Bar & Restaurant News is pleased to announce that long-time contributor Aaron Kiel has taken home a 2025 Eddie & Ozzie Award!
Kiel took home the top prize in the Eddies Award category for Range of Work by a Single Author in B2B.
Kiel's articles often focus on the people behind the bar & restaurant industry, and his winning entry was no exception. The winning articles included pieces on DEI, immigration, and Pride celebrations:
- Immigrants Play a Huge Role in Restaurants and Hospitality; Here’s Why It Matters
- Does DEI Belong on the Menu? The Real Impact of DEI in Bars & Restaurants
- From Cabaret Performances to Drag Brunches, Bars and Restaurants Bank on Eatertainment
Kiel is an award-winning journalist and public relations professional in Raleigh, N.C. He’s worked in the beverage, tea, and coffee industries for two decades, as well as hospitality and technology. He’s a journalist at heart, but he also wears a PR and communications hat through his consultancy, ak PR Group.
He is no stranger to awards. In 2023, he was a finalist and honorable mention in the “Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards” for “Range of Work by a Single Author – B2B” for World Tea News, and in 2024, he won two awards for his work with Bar & Restaurant News, including a Gold Northeast Region Award in the American Society of Business Publication Editors’ (ASBPE) Azbee Awards under the “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion” category, and a “Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Award” in the B2B article category for “Culture & Community.” He also received a 2024/2025 ASBPE Diversity Fellowship Award, which supports and recognizes diversity in the field of B2B journalism.
Connect with him on Instagram: @adventurer_explorer or visit akprgroup.com.
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