Memphis Restaurant Association names 2024 award winners. Here's who received top honors.

The Memphis Restaurant Association has announced its annual award recipients.

The 2024 Restaurateur of the Year is Marco Puerto of Cocina Mexicana, while the 2024 Associate Member of the Year is AJ Jones of Old Dominick Distillery. Food writer Jennifer Biggs will be honored posthumously with the MRA Lifetime Achievement Award.

For more than 55 years, Memphis Restaurant Association has honored those in the restaurant industry at its annual awards ceremony. This year's honorees were announced Dec. 23.

“This year, our culinary community witnessed exceptional talent and unwavering dedication, making the task of selecting honorees truly inspiring," read a statement from the Memphis Restaurant Association. "These awards represent a celebration of the outstanding contributions made by individuals and establishments that have elevated the Memphis restaurant community."

The annual Memphis Restaurant Association Awards Food Festival will be Feb. 4 at The Kent, 61 Keel Ave. It is open to the public.

Restaurateur of the Year: Marco Puerto

Marco Puerto is the owner of Cocina Mexicana Bar & Grill, which has three locations in the Memphis area: 6195 Macon Road, 2798 New Brunswick Road and 7776 U.S. 70 in Bartlett.

Memphis Restaurant Association President Mike Miller said Puerto was deserving of this year’s award. “He is a great operator, an active member in our community, and has been instrumental in bringing new members to the MRA particularly in the Hispanic community.”

Ryan Trimm, who was the 2023 Restaurateur of the Year and head of the selection committee, said Puerto’s efforts to help the Latino restaurant community during COVID-19 was a main factor that made him a clear choice for the award.

“During COVID when all the new regulations came about, Marco made it his personal job to be a translator for the Spanish-speaking restaurants in town,” Trimm said. “He literally went door-to-door with pamphlets translated into Spanish.”

Puerto said he is grateful for the honor. “After over 20 years of hard work in the restaurant industry, I was able to accomplish my dream of owning my own business. It has been a difficult ride, but I feel blessed to finally experience some success with the three restaurants that I own,” he said. “As an immigrant in this country, it means so much to be recognized in the Memphis community in this way.”

Associate of the Year: AJ Jones

AJ Jones is the key account manager for Old Dominick Distillery. He joined the distillery this past year, after a decades-long career in the beverage industry.

Jones said to be nominated and receive the Memphis Restaurant Association Associate of the Year Award is an honor.

“Throughout my 36-year career in the industry, I’ve met and become a part of a lot of retailer families, as well as them to mine. I watched a lot of retailers who are now general managers and owners grow up in the business,” he said. “The Memphis Restaurant Association has been a key component in the success of the Memphis food and beverage industry. I am truly honored to receive the Memphis Restaurant Association 2024 Associate of the Year Award.”

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Trimm said Jones was a clear choice for this year’s award, describing him as “the definition of customer service.”

He recalled times that Jones went above and beyond to assist not only his own restaurants, but other restaurants in town. “He is always there for us,” Trimm said. “Plus, he has a heart of gold and is a really fine person.”

Lifetime Achievement Award: Jennifer Biggs

Food writer Jennifer Biggs is being recognized posthumously for her contribution to the Memphis restaurant community.

Biggs began her career at The Commercial Appeal in 1991, but it was not until 2007 that she penned her first dining review. As a food writer and later food editor at The Commercial Appeal for 11 years and then as the food and dining writer at The Daily Memphian, Biggs was as interested in building community as she was in critiquing the contents of her plate.

“She was important to the restaurant scene in Memphis, helping grow it to what it is today,”Trimm said. “Her efforts to keep it competitive, but friendly, helped shape our restaurant community.”

Memphis Restaurant Association Executive Director Sally Fienup said the Lifetime Achievement award is not an annual award, but is given when a person deserves the recognition.

Biggs died in August after a short battle with cancer.

“I wish we weren’t honoring her,” Trimm said. “But that she was with us instead.”

MRA award recipients are chosen by a committee of past award winners. Nominations can be made by any MRA member.

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Jennifer Chandler is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at jennifer.chandler@commercialappeal.com and you can follow her on X and Instagram at @cookwjennifer. 

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Memphis Restaurant Association Awards Food Festival

When: 5-9 p.m. Feb. 4

Where: The Kent, 61 Keel Ave.

Tickets: $75 per person

Online: memphisrestaurants.com

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis Restaurant Association's 2024 award winners: Who they are