A Chicago restaurant has earned one of the food world’s biggest honors, but the recognition goes beyond what is on the plate. Food & Wine has named John’s Food & Wine its 2026 Restaurant of the Year, highlighting not only its cooking but also its unusual approach to running a modern restaurant.
Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, John’s Food & Wine has gained attention for combining seasonal cooking with a business model designed around better pay, stronger teamwork, and a more sustainable workplace for restaurant employees. The recognition spotlights a restaurant trying to rethink long-standing challenges in the hospitality industry.
Food & Wine’s Restaurant of the Year award is part of the publication’s broader effort to recognize restaurants that are making an impact through food, hospitality, and innovation. For John’s Food & Wine, the honor represents a growing conversation about what the future of restaurants can look like.
A Chicago restaurant built around food and a different workplace model
Chef-owners Tom Rogers and Adam McFarland founded John’s Food & Wine in 2022 to create a different kind of dining experience. The restaurant was named after their fathers and reflects their years of industry experience.
The restaurant’s menu focuses on seasonal, market-driven dishes, with chefs working closely with ingredients that change throughout the year. Rather than relying only on traditional fine-dining structures, John’s Food & Wine has created a model that combines high-quality food with a different approach to staffing and compensation.
One of the restaurant’s most discussed changes is its decision to move away from the typical tipping structure. Instead, the restaurant uses a 20% hospitality charge, distributed among non-management employees through a point system based on responsibilities and experience.
According to Food & Wine’s coverage, employees at John’s Food & Wine earn at least $25 per hour, with some restaurant workers earning significantly higher annual pay than is common in the industry. The publication reported examples including a dishwasher earning $70,000 and a line cook earning $90,000.
The restaurant’s success is about more than its menu
Restaurants are often judged by memorable dishes, atmosphere, and service, but John’s Food & Wine has drawn attention because it is also challenging traditional ideas about how restaurants operate.
The owners created a cross-trained team where employees handle multiple parts of the restaurant rather than staying strictly divided between front-of-house and back-of-house roles. Food & Wine reported that this approach helps create a more connected workplace while allowing the restaurant to operate efficiently.
That approach addresses a long-running issue in the restaurant industry: keeping skilled workers while creating a workplace where employees can build long-term careers. By focusing on compensation and team structure, John’s Food & Wine has positioned itself as an example of how restaurants can experiment with new ways of operating.
The restaurant’s recognition also comes as Chicago continues to strengthen its reputation as one of America’s leading food cities. Other Chicago restaurants have received major national and international recognition, including Smyth, which was named the best restaurant in North America in the 2026 North America’s 50 Best Restaurants rankings.
A dining experience designed around discovery
Beyond its workplace model, John’s Food & Wine has also gained attention for its approach to hospitality. The restaurant focuses on creating an experience where guests can explore seasonal dishes, thoughtful wine selections, and a more relaxed service style.
Its wine program has also drawn attention, including a rotating “Chef’s Pour” option that lets guests try special wines by the glass rather than committing to a full bottle. Food & Wine described the program as a way to make unique wines more accessible to diners.
The restaurant’s chefs have also shared techniques behind their cooking, including approaches to building sauces with layers of flavor and using ingredients such as specialty vinegars, herbs, and seasonal produce to create balance.
Those details reflect a larger philosophy at John’s Food & Wine: great dining is not only about expensive ingredients or complicated presentations. It is also about creating thoughtful food and a memorable experience from start to finish.
Why the award matters for Chicago’s food scene
Food & Wine’s 2026 Restaurant of the Year recognition puts John’s Food & Wine in the national spotlight, but it also highlights Chicago’s continued influence on American dining.
The city has long been home to restaurants known for creativity, ambitious chefs, and different approaches to hospitality. Awards and rankings continue to bring attention to Chicago’s diverse restaurant community and the people shaping its future.
For John’s Food & Wine, the honor celebrates both the food being served and the ideas behind the restaurant. Its success shows that a restaurant can focus on excellent cooking while also questioning old industry habits.
As the hospitality world continues to change, John’s Food & Wine is offering one possible vision for what restaurants of the future could look like: thoughtful food, strong teams, and a business model built to last.
