence. The company is named caterer of the year and receives two category awards: one in venue catering and another in wedding catering.

Delaware North Companies Sportservice takes three of the top-six spots on the 2008 PETA list of best vegetarian-friendly ballparks.

Chefs Lindsay Wilczynski, Kurtis Kowalczyk, Daniel Domkowski, Vince Fillippelli and Denise Polad win a bronze medal at the American Culinary Federation regional conference at Delhi College. The team of chefs were coached by Sportservice's Monte Dolce.

The food served by Delaware North Companies Sportservice at the Milwaukee Brewers' Miller Park garners top ranking in Sports Illustrated magazine's online Major League ballpark fan survey.

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2008 names Emirates Stadium the best venue for meetings and events in England.

Delaware North Companies International wins Caterer of the Year, Best Overall Venue Caterer and Modern Wedding Caterer at the 2008 Victorian Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence.

Chefs Amarish Lulay and Scott Green win silver medals, Chef Kevin Doherty wins bronze and Chefs Tab Daulton and Rick Ortiz receive diplomas at the 2008 Culinary Olympics in Erfurt Germany.

2007 Awards
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel, a New Hampshire property managed by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, earns a place on Conde Nast Traveler's Gold List, garnering a perfect score for its food.

Tenaya Lodge, a Delaware North-owned and-operated resort at the gateway to Yosemite National Park, earns a 2006 Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings publication.

Yosemite's Ahwahnee Dining Room, managed by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, is inducted into Nation's Restaurant News' Fine Dining Hall of Fame.

Four of Delaware North Companies Sportservice's locations - Busch Stadium, Miller Park, U.S. Cellular Field and PETCO Park - are commended by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for being among the top-10 vegetarian-friendly ballparks.

American Culinary Federation awards Certified Chef de Cuisine to: Chef Colin Moody from Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds, Robert Stritzinger from Wawona Hotel in Yosemite, Scott Green from Deeridge Farms, Shawn Grenier from The Balsams.

Shawn Grenier, senior sous chef at The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel takes top honors in the 14th annual New England ice-carving championship at the Wentworth Hotel in the Mount Washington Valley.

Arsenal Football Club and Delaware North UK receive the Media Choice Award and collected strong runner-up finishes in the Matchday Hospitality Award and Conference & Events Marketing Award.

Chefs Rolf Baumann, Kevin Doherty, Patrick Kilduff and Paul Hartz receive the gold medal at the 13th Annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference

2006 Awards
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel named one of the 50 best resorts in North America by Conde Nast Traveler. Food at the 140-year-old New Hampshire property scores a perfect 100.

Four awards, including caterer of the year, from the Victorian Restaurant and Catering Association to Delaware North Companies International.

Environmental Awards

2009 Awards
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts is twice lauded by the U.S. National Park Service, receiving an environmental achievement award in 2008 and 2009 for its recycling programs in Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks.

Daytona Beach Kennel Club & Poker Room achieves Leadership in Engineering and Environmental Design (LEED) gold certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The gaming
facility is now the first LEED-certified project in the city of Daytona Beach, Fla., and the first gold-certified project in Volusia County.

Two Delaware North locations—Southland Park Gaming & Racing and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport—achieve firsts in their industries by capturing ISO 14001 registration for their environmental management systems.

2008 Awards
TD Garden receives a prestigious regional Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) award. The Garden and its associates receive the awards for the considerable strides they’ve made in reducing the building’s environmental impact. In particular, The Garden provides newspaper and bottle recycling opportunities for more than 20,000 commuters who walk through North Station in Boston each day and 2.5 million people who attend concerts, shows and sporting events at the venue each year.

PETCO Park in San Diego is awarded Recycler of the Year for 2008 by San Diego’s Environmental Services Department. Delaware North Companies Sportservice operates all concessions, catering and retail at PETCO Park and has helped integrate strong environmental practices at the ballpark.

The Yosemite National Park Deaf Services Program is selected as the recipient of the 2008 National Park Service (NPS) Programmatic Accessibility Achievement Award.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Sequoia National Park receives a Star of the Industry Award in Good Earthkeeping from the California Hotel & Lodging Association for its environmental efforts at Wuksachi Lodge.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts receives the Environmental Achievement Award, one of four environmental achievement awards given out by the National Park Service this year. Delaware North was chosen for its recycling efforts in Yosemite and Yellowstone national parks.

