Visit Pensacola Encourages Community to Celebrate Local Culinary Talent Through 2027 James Beard Awards

Community invited to recognize Pensacola's chefs, restaurants and hospitality professionals through one of the nation's most prestigious culinary awards programs

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Pensacola's culinary scene is filled with talented chefs, innovative restaurants and passionate hospitality professionals who help make the destination a place worth savoring. Now, Visit Pensacola is encouraging the community to celebrate that talent and learn how to participate in the 2027 James Beard Awards recommendation process.

Considered among the nation's highest culinary honors, the James Beard Awards recognize excellence in food, beverage and hospitality. With the 2027 awards recommendation period underway, residents, visitors and industry professionals have an opportunity to help shine a national spotlight on the people and places shaping Pensacola's culinary landscape.

To support community participation, Visit Pensacola has launched a dedicated James Beard Awards informational hub featuring resources about the awards and voluntarily submitted profiles from local chefs, restaurants and culinary professionals. Recognizing that the recommendation process requires thoughtful consideration, research and time, the hub provides background information, professional accomplishments and other details to help community members prepare informed recommendations. Additional culinary professionals and establishments interested in participating are encouraged to submit their information for consideration.

"Pensacola has an incredible culinary community, and the talent, creativity and passion behind our local restaurants and bars deserve to be recognized," said Nicole Stacey, Vice President of Visit Pensacola. "From longtime neighborhood favorites to chefs bringing fresh perspectives to our dining scene, there are so many people contributing to what makes Pensacola special. This is an opportunity to celebrate that talent and share Pensacola's culinary story on a national stage."

The James Beard Foundation's Restaurant and Chef Awards recognize excellence across a variety of categories, including Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Emerging Chef, Best New Restaurant, Outstanding Hospitality and Outstanding Bar, among others.

Community members are encouraged to consider the restaurants and culinary professionals who have made a lasting impression, whether through exceptional dining experiences, innovative cuisine, outstanding hospitality or meaningful contributions to the community.

How to Participate

Visit Pensacola encourages residents, visitors and culinary professionals to:

Learn about the awards and explore local talent. Visit Visit Pensacola's James Beard Awards informational hub to learn about the awards, explore participating culinary profiles and access nomination resources.

Submit a recommendation. Visit jamesbeard.org/awards to review award categories, eligibility requirements and submit a recommendation through the James Beard Foundation's official process.

Share your culinary story. Local chefs, restaurants and culinary professionals interested in being featured on Visit Pensacola's informational hub are invited to submit their information for consideration.

The deadline to submit recommendations for the 2027 James Beard Awards is November 30, 2026. Recommendations are open to the public, and there is no fee to participate in the Restaurant and Chef Awards open call.

Visit Pensacola's initiative is intended to increase awareness of the awards and encourage community participation. Inclusion on the informational hub does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Visit Pensacola, and culinary professionals do not need to be featured to be considered for an award. The James Beard Foundation independently administers the awards and determines all semifinalists, nominees and winners.

For more information, to explore local culinary profiles or to submit information for inclusion, visit visitpensacola.com/james-beard-profiles.

About Visit Pensacola

Visit Pensacola is the official destination marketing organization for Escambia County, representing Pensacola, Pensacola Beach, and Perdido Key. As America's First Settlement, founded in 1559, and home to the #1 beach in the U.S., as voted by Condé Nast Traveler readers, the Pensacola Bay Area blends more than 465 years of history with nearly 40 miles of sugar-white sand and emerald Gulf waters. Visit Pensacola is responsible for building tourism as a key economic driver for Escambia County through destination marketing, visitor inspiration, and supporting the local hospitality community.