Union Square Hospitality Group CEO Earns Gold Plate

Chip Wade, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group, earned the Gold Plate Award on May 16 during the Gold & Silver Plate Awards celebration in Chicago. IFMA The Food Away from Home Association presented the awards, which recognize high-performing leaders across the food-away-from-home industry.

Nestle Professional Solutions and PepsiCo nominated Wade in the category of independent restaurant/multi-concept. He was selected from among the nine Silver Plate Award winners of 2026.

Wade already had 30 years of restaurant leadership experience for companies including Red Lobster, TGI Fridays and more when he joined USHG in 2019 as president. USHG founder Danny Meyer turned over the reins of the operation to Wade in 2022.

“This recognition, really, for me, deserves to go to the 3,000-plus employees and chefs and leaders who work tirelessly every single day at Union Square Hospitality Group,” Wade said in accepting the Gold Plate. “We get the honor and the privilege to collaborate with Danny Meyer. I celebrate my employees, my chefs, the home office people. Thank you, all. This is truly an honor.”

The event also celebrated Richard “Dick” Marriott, recipient of the 2026 Legends Award, presented in partnership with the National Restaurant Association. Marriott, 87, serves as chairman of the board of Host Hotels & Resorts and chairman of First Media Corp.