Stacy Brown, Chicken Salad Chick founder and co-owner of Botanic, to be honored at Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management’s annual Hospitality Gala April 23

One of Auburn’s very own — who has built an impressive legacy across the hospitality industry — will be honored at this year’s annual Hospitality Gala — the signature event hosted by students in the Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management in the College of Human Sciences on the evening of Thursday, April 23.

Stacy Brown, a 1999 Auburn alumna, founder of Chicken Salad Chick and co-owner of Botanic, will serve as the 2026 Horst Schulze Award for Excellence in Hospitality honoree to highlight her previous and continued excellence in the field of hospitality.

Brown launched Chicken Salad Chick as a door-to-door operation in 2007 and opened its first restaurant in 2008 with her late husband, Kevin Brown. Today, she remains an owner and board member as the brand has grown to more than 330 restaurants across 20 states, earning recognition on the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies list and in national industry reports.

While Brown did not major in hospitality management as a college student at Auburn, she credits her academic background in communications and psychology to be a powerful foundation for a successful career in the hospitality industry.

“My time at Auburn built perseverance and I learned about what makes us tick, what moves us and how to connect to people in a meaningful way,” said Brown. “All these things turned out to be invaluable skills needed in both my quest for the perfect chicken salad and creating surprise and delight for guests visiting Botanic. I love so many things about the hospitality industry — I love people, I love serving them, I love exceeding their expectations, I love creating a culture of encouragement and a runway for creativity. These are just a few things from a long list of life enriching opportunities that present themselves daily.”

Known as the key fundraising event for the school and a capstone course for hospitality management students, the Hospitality Gala will be held inside The Hotel at Auburn University. Guests will enjoy a reception and formal dinner all while honoring a distinguished Auburn alumna who has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, vision and passion in the scientific pursuit of excellence in hospitality.

“When they said I had been chosen to receive the 2026 Horst Schulze Award for Excellence in Hospitality, I teared up,” said Brown. “I feel I am rewarded every day with the joy I receive from serving people. Being recognized for doing all the things I love to do is an overwhelming and humbling honor.”

Additionally, Brown is the sponsor behind The Incubator space in Hey Day Market, giving future chefs, young entrepreneurs and hospitality leaders a launchpad to test their concepts in a real-world environment.

For Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management students involved with the 2026 planning committee, a total of 33 students across all options in the school — event management, hotel and restaurant management and culinary science — are engaged from start to finish when it comes to planning, organizing and execution of the staging of the Hospitality Gala.

Each student could learn a tremendous amount of industry expertise from Brown, who praised the Hospitality Gala for the real-world experience it brings to the students.

“I love the Hospitality Gala for the students — a live and in person event for them to practice all the things they have learned,” said Brown. “In hospitality, there are no two days alike and there are no two people alike. They will always be maneuvering through whatever comes their way in the moment. Earning a degree in this field from Auburn University will give them the firm foundation they need to navigate an ever-changing future.”

Additionally, beverage professionals who are graduates of the hospitality program or have ties to the program will be in attendance. Following the reception will be a dinner at 6:30 that takes guests on an exquisite food and wine culinary journey, a live auction, and the honoring of Brown.

The featured chefs for 2026 will be Executive Chef with the Waldorf Astoria in Osaka, Japan Chef Andrew Litherland, Chef and CEO of Rocket Farm Restaurants Ford Fry, Owner and Head Chef of Helen Rob McDaniel and Owner and Executive Chef of Highlands Bar and Grill, Bottega Restaurant, Bottega Café and Chez Fon Fon Frank Stitt. Angelia Nielsen of Moët Hennessy will serve as a featured winemaker. Joining them will be four Horst Schulze School of Hospitality Management student chefs who will be paired with each guest chef.

The inaugural Award for Excellence in Hospitality was presented in 2011 to Horst Schulze, founder of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and The Capella Hotel Group. Presented every other year along with an Outstanding Alumnus award during The Hospitality Gala, the award was subsequently renamed to honor Horst Schulze who is not only an industry icon, but a long-time supporter, partner and friend of the College of Human Sciences.

Brown, who has been featured on CNBC, CNN, FOX Business, and NPR’s “How I Built This,” and was named Alabama Restaurateur of the Year and Auburn University Entrepreneur of the Year will now join this prestigious list of honorees that recognizes those who represent the virtues that programs in the College of Human Sciences stand for: enhancing quality of life, environmental stewardship, professional integrity and a commitment to excellence and intellectual discovery.

“I have so much advice I’d like to share with students for life after graduation,” said Brown. “Everything I would tell them could be summed up by this; revisit the Auburn Creed often. Hold yourself to that standard in all your decisions. You graduated from a school of excellence — stay excellent.”