CLEVELAND, Ohio — The founder and CEO of EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, Brandon Chrostowski, will receive a 2025 James Beard Foundation Impact Award.
There will be an awards ceremony the weekend of June 14-16, 2025, in Chicago in which Chrostowski will be honored, according to an EDWINS press release.
“This award is a recognition not only of the work we do at EDWINS but also of the power of belief—that everyone, no matter their past, deserves dignity, opportunity, and a seat at the table,” Chrostowski said in the release. “In my opinion, one of the key benefits of receiving the award is the very large key it presents to open more doors for advancement in the industry. I’m happy to bring this home to Cleveland and will be rooting for all of the chefs who are nominated for an award this year.”
The impact awards were just introduced this year, and the release states they “honor individuals and organizations who are actively reshaping the food system for the better—championing sustainability, equity, and economic opportunity.”
“Chrostowski is being honored for his visionary leadership at EDWINS, the Cleveland-based nonprofit and fine French restaurant that trains and employs formerly incarcerated individuals,” the release reads. “EDWINS provides comprehensive culinary, hospitality, and life skills training, empowering students with the tools and confidence to build sustainable futures. Since opening in 2013, EDWINS has grown into a national model for second-chance employment and criminal justice reform.”
Around 100 students graduate each year, and the institute touts a 95% employment rate and a recidivism rate of less than 1%.
Chrostowski will join other Clevelanders who have received a James Beard Award, names such as Michael Symon, Jonathan Sawyer, Elaine and Fred Griffith and Elaine Cicora as well as the restaurant Sokolowski’s University Inn. However, according to the release, no restaurant, journalist, author or restaurant has received such an award in a decade.
"Chrostowski’s recognition marks a powerful return of Cleveland to the national culinary stage—this time, at the intersection of food, justice, and impact," the release reads.
