Outstanding Restaurateur: Id Est Hospitality Group wins JBF Award
True Hospitality
This weekend Erika and Kelly Whitaker of Id Est Hospitality won the 2024 James Beard Award (JBF) for Outstanding Restaurateurs! Based in Colorado, Erika and Kelly have displayed a consistent commitment to their vision of creating a better food system through ongoing contributions to Zero Foodprint’s Business Membership. The JBF award is presented to restaurateurs for demonstrating creativity in entrepreneurship and contributing positively to their broader community and environment. Three Id Est concepts have donated to local farm projects through ZFP’s Restore Grants and in partnership with Boulder County’s Soil Health Initiative - which if you ask us, is true hospitality!
About Id Est Hospitality
“Id Est is a visionary hospitality group with a commitment to excellent guest experience and environmental impact. Our restaurant kitchens and bars focus on supporting regenerative agricultural ingredients, specifically by developing a closed loop system for local, heirloom grain. Zero waste principles guide our operations, ensuring a minimal environmental footprint and a dedication to preserving ingredients through our garden and fermentation programs. We prioritize social sustainability, fostering a culture that nurtures and empowers our team, with a goal of creating a balance between excellence and the well-being of all involved.”
About the James Beard Awards
“Established in 1990 with the first awards given in 1991, the James Beard Awards are among the nation’s most prestigious honors recognizing leaders in the culinary and food media industries, and those in the broader food systems. The James Beard Awards include four separate recognition programs (three that fall under the Media Awards), and three Achievement Awards programs.
The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards celebrate excellence across a range of experiences—from fine dining establishments to casual gems, and emerging talent to established masters.”
About the Boulder County Soil Health Initiative
“Created in 2024, Boulder County’s Soil Health Initiative is a cross-departmental collaboration between Boulder County’s Office of Sustainability, Climate Action & Resilience and Boulder County Parks & Open Space. The initiative aims to support a more resilient local food system and empower the agricultural community to both adapt to climate change and contribute to climate solutions. This program is made possible thanks to partnerships with the Colorado Department of Agriculture, STAR Program, and Zero Foodprint.”
About Zero Foodprint Membership
Zero Foodprint began as an effort for restaurants to reduce and eventually zero out their climate impacts. After crunching all the numbers, one thing was clear: the vast majority of the emissions inherent in a meal happen before the ingredients ever make it to the restaurant or processing facility. Food and beverage production accounts for more than 1/3 of global emissions - but it doesn’t have to be that way.
We can change the way that food is grown. By directly funding practices like compost application, managed grazing, and cover-cropping, Zero Foodprint members team up with farmers to create healthier soil, which makes more delicious, nutritious, and resilient crops while also conserving water and drawing down carbon.