2007 Awards
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yosemite National Park receives an international award from IMEX for efforts aimed at staging environmentally friendly conferences.

Tenaya Lodge, a Delaware North-owned and-operated resort at the gateway to Yosemite National Park, earns a 2006 Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings publication. The property is selected by 30,000 readers and meeting professionals who looked at a pool of more than 1,000 locations throughout the United States and Canada.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yellowstone receives a 2007 EcoStar Award for its efforts in preventing pollution in America's oldest national park.

2006 Awards
Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds receives top leadership ranking in the California Green Lodging Program from the California Integrated Waste Management Board .

Two Catch an Environmentalist awards to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex from NASA.

Environmental and Energy Award to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex from NASA.

WRAP (Waste Reduction Awards Program) award to Yosemite National Park from California Integrated Waste Board.

Events Awards

2008 Awards
Delaware North at The Terrace, part of Royal Botanic Garden Melbourne, is named wedding caterer of the year, in light of the fact that in 2008 The Terrace was the wedding venue of choice for 120 couples.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex receives the prestegious THEA from the Themed Entertainment Association for its Shuttle Launch Expereince attraction.

2007 Awards
Busch Stadium in St. Louis, a Delaware North Companies Sportservice location, is chosen as the site of the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Sportservice provides all food, beverage and retail services at the ballpark.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, a venue managed for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration by Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts, receives a THEA for Shuttle Launch Experience.

History Awards

2007 Awards
The Wall Street Journal ranks Yosemite's Ahwahnee hotel 26th on its list of Americans' favorite buildings. Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts has managed the storied national park lodge since 1993.

Individual Recognition Awards

2009 Awards
Delaware North Companies Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jeremy Jacobs is again named one of the most influential people in sports business, according to SportsBusiness Journal. The popular sports business trade publication publishes a list of the top 50 sports business executives each year.

Delaware North Companies Principal Charlie Jacobs is inducted into SportsBusiness Journal’s Forty Under 40 class of 2009.

Boston Bruins Head Coach Claude Julien is named NHL coach of the year by The Sporting News, one of the premier sports-news publications in the United States. Soon after, General Manager Peter Chiarelli is named NHL executive of the year.

2008 Awards
Jeremy Jacobs Jr. is given an ambassadorship of the Culinary Institute of America.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex receives the Strategic Partner of the Year Award from Greater Orlando Area Meeting Professionals International.

2007 Awards
Yvette Vincent, director of applications at Delaware North Companies, is presented the HTNGs Directors Leadership award for 2006 at the third annual Members Meeting and Conference of Hotel Technology Next Generation (HTNG) in Atlanta.

Jim Simms, vice president of marketing at Wheeling Island® Hotel-Casino-Racetrack is honored for his work as the 2006-2007 campaign chairman of the United Way of the Upper Ohio Valley.

Keith Crippen, the late senior manager of creative services for Delaware North, receives the Alex Osborne Lifetime Achievement Award from the Advertising Club of Buffalo.

Chefs Rolf Baumann, Kevin Doherty, Patrick Kilduff and Paul Hartz receive the gold medal at the 13th Annual Tastes of the World Chef Culinary Conference.

Andrea Farmer, public relations manager for the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is selected as Public Relations Person of the Year by the Florida Public Relations Association.

Leaderhip Awards

2009 Awards
The Jacobs family receives the 2009 Hero of the Heart award from the American Heart Association for its contributions to improving vascular health.

The Profit Sharing Council of America (PSCA) gives Delaware North Companies an honorable mention for its “The Right Direction” employee benefits enrollment guide. The PSCA cites the piece for being engaging, easy to understand and full of positive messaging.

Delaware North Companies again has a presence on Forbes’ List of America’s Largest Private Companies. The company is 207 on the roster.

Food Management ranks Delaware North fourth on its list of 50 top management companies.

2008 Awards
Jeremy Jacobs Jr. is given an ambassadorship of the Culinary Institute of America.

Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services at Denver International Airport is named Employer for the Year by Work Options for Women (WOW) in Denver.

Jeremy Jacobs is sworn in for a third term on the United States Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board.

