"It's a big deal as it's a national award, so I feel really honoured."
The award will be presented on September 25 in Queenstown, where the association holds in annual conference.
Bates will also be speaking at the Future Leaders Day, held at the Rydges Hotel in Queenstown.
Since his arrival at Indigo, Bates has a made a number of positive changes which were both environmentally friendly and technologically advanced.
He moved the restaurant to an electronic management system, which resulted in reams of printed material now being contained on an iPad.
He was also a leader when it came to integrating eco-friendly take-away packaging.
"We like to do things first and we wanted to set an example that, if we can do it, other places can follow suit."
Other achievements have included reviewing suppliers and making changes that were financially beneficial while also improving the quality of fresh produce.
"We try and source all our produce locally, it's just another way of supporting the community."
Outside work, Bates remains an active community member and is a volunteer firefighter.
He was also recently elected as president of the Hospitality Association of New Zealand's Hawke's Bay branch and is a board member of Napier City Business Incorporated and has been invited to join the board of Destination Napier.
Bates also promotes fair pay in hospitality as well as advocating against migrants being exploited.
Under his guidance, Indigo is involved with multiple fundraising and charity events, along with sponsoring sports teams from expert to club level.
"It's all about supporting the community that supports Indigo.
"What you put in, you get out. I'm proud of the restaurant. We're going from strength to strength."
