The people, restaurants, and organizations shaping the hospitality industry right now.
Want to Know Chef Kevin Huynh’s Secret Weapon? He Never Stops Learning
How one chef’s eagerness to learn propelled him to the top of Philly’s busiest Vietnamese cafe.
The Abundance Setting
The restaurant industry is known for long days and irregular working hours, which is particularly difficult for single mothers who make up one-third of working parents in the field. The Abundance Setting is an organization whose mission is to encourage and support the advancement of women and working mothers in the culinary & hospitality industry. Through their program 3 Chefs 3 Moms, they provide mentorship and professional development opportunities to working mothers early in their careers, as well as family meals for their homes.
Oyster Oyster Makes Sustainability Chic
In Washington, D.C., Beard-winning Chef Rob Rubba is showing the world that sustainability is the most exciting thing happening in food.
How Chef Elena Reygadas’ Fellowship Supports Women in Hospitality
Beyond shaping the city’s food scene at restaurants like Rosetta, the CDMX native has been an outspoken advocate for women pursuing culinary careers.
Southern Smoke Foundation
As diners, we go into a restaurant to celebrate, to vent, to forget a bad day or commemorate a good one. We step into a restaurant to be taken care of by others — we want to see a passionate chef showing off their first-of-the-season ramps or an enthusiastic sommelier recommending their new favorite Gamay.
The experiences at restaurants wouldn’t be as special without the hospitality teams making them that way, and that’s exactly what Southern Smoke aims to do — let hospitality workers focus on what they do best.
Southern Smoke is an organization for food & beverage workers by food & beverage workers. Their mission is to create a meaningful safety net of support for folks who work in hospitality. Through their emergency relief grants and mental health programs, they provide support for restaurant workers to be able to show up and do the jobs they love doing.
The Fast-Casual Restaurants Expanding Rapidly Without Compromising Quality & Innovation
Tacos A Go Go
Tacos A Go Go has been around for 18 years, and the business continues to grow. This year, Tacos A Go Go will relaunch their digital presence and evolve while maintaining its place as a fixture and restaurant to emulate in the Houston restaurant scene.
Birdcall
Gastamo Group, the hospitality group that owns Birdcall, seamlessly marries technology and hospitality. Unsatisfied with the on-premise technology options available to them, Gastamo Group built a custom POS system that fits their needs exactly. This innovative spirit translates to community efforts as well – Birdcall donates a portion of all profits to organizations bettering local communities.
For Five Coffee
Hospitality is a top priority for For Five Coffee, and it doesn’t just come through in the coffee. Designing its spaces and menus to fit the clientele of the neighborhoods it opens in, For Five Coffee aims to make hubs for the communities it serves. For Five Coffee has also been known to hire folks from the fine dining world, like Union Square Hospitality Group alum, to keep innovating on their commitment to good hospitality.
Bubbakoo's Burritos
Good hospitality starts with having a true understanding of your customer. That's why Bubbakoos has over 100 locations in 15 states and is still growing. Bubbakoos has tailored the menu to fit its customers’ tastes, revamped the loyalty program to offer innovative and creative awards, and runs successful Limited Time Offer deals to surprise and delight. Bubbakoos knows how effective marketing can be, and it wants to turn one-time guests into repeat diners because the product is so good.
Utopia Bagels
Utopia Bagels is a New York Institution that embraces modern technology. In order to grow, Utopia Bagels knew its digital presence needed to be strong. Now there are 145,000 super fans which you can see on @utopiabagels Instagram account and new business partnership with fine-dining Greek concept The Avra Group. Utopia Bagel’s commitment to excellence is unwavering, and now more people than ever know about its delicious bagels.
How Two Houston Barbecue Trailblazers Use Social Media to Uplift The AAPI Community
Blood Bros. BBQ’s Terry and Robin Wong want their success story to be joined by countless other ones in the Asian American community.
Queer Food Foundation
Queer Food Foundation (QFF) is a resource and platform for the LGBTQIA+ community working in food. The organization maintains a database of industry contacts called the Queer Food Foundation Directory that aims to amplify, connect, hire, and support queer people pursuing their passions in the culinary arts.
Looking for a food photographer in Los Angeles? Need a private chef in Miami? Curious about the great queer bakers in Philadelphia? You can find it all, thanks to the Queer Food Foundation.
Lewis Barbecue Brings High-Touch Hospitality to Texas-Style BBQ
Co-Founder Ben Garbee wants his employees helping guests get down and dirty, not doing grunt work.
General Manager at The Bazaar
Christian Ward
“One of Christian’s greatest strengths is his ability to build and maintain relationships with staff and guests. He’s a known presence in D.C.’s hospