I grew up in the restaurant industry. I started cooking when I was fourteen years old, spending my childhood in my family’s restaurant. It was a place where I was never made to feel small for not knowing something. Instead, I was taught with patience, respect, and encouragement.

I assumed every kitchen would be like that.

It wasn’t.

Continue Reading →The Breaking Point

Too Emotional

Anonymous Chef

Chef • California • 12 years · 6 min read

“It’s not just one story.

It’s not just one moment.

It’s so many.”

I’ve experienced it myself, but I’ve also watched it happen to countless other women.

Disrespect. Harassment. Being underestimated. Being talked over. Being treated as though we had something to prove simply because we walked into a kitchen.

Continue Reading →Too Emotional

Part of the Job

Anonymous Pastry Chef

Pastry Chef • Austin, TX • 10+ Years · 5 min read

As a woman who’s spent more than sixteen years in the hospitality industry, I consider myself fortunate.

I’ve worked with incredible mentors—people who challenged me, supported me, and created environments where I felt respected. Before my current job, I worked for an all-female company where feeling safe at work was simply the norm.

Because of those experiences, I know what a healthy workplace looks like.

I also know how quickly that feeling can disappear.

Continue Reading →Part of the Job

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Hospitality has countless untold stories.

Whether you’re a dishwasher, prep cook, bartender, pastry chef, line cook, server, sous chef, executive chef, or restaurant owner, your experience matters.

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