The argument could be made that foodservice, like so many other industries, has long been a boys’ club, one in which the top leaders and innovators are, more often than not, male. And today, men continue to dominate the foodservice C-suite.
But women are on the rise, and that’s especially true in fast casual. Today, female founders lead several up-and-coming fast-casual brands across the country.
Many of them are flocking to fast casual from different fields: In a prior career, Bun Mee founder Denise Tran was an attorney; Roz Edison and Kamala Saxton were educators before they founded Marination; and Marian Cheng worked in fashion before starting Mimi Cheng’s with her sister Hannah.
Regardless of their origin stories, nearly all have a drive that goes beyond the bottom line—whether it is offering healthier, affordable food; exposing consumers to new flavors and cultures; or affecting a more sustainable supply system.
“Women have to believe in themselves and surround themselves with people who believe in them,” Sfeir says. “The support ecosystem is what allows women to thrive and overcome challenges.”
FOUNDER & OWNER • BUN MEE
In 2011, when Denise Tran left her career as a lawyer to launch Bun Mee in San Francisco, she says most of her friends and colleagues didn't even know what a banh mi was.
"When I launched Bun Mee, my mission was to make the Vietnamese banh mi sandwich a part of the everyday lunchtime vernacular," Tran says. "It's the most rewarding feeling to know you've played a part in expanding people's culinary taste buds."
Having worked in an industry far different from foodservice, Tran says the restaurant world is not so different from other industries when it comes to the challenges faced by women. Although male founders and leaders outnumber women in hospitality, she tries not to focus on it, but rather on what she can do.
"The best advice for women in this business is to have thick skin, work hard to know your operations, be decisive in your decision making, and be fair and firm when dealing with others," she says.