Listen to this articleVilla Restaurant Group is being recognized for its innovation, impact and leadership in using technology to transform its business.
The Morristown-based, family-run hospitality group is among three companies that received 2025 Customer Excellence Awards from restaurant management platform Restaurant365.
Launched this year, the awards celebrate Restaurant365 customers “who exemplify success” across the core categories of accounting, operations and workforce. The California-headquartered company chose finalists and winners based on “measurable impact, scalability, employee engagement, customer focus and innovation,” it said in a Sept. 17 press release.
According to Restaurant365, Villa was lauded for operations excellence across its 400-plus restaurant locations. The 61-year-old company has nearly 2,000 team members in the field, as well as around 60 corporate staffers.
Beyond its proprietary banners, the company also has numerous partner brands, such as Starbucks, Bluestone Lane, Dos Toros, Zaro’s, Jersey Mike’s Subs, Shake Shack and Salsarita’s.
Villa Controller Michael Leeman shared, “Restaurant365 has truly transformed how we operate — the visibility and automation let our operators make real-time decisions and drive profitability.”
Restaurant365 also celebrated Italian restaurant Wholly Stromboli in Colorado for accounting excellence and upstate New York restaurant-brewery Johnson’s Landing for workforce excellence.
According to the press release, all three winners will be highlighted at the Restaurant Transformation Festival next week in San Diego. During the event, Restauran365 co-founder and Chief Community Officer Morgan Harris will announce the overall Customer Excellence Award winner. The top honoree will also take home a $10,000 grand prize, the company said.
In a statement, Harris said, “Each of these winners has not only achieved outstanding results in their category but also inspired the broader restaurant community with their commitment to innovation, team culture, and customer experience.”
