About Reno Food & Drink Week

Reno Food & Drink Week is a curated, standards-driven recognition program honoring the food and drink establishments that define Reno’s culinary identity. It recognizes locations that consistently deliver thoughtful cuisine, well-executed beverages, genuine hospitality, and meaningful community engagement. Its purpose is to uphold standards, distinguish excellence, and strengthen Reno’s culinary landscape for both residents and visitors.

An Event That Has Evolved

Founded in 2020 by Cheree Boteler through Hungry in Reno, Reno Food & Drink Week began as a traditional pay-to-play participation model common to many food events during a period when visibility and support were critical for the hospitality industry.

As Reno’s culinary community matured, so did the structure of the event.

In 2026, Reno Food & Drink Week was intentionally redesigned as an invitation-only, performance-based program. Participation reflects demonstrated standards rather than fees, advertising purchases, or promotional investment. The event was paused for one year to allow its framework to be rebuilt around independence, accountability, and long-term credibility.

How Locations Are Selected

Food-and-drink establishments within the City of Reno are evaluated over an extended period through a structured and consistent review process. This includes firsthand visits over time, observation of everyday service and execution, publicly available guest feedback, and Washoe County health inspection data.

Each location is evaluated using a defined rubric that considers:

• Service & Hospitality
• Food & Drink Quality & Execution
• Health Inspection Scores
• Community Involvement

Technology-assisted tools may be used to organize publicly available information for consistency and completeness. Final scoring and invitation decisions are made through human judgment within a structured review process.

Evaluation is further supported by a confidential Ongoing Evaluation Panel composed of independent contributors aligned with the program’s standards. Panelists participate in structured, year-round review under established conflict-of-interest and confidentiality policies, reinforcing consistency and impartial assessment.

Participation is intentionally limited to preserve operational integrity and ensure a high-quality guest experience. Not every strong or well-performing establishment can be included in a given year.

Individual scores, internal rankings, and evaluation details are confidential and are not released publicly or privately. The evaluation process is independent and not subject to application, negotiation, or appeal.

The evaluation cycle continues year-round. Future invitations reflect ongoing performance, consistency, and growth.

How Selection Will Evolve in Future Years

Evaluation includes layered review informed by public feedback, confidential evaluators, and structured post-event judging. Contributors regularly experience Reno’s food-and-drink scene as guests and provide additional perspective to reinforce consistency and balanced assessment.

To avoid conflicts of interest, anyone with a direct or indirect affiliation with a Reno food or drink establishment is excluded. With the exception of the founder, contributors remain anonymous to preserve impartiality and ensure locations are evaluated under normal operating conditions.

Future invitations reflect layered review, including guest feedback, prior event performance, post-event anonymous judging outcomes, updated health inspection data, public information trends, and long-term consistency.

Participation Categories

The Showcases

Food-and-drink establishments offering a fixed-price menu to the public during Reno Food & Drink Week. Guest feedback collected during the event determines the top four locations, which advance to post-event, secret judging. Final recognition reflects a weighted combination of public scoring and secret judge evaluations.

The Showcases are eligible for The Medallion award.

The Features

Curated bites, sips, and specialty offerings created exclusively for Reno Food & Drink Week. Guest feedback collected during the event determines the top four Features, which advance to post-event, secret judging. Final recognition reflects a weighted combination of public scoring and secret judge evaluations.

The Features are eligible for The Silver Star award.

The Experiences

Limited ticketed events presented during Reno Food & Drink Week. These are not scored or eligible for awards and exist to showcase creativity, access, and range within Reno’s food-and-drink community.

How the Event Is Supported

Reno Food & Drink Week is independently underwritten to preserve structural independence. Sponsors and partners support awareness and execution but do not influence invitations, scoring, judging, or recognition.

Sponsorship packages are available for businesses interested in supporting the event. These partnerships provide meaningful marketing and visibility opportunities for sponsors while helping underwrite the operational and promotional costs of Reno Food & Drink Week.

Select media, marketing, and in-kind partners have been invited to support awareness, guest engagement, and event execution through services and materials. These partnerships are structured clearly and transparently and do not influence invitations, judging, scoring, or outcomes.

Guest Feedback & Judging

During the event, guests are encouraged to submit verified feedback based on their visits. Aggregated public scores determine advancement within categories.

Following the event, an independent panel of secret judges conducts visits outside the official event window. Judges dine as regular guests under everyday operating conditions. The founder does not participate in post-event judging.

Final awards are determined through a weighted combination of public evaluations and post-event secret judge evaluations.

Awards

Reno Food & Drink Week recognizes excellence through two highest distinctions: The Medallion and The Silver Star.

Both honors reflect consistent performance, hospitality, and execution. They are earned through evaluation and merit and are not available for purchase or application.

A Different Kind of Food & Drink Event

Reno Food & Drink Week is not built around volume or promotional transactions. It is built around performance. Recognition reflects care, consistency, and execution.

Reno Food & Drink Week is rooted in respect for the people and places that shape Reno’s food-and-drink community. Invitations reflect demonstrated standards and operational capacity, determined independently of commercial considerations. Reno Food & Drink Week exists to uphold standards, recognize distinction, and elevate Reno’s culinary landscape.