05/27/2026
These were pure candid moments of pride.
Moments of looking around and realizing… this is the environment we always dreamed of creating. ✨
But here’s what people don’t talk about enough about being women in the culinary industry.
and worked our way up from the bottom.
We fought through male-dominated kitchens where we were underestimated, overworked, and often treated terribly.
We worked 60+ hour weeks just to still be called “part-time.”
We watched men get handed promotions while we quietly carried the workload behind the scenes.
We were underpaid by corporations and restaurants that demanded excellence, creativity, and sacrifice, but never wanted to compensate us fairly for it.
We learned to stay quiet when we were mistreated because speaking up could cost us opportunities.
We experienced women in leadership feel threatened by our work ethic, our growth, or simply our presence.
One of us was repeatedly sent away to lower-level traveling restaurant openings because management thought we were “too close” to a male employee even though we were just friends.
One of us was shoved against a table by a man in the kitchen as a “joke.” He was over 40 years old. It wasn’t funny. It was disturbing.
Another time, a female supervisor intentionally rammed a speed rack into one of us out of jealousy because guests and coworkers started gravitating toward us more.
And honestly… these are only some of the experiences.
So when you see photos like this understand what they really mean to us.
Peace.
Freedom.
Creativity.
Safety.
Respect.
Ownership.
Bliss.
We built the environment we once prayed to work in.
And that feeling is something no title, restaurant, or corporation could ever give us. 🤍
To every woman in hospitality fighting to be respected: keep going. Your environment matters. Your voice matters. And your passion deserves room to grow.
