Steritech Presents First Watch with 2024 Excellence in Food Safety Award

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Steritech, a provider of food safety assessments and consulting services, hosted the sixth annual Excellence in Food Safety awards in Austin, Texas. During the recognition ceremony, First Watch was presented with the 2024 Excellence in Food Safety award, Aramark and Zaxby’s accepted honorable mention awards, and three additional finalists were recognized.

The six finalists for the 2024 Excellence in Food Safety awards were:

• First Watch
• Aramark
• Zaxby’s
• Cici's Pizza
• Hungry Howie's Pizza, Inc.
• Wingstop

Obeta Osolu, vice president of quality assurance and food safety at First Watch, accepted the award on behalf of First Watch.

"Our commitment to food safety comes from the top down, and we take it very seriously," said Osolu. "We believe in a holistic, systems-based proactive approach, which is guided by policies and procedures at all touchpoints from farm to table. We are proud to partner with Steritech and grateful to be recognized in this way."

Historically focused on the fast casual industry, this year Steritech expanded the award to all industries and verticals with a food safety program. Food industry brands nationwide submitted nominations for the award, which were chosen and interviewed by a third-party research and assessment firm. The judging criteria covered seven pillars of food safety initiatives including senior leadership engagement, communications, standards and procedures, training, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), oversight programs and positive recognition.

"At Steritech, we believe that food safety isn't just a compliance requirement, it's a daily priority that should be ingrained at every level of food industry operations," said Doug Sutton, president of Steritech. "Our 2024 honorees not only mastered the fundamental keys to success — highly involved leadership, transparency and rigorous training — but also developed innovative strategies to sustain competitiveness and profitability in today's evolving restaurant landscape."

FIRST WATCH. Food safety is a core component of First Watch's mission to "Make Days Brighter." Founded in 1983 in Pacific Grove, Calif., and now based in Bradenton, Fla., the company operates more than 530 locations in 29 states. Recognized as the leading Daytime Dining concept, First Watch is known for a chef-driven menu that rotates five times per year.

At First Watch, the active involvement of its leadership team is central to its food safety accomplishments. Supported by advanced training, educational resources, a robust system of KPIs and scorecards to track improvements and risk mitigation efforts — plus an enhanced commitment to customer transparency — First Watch has identified its recipe of success for food safety excellence.

"First Watch is doing virtually everything right when it comes to food safety," said Sutton. "Their senior leaders have done a stellar job of reframing food safety assessments as both an investment and a catalyst for improvements and innovation across all levels of the organization."

ARAMARK. Established in 1959, Aramark services nearly 12,000 food service locations throughout the United States. At Aramark, food safety is considered the No. 1 brand risk, warranting consistent corporate-level engagement and a forward-thinking strategy. Rooted in its clearly defined standards and procedures, Aramark's food safety program provides a foundation for consistency across its thousands of locations.

ZAXBY’S. Headquartered in Atlanta, Zaxby’s, the premium quick-service restaurant primarily known for its Chicken Fingerz and 12 premium sauces, has expanded to over 950 locations since its establishment in Statesboro, Ga., in 1990. Guided by an exemplary oversight program, Zaxbys food safety initiatives focus on the careful execution of daily tasks to build a strong food safety culture across its management and franchise network.

Click here to download the complete 2024 Excellence in Food Safety report.