2025 Spirit of Bellevue, Business and Nonprofit of the Year, and Community Impact Winners Recognized

The people have spoken, the results are in, and the 2025 recipients of the Best of Bellevue awards have been announced. A complete list of winners and contest rules is posted on the Best of Bellevue website, along with the winners from previous years.

Several Bellevue businesses, organizations, and individuals were voted “Best of” this year for the first time, including Wild Chicken Grill, Crumbl, Yeck’s Tire & Auto, Menards, Brandi Madsen – Edward Jones, Color Smith + Co Salon, Pawmaste Pet Parlor, and Dunlow Orthodontics.

New categories to vote in this year included Best Hardware Store (Menards) and Best Pancakes (The Special Restaurant).

Best Restaurant is a new category added last year. In a city known for amazing, award-winning places to eat, Best of Bellevue recognized the Top 6, based on write-in votes from the community. The six restaurants receiving the most votes were:

• Stella’s Bar & Grill
• Roma Italian Restaurant
• Luigi’s Italian Restaurant
• The Special Restaurant
• Umami
• Wild Chicken Grill

The Community Impact Award is a new write-in category introduced in 2025. Best of Bellevue voters nominated Bellevue businesses they thought made a significant impact on the community. The inaugural winner of the Community Impact Award is Beardmore Chevrolet, Subaru, and Hyundai.

“We are truly honored and grateful to be voted the inaugural winner of Best of Bellevue’s  Community Impact award. This recognition is a deeply humbling affirmation of the enduring commitment we at Beardmore have to our community,” said Shauna Johnson, Beardmore Event and Sponsorship Coordinator. “This commitment is driven by our leadership. Brian and Carey Hamilton have dedicated their hearts and resources to causes aligned with their deepest values, focusing on areas where the need is greatest. Their passion for making a tangible, positive difference is the compass for our entire team.”

Also new for 2025, Best of Bellevue now recognizes the local business and nonprofit receiving the most votes in their respective categories as the Bellevue Business of the Year and the Bellevue Nonprofit of the Year.

The inaugural recipient of the Bellevue Business of the Year award is Cornhusker Auto Wash, Express Lube & Quick Stop. “It is an absolute honor to be named the 2025 Bellevue Business of the Year,” said Cornhusker Auto Wash owner Brian Fox. “One of the things I am most proud of is that every single employee across our businesses here on the corner always has our customers’ and community’s best interests at heart. As we approach our 40th year in business, this award is not just a recognition of our company, but a celebration of the incredible employees whose dedication and commitment to true customer service make everything possible.”

Bellevue has numerous nonprofit organizations that support various aspects of our community. For 2025, the Bellevue Public Schools Foundation received the most votes in the Best Nonprofit category and is the recipient of the Bellevue Nonprofit of the Year award. “We want to thank everyone who voted in this year’s Best of Bellevue,” said BPS Foundation President Jon Costello. “There are a lot of wonderful nonprofit organizations in the Bellevue area who also deserve this award, so we are honored and humbled by this recognition. Thank you very much to everyone who voted!”

Since the event was restructured in 2018, two Spirit of Bellevue awards are presented yearly. One award is designated the People’s Choice Award and is earned through write-in voting on the Best of Bellevue website. The second award is known as the Judge’s Award. For this award, a group of local Bellevue citizens nominate businesses and nonprofits and vote each year.

The panel of judges includes representatives from various nonprofits in the community, Offutt Air Force Base, Bellevue University, the city of Bellevue, Bellevue Public Schools, the Bellevue Police Department, the Bellevue Parks & Recreation Department, the Bellevue Fire Department, and longtime community residents. Additionally, each previous recipient of the Spirit of Bellevue is invited to participate in the Judge’s Award voting.

Previous Spirit of Bellevue winners include For the Love of Food Café, the Bellevue Chamber of Commerce, Bellevue Public Schools, Beardmore Subaru, DJ’s Dugout, Solutions Heating & Air, Stella’s, Cake Expressions, Cornhusker Auto Wash, Chick-fil-A Bellevue, Erwin’s Jewelers, Achieve Physical Therapy, Dan’s Custom Sawmill, and B & B Classic Dogs.

The 2025 Spirit of Bellevue Awards winners are Hoogeveen Chiropractic Wellness Center and Bellevue Together. Bellevue Together won the Judge’s Award, while Hoogeveen Chiropractic Wellness Center earned the People’s Choice Award. “We are incredibly grateful to the Bellevue community for this honor and recognition,” Dr. Adam Hoogeveen said. “We will continue to do our best to live into the values that define our community as we seek to build positive relationships, deliver exceptional care, and create a caring environment at our center.”

Bellevue Together’s win marks the third consecutive year the Judge’s Award has gone to a nonprofit, following the previous five Judge’s Awards, which were presented to local businesses.

“We are deeply honored to be recognized as a Spirit of Bellevue Award Winner and also a Best of Bellevue Nonprofit for 2025,” said Suzanne Quinn, Co-Founder and President of Bellevue Together. “These awards are not just a reflection of our mission – it’s a celebration of the incredible community that surrounds and uplifts us every day.”

A complete list of winners and contest rules is posted on the Best of Bellevue website.

Cornhusker Auto Wash (including their Express Lube and Quick Stop buildings) won nine total awards, the most in 2025. They were followed by Stella’s Bar & Grill (8), Achieve Physical Therapy (6), The Special Restaurant (6), and DJ’s Dugout, Roma Italian Restaurant, Chick-fil-A Bellevue, and Beardmore Chevrolet, Subaru, and Hyundai, each with five awards.

Best of Bellevue voting takes place throughout the month of August each year.