Mission

Educate and inspire eaters by cultivating a conversation around the people and businesses changing the food system in order to grow the community for good food for all.

Our Story

"Sara Brito, a founder and the president of the Good Food 100 list, said in her 2019 trend report that customers will demand that restaurants tend to more than just how food tastes. “They need to demonstrate they care about the whole system and story of food,” she said, “including the environment, farmworkers, animal welfare, and inclusion in the workplace.”

The New York Times, December 21, 2018

 

The Good Food Media Network, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, was founded in Denver, CO, in September 2016 and launched with the Good Food 100 Restaurants™ annual list of restaurants—fast casual to fine dining to foodservice operations— and corresponding industry impact report seeking to redefine how chefs, restaurants, and food service operations are viewed and valued.

Since 2016, the Good Food Media Network has been featured in national media including The New York Times, USA Today, Forbes, ABC News, Rachel Ray Everyday Magazine, Eater, 5280 Magazine, Westword, and The Denver Post, and has grown to include six key programs, including:

2017
Good Food 100 Restaurants™
List
Good Food 100 Restaurants™ Industry Impact Report

2018:
Eat. Drink. Think. events
Good Food Farmer & Purveyor of the Year Award™ 

2020
Good Food Farmer & Purveyor Guide™

2021:
H.U.G.S. (Hospitality United in Good Service)

 

Why?

We believe that good food is about more than just taste. Truly good food is good for every link in the food chain: the environment; plants and animals; farmers, ranchers, and fishermen; purveyors; restaurant workers; and eaters.

As transparency, sustainability, diversity, equity, and inclusion remain at the center of the industry and cultural conversation, the time is ripe to honor and support the people and businesses working to create a system dedicated to good food for all. #goodfoodforall

 

Co-Founders

Sara Brito, Co-Founder/President, Good Food Media Network, Inc.

A truth seeker, storyteller, and change agent with a talent for uncovering and unleashing potential in people, brands, and businesses, Sara Brito is co-founder of the Good Food Media Network, Inc.  Sara is a food/hospitality (Chefs Collaborative, Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, The Kitchen Restaurant Group) and brand, marketing, and innovation (American Express, Bloomingdale's, and Domino's) leader with a successful track record transforming brands and catapulting businesses. While serving on the Board of Slow Food NYC, she co-created and launched the Slow Food Snail of Approval program, a designation awarded to restaurants, bars, food and beverage artisans that contribute to the quality, authenticity, and sustainability of the food supply of the City of New York. Under Sara's leadership, Chefs Collaborative was nominated for the 2016 Taste Talks inaugural "Outstanding Nonprofit" award (First place was awarded to Stone Barns Center for Sustainable Agriculture), and four of her past clients and companies, Big Green (2018), The Kitchen Restaurant Group (2016), Domino's (2016), and Vail Resorts/EpicMix App (2016), were named to Fast Company's World's Most Innovative Companies list.  Sara and her teams have been recognized with numerous industry awards, and her work has been featured in national and regional media outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, ABC News, The Colbert Report, Rachel Ray Everyday Magazine, Eater, and The Denver Post. In 2015 she was invited by the U.S. Department of State and the James Beard Foundation to speak at ExpoMilano in Milan, Italy, and in 2018 she was invited by HRH The Prince of Wales to attend a Crop Trust reception at Clarence House in London, England recognizing leaders from around the world for their dedication to sustainability.

Jeff Hermanson, Co-Founder/Chairman, Good Food Media Network, Inc.

Jeff Hermanson is the Co-Founder/Chairman of the Good Food Media Network. Since 1993, Jeff has served as CEO of Larimer Associates, known for its development of Denver’s Larimer Square and Union Station. A strong proponent of incubating skilled, local restaurant talent, Jeff has partnered with a number of Denver’s notable chefs and restaurateurs to create some of the city’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Rioja, Corridor 44, and TAG. Jeff’s philanthropic and social responsibility efforts are principally focused on addressing food waste, hunger, and land conservation. He has been a board member of We Don’t Waste and has served as the President of the Crested Butte Land Trust.

Founding Chefs & Ambassadors

Hugh Acheson - Georgia
Michael Anthony - New York
Rick Bayless - Illinois
Jen Castle - Utah
Suzanne Cupps - New York
Ann Cooper - Colorado 
William Dissen - North Carolina
Renee Erickson - Washington
Suzanne Goin - California
Jennifer Jasinski - Colorado
Mike Lata - South Carolina
David LeFevre - California
Travis Lett - California
Mary Sue Milliken - California
Kimbal Musk - Colorado
Erik Oberholtzer - California 
Paul Reilly - Colorado
Andrea Reusing - North Carolina
Steven Satterfield - Georgia
Jonathon Sawyer - Ohio
Adam Schlegel - Colorado 
Alex Seidel - Colorado
Blake Spalding - Utah
Stephen Stryjewski - New Orleans
Cathy Whims - Oregon
Kelly Whitaker - Colorado