NEW ORLEANS (press release) – The New Orleans Wine & Food Experience (NOWFE) Board of Directors has announced that Marv, Zeid and Richy† Ammari have been selected as the recipients of the 2026 Ella Brennan Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award. The honor will be presented at the gala celebration on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans, with a VIP reception beginning at 6 p.m.
“The Ammari brothers exemplify the spirit of Ella Brennan,” said Lorraine Streckfus, NOWFE president. “Their commitment to excellence, heartfelt service, and philanthropic leadership has left an indelible mark on our city and hearts. When the Board gathered to consider this year’s honorees, their names rose to the top without hesitation. Their compassion, especially through Creole Cuisine Cares, and their dedication to the people of New Orleans made them an obvious and unanimous choice.”
NOWFE organizers share this honor recognizes the Ammari Brothers’ unwavering dedication to the New Orleans community and their transformative impact on the hospitality industry. They have grown a small family-run business into the award-winning Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts. With a repertoire that includes upscale and casual restaurants, daiquiri cafes and special event spaces in New Orleans, Covington, Mississippi and Alabama, they employ over 1,500 people they consider family. The Ammari Brothers have long felt a profound calling to serve and give back to the city they love. In the face of unprecedented challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, they created Creole Cuisine Cares. Their response was immediate and enduring—nourishing body and spirit across New Orleans. Their compassion in action became a beacon of hope, reflecting the very heart of hospitality. With over 1,500 employees under the Creole Cuisine Restaurant Concepts umbrella, the company may appear to be corporate, but as a family business, the Ammari family treats their team like extended family.
The Ella Brennan Award recognizes one individual each year who has made a lifetime commitment to the hospitality industry through extraordinary leadership, personal and professional accomplishments, and philanthropic contributions to the community. The Lifetime Achievement in Hospitality Award is named for restaurateur legend Ella Brennan. Her deep passion and commitment have made a significant and longstanding impact on the New Orleans hospitality industry. The award’s past recipients include Chef Paul Prudhomme, philanthropist Bill Goldring, Chef Leah Chase, restaurateurs Drago and Klara Cvitanovich, Audubon leader Ron Forman, restaurateur Ralph Brennan, celebrity chef and philanthropist Emeril Lagasse, tourism industry icon Mark Romig, Chef John Folse, Chef Frank Brigtsen, Chef Susan Spicer, Chef Donald Link, and chef and restaurateur Dickie Brennan. In 2021, the Ammari Brothers were presented with the Ella Brennan “Stand Up for Your Hometown Award” alongside other recipients who exhibited unwavering love and extended an extraordinary response to support the New Orleans community during the pandemic. Those recipients included Al Copeland, Jr., Phil Moseley and Ronnie Evans, Robert Peyton and Troy Gilbert, Erich and Jennifer Weishaupt, Devin De Wulf, Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski, Jennifer Kelley Killian, Lauren Darnell, Melvin Rodrigue, Zach Strief, Charles Armstrong, and Isaac and Amanda Toups.
Tickets to the event are available at nowfe.com VIP tables for 10 are available for $2,500 and include access to the VIP reception from 6 – 7 p.m. and the Award Gala with a complimentary bottle of wine and access to multiple bars are also included. Single a la carte tickets are available for $175 per person or $1,500 per table of 10. VIP a la carte tickets may be purchased for $275 and include the VIP reception. Proceeds from the awards gala benefit the many local non-profit organizations NOWFE supports throughout the year.
