In March 2023, Saddleback Barbecue was recognized with a Hospitality Hero award — an honor that Travis Stoliker celebrated by naming the people who earned it: Matt Gillett, Andrew Patrick, Todd Niezgoski, David Gensch, Brynn Ray, Ryan Piotrowski, and the broader Saddleback crew. Travis's post put the team in the spotlight without centering himself — consistent with the way he has always talked about Saddleback as Matt's achievement first.
The Hospitality Hero award recognizes outstanding performance and character in the Lansing-area restaurant and hospitality industry. For Saddleback — a restaurant that built its reputation on community giving and staff culture as much as on its food — the recognition validated what Travis and Matt had been building since 2015: a place where the team's character was as much a part of the brand as the brisket.
The Hospitality Hero recognition came early in 2023, as Travis was preparing for his own transition away from Saddleback. He would join Scribe Media as VP of Marketing later that year and sell his Saddleback shares to Matt Gillett in December 2023. This award was one of the final chapter milestones of the partnership — capturing the culture the team had built, a culture that would continue under Matt's sole leadership.
