Fighting tragedy with perseverance, Whiskey Kitchen owners are Restaurateurs of the Year
More than four years after a motorcycle crash derailed his cooking career and nearly killed him, Michael Thor is North Carolina’s Restaurateur of the Year.
This week, the North Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association held its annual gala in Raleigh and honored leaders in the state’s hospitality industry. Thor and Whiskey Kitchen co-owner Jeff Mickel were named this year’s Restaurateurs of the Year.
In November 2015, Thor was knocked from his motorcycle by a driver merging into his lane. The crash made him a quadriplegic, but after years of therapy he’s slowly regaining movement in his arms and legs. Mickel opened Whiskey Kitchen while Thor was receiving treatment in Atlanta, and ran the restaurant for more than a year before his business partner returned to Raleigh.
Located next to Nash Square, Whiskey Kitchen is today a popular centerpiece of Raleigh’s nightlife scene.
“Michael stood out largely because of the situation around the accident and his determination to get better,” said Lynn Minges, CEO of the NCRLA, in a phone interview. “It really speaks to what’s so unique about Michael and Jeff and the restaurant. They embody that sense of teamwork that makes restaurants run. ... They have commitment and drive to see their vision come to life. They turned a 100-year-old car repair shop into what we see today, despite every obstacle and a pretty tragic accident, they stood there and remained committed.”
Grateful for the support
Thor has been back with the restaurant for about a year and a half. These days, Thor can often be found in the dining room of Whiskey Kitchen, navigating in his motorized wheelchair. He credits the staff at Whiskey Kitchen, his family and his wife, Sarah Santoro Thor, with helping him get to a point where he could rejoin the restaurant
“Without my family’s support, especially my wife, Sarah, I don’t believe that I would have been able to return in a position to be a part of this wonderful team,” Thor said of Whiskey Kitchen.
The statewide awards have been given out for more than four decades, with the Restaurateur of the Year award first awarded in 1976. As North Carolina has grown into a hotbed of culinary talent and innovation, Minges said the awards have become more popular, and harder to pick.
“We used to not get a whole lot of nominations, but now as soon as we open (the nominations) our inbox is flooded,” she said.
This year’s awards were presented in downtown Raleigh at the Marriott City Center Hotel.
Lifetime achievement awards were given to the founders of two beloved restaurants, one a statewide giant and the other a local favorite. Maurice Jennings was honored for founding fast food breakfast chain Biscuitville, which has 53 locations across the state. Samir Saleh also received a lifetime achievement award for creating the Mediterranean restaurants and bakery Neomonde, which was founded in 1977 and has locations in Raleigh and Durham.
Other winners this year
Other awards include:
- Griff and June Glover Award for Distinguished Service went to Jim Beley of the Umstead Hotel and Spa.
- Ken Conrad Award for Service to the Community: Jim Nobel of Noble Food and Pursuits in Charlotte.
- Lodging Employee of the Year: Kevin Cottet of Beacon IMG-Staybridge Suites in Wilmington.
- Lodging Manager of the Year: Melissa Bach of Raleigh Marriott City Center in Raleigh.
- Lodging Operator of the Year: Robert Dedman Jr. of Pinehurst Resort.
- Restaurant Employee of the Year: Jeffrey Bryant of Golden Corral in Winston Salem.
- Restaurant Manager of the Year: Roger Carter of Winston’s Grille in Raleigh.
- Hospitality Supplier of the Year: Stephanie Gaston Poley of Cranfill, Summer & Hartzog, LLP in Raleigh.
- Senate Hospitality Champion of the Year: Sen. Jerry W. Tillman of Archdale.
- House Hospitality Champion of the Year: Rep. Becky Carney of Charlotte.
The 2019 chef awards were determined last September at the Chef Showdown cooking showcase. The winners are:
- Chef of the Year: Steven Goff of AUX Bar in Asheville.
- Pastry Chef of the Year: Jamie Turner of The Asbury and Soul Food Sessions in Charlotte.
- Mixologist of the Year: Johnny Burritt of Antidote in Asheville.
- Distillery of the Year: Apothecary Beverage Company of Asheville, owned by Debbie Word.
