Pardini will be recognized with Lifetime Achievement Award along with the winners of the 26th annual Best of the Valley Restaurant Awards at a ceremony tonight at the Fresno Convention Center.

Pardini has been in the restaurant business since he began washing dishes at his father’s restaurant at age 13. In 1981, Pardini and his wife, Marie, opened Pardini’s Catering and later added a banquet service. Over the course of 36 years, Pardini’s has grown into one of the most successful caterers in the Central Valley.

Pardini’s is the master concessionaire for the Big Fresno Fair, the exclusive caterer at the Fresno Convention Center, and serves hungry sports fans at Fresno State’s Bulldog Stadium.

As a leader in the industry, Pardini in his lifetime is also known for his philanthropic efforts, including his involvement in Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Boys and Girls Club. He has received the Humanitarian of the Year Award from the Muscular Dystrophy Association and was indicted into the California Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.

Pardini’s legacy has now expanded to a third generation, as his sons, Jeff and Jimmy Pardini, have started their own restaurant, The Annex Kitchen.

“It’s been a great road,” Pardini said in a statement. “And I’ve enjoyed it a lot over they years.”