Delaware North Companies is honored by the Buffalo Niagara Partnership as a major Western New York company that has thrived for 50 years or more. Delaware North was founded in Buffalo, N.Y., in 1915.

2007 Awards
Four of Delaware North Companies Sportservice's locations – Busch Stadium, Miller Park, U.S. Cellular Field and PETCO Park – are commended by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for being among the top-10 vegetarian-friendly ballparks.

Jeremy Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies, is once again named to the list of most influential people in sports, as published by SportsBusiness Journal. Jacobs is cited for initiating change in the National Hockey League behind the scenes and for playing a pivotal role in rebuilding the NHL after the 2004-2005 lockout.

Jeremy Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies, is named to the top 20 of the People of Power and Influence list compiled by The Hockey News.

The Jacobs family is recognized by the Boys & Girls Club of Buffalo for its contributions to the organization that works to better the lives of youth.

Jeremy Jacobs, owner of the Boston Bruins and chairman and chief executive officer of Delaware North Companies, is elected chairman of the National Hockey League Board of Governors.

Jeremy Jacobs, Delaware North Companies' chairman and chief executive officer, is invited to Washington, D.C., to meet with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez on issues ranging from positioning the United States as an international tourist destination to homeland security.

TD Banknorth Garden/Delaware North Companies Boston is selected as a finalist in the alternative category of the 2007 National Sport Forum Adchievment Awards.

Delaware North's Western New York operation is recognized by the United Way Outstanding Campaign Team Award.

Lodging Awards

2009 Awards
Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts operates and manages two of the 500 best hotels in the world, according to popular travel magazine Travel + Leisure. Both The Ahwahnee in Yosemite National Park and The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel in New Hampshire make the magazine’s list. Delaware North’s contract at The BALSAMS ends several months afterward.

2008 Awards
Lodging Hospitality, a major trade publication of the lodging industry, names Delaware North one of the top management companies based on the portfolio of properties it owns and/or operates.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Yellowstone National Park receives a 2008 EcoStar Award for successful and efficient waste reduction efforts at the historic park.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at Sequoia National Park receives a Star of the Industry Award in Good Earthkeeping from the California Hotel & Lodging Association for its environmental efforts at Wuksachi Lodge.

2007 Awards
The Wall Street Journal ranks Yosemite's Ahwahnee® hotel 26th on its list of Americans’ favorite buildings. Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts has managed the storied national park lodge since 1993.

The Ahwahnee® maintains its standing as a four-diamond property, the most favorable stamp of approval granted by the Automobile Association of America. For the 15th time in as many years, Tenaya Lodge likewise earns a four-diamond award from AAA.

The Ahwahnee® in Yosemite National Park is considered one of the top-10 national park lodges, according to MSNBC.com.

2006 Awards
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel is named one of the 50 best resorts in North America by Conde Nast Traveler. Food at the 140-year-old New Hampshire property scores a perfect 100.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts named one of the best independent, third-party management firms by Hotel & Motel Management.

The Lodge & Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake is cited by USA Today as the vintage lodging of choice when visiting Ohio’s northeast wineries.

Operational Excellence

2009 Awards
Airport Revenue News (ARN) names numerous North American airports within which Delaware North operates winners of 2009 Best Airport Concessions Awards. Those airports are: Newark Liberty International Airport, Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, Nashville International Airport, Albuquerque International Sunport and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport.

Kennedy Space Center has been named Business of the Year for its community efforts in Brevard County. Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex received the honor at the 18th annual FLORIDA TODAY Volunteer Recognition Awards.

Techniques for Effective Alcohol Management (TEAM) Coalition honors individual Delaware North trainers for their commitment to responsible alcohol management training of their operations and concessions associates.

The Encounter is again singled out when Travel + Leisure names it and Salt Lick Bar-B-Que two of the nine best airport restaurants in the world. Both are Delaware North operations.

Casino Player names Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack best casino as part of its 2009 Best of Gaming awards. The Delaware North-owned and –operated gaming and entertainment destination receives eight other first-place awards from the respected publication.

The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake earns recognition as the employer of the year for hiring veterans in the state of Ohio.

Southland Park Gaming & Racing is recognized for its advertising efforts at the Voice Awards in Las Vegas. The Delaware North gaming destination’s “Be Lucky That Way” billboard campaign is a finalist in the best outdoor advertising category.

Delaware North Companies Sportservice helps its client the Milwaukee Brewers receive Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Retail Club of the Year award. Sportservice handles the retail operation for the Brewers.

Airports Council International (ACI) announces the top-performing airports in the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and Denver International Airport – four airports where Delaware North has a presence – make the grade.

Wembley Stadium in London is nominated as a Venue of the Year in the Association of Event Organizers (AEO) Excellence Awards and as a finalist in the sales and marketing category of
the Official Football Hospitality Awards.

Emirates Stadium is voted best business venue in the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence, following its win in the Visit London Awards in the same category. Emirates Stadium hosted more than 1,000 business events in its first 18 months of operation.

2008 Awards
Delaware North Companies chefs from Emirates Stadium in the United Kingdom compete in the British Open Cookery Championships. The team consists of Executive Chef Kieran Moore and Chefs Mark Reynolds and Oleg Ibragimov. Collectively, the group earns one best-in-category award, one gold award and two silver awards, along with a certificate of merit.

The Delaware North-operated Gideon Putnam Resort and Roosevelt Baths & Spa are included in the New York Post’s list of top 100 U.S. destinations within a six-hour drive or one-hour flight of New York City.

Delaware North Companies benefits publications employing the theme “The Right Direction” earn a second-place award for excellence in training, advocacy and education at the Pension & Investments Eddy Awards.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is honored with two safety awards from the United Safety Council, a safety training organization that promotes safety in every aspect of American life. The property earns both the Vehicle Fleet Safety Award for driving approximately 1.5 million miles in company vehicles without an at-fault accident, and the Safety Achievement Award for outstanding safety performance and making great strides in improving procedures and policies. Trudy Shomo receives the Certified Occupational Safety Specialist of the Year Award for her commitment to making the complex a safe workplace.

Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services at Denver International Airport is named Employer for the Year by Work Options for Women (WOW) in Denver.

The Association of Exhibition Organizers Excellence Awards (AEO) recognizes Delaware North Companies International's Wembley Stadium and Emirates Statium as nominees for venue of the year.

The Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2008 names Emirates Stadium the best venue for meetings and events in England.

The staff at the Harbour Club at HSBC Arena receives a Pride of Workmanship Award from the Rotary Club of Buffalo.

Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack receives seven "Best of Gaming" awards from the 2008 Casino Player Magazine.

The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel is honored as one of the best affordable resorts by Travel + Leisure magazine.

Delaware North Companies recieves high billing in Food Management's listing of the top 50 management companies in the industry.

Delaware North Companies receives a handful of ADDY awards from the American Advertising Federation for its 2008 annual retrospective and a global branding video. Daytona Beach Kennel Club & Poker Room’s team earns a bronze ADDY for its consumer-focused Web site.

2007 Awards
Delaware North Companies Travel & Hospitality Services captures honors from Airport Revenue News. The company's operation at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport picks up four first-place honors.

Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Services' Au Bon Pain franchise in Newark Liberty International Airport earns an award from Au Bon Pain for best sales increase in a transportation trade and is enshrined in the $2 million revenue club.

The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex receives the prestegious THEA from the Themed Entertainment Association for its Shuttle Launch Expereince attraction.

2006 Awards
The Balsams Grand Resort Hotel named one of the 50 best resorts in North America by Conde Nast Traveler. Food at the 140-year-old New Hampshire property scores a perfect 100.

William P. Hobby Airport named best small airport by J.D. Power and Associates.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts named one of the best independent, third-party management firms by Hotel & Motel Management.

Best concessions program (medium-size airport) award to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport from Airport Revenue News/Armburst Aviation Group.

Bill and Laurel Solomon Portrait of Excellence Award from the Space Coast Office of Tourism to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex.

Delaware North Companies Parks & Resorts at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex named one of three finalists for NASA’s George M. Low Award.

TD Banknorth Garden named one of three finalists for Billboard magazine's arena of the year.

Richard A. Griesbach Award of Excellence from Airports Council International - North America to Memphis International Airport. Other Delaware North Companies Travel Hospitality Locations recognized include Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport.

Tenaya Lodge, a Delaware North-owned and-operated resort at the gateway to Yosemite National Park, earns a 2006 Platinum Choice Award from Smart Meetings publication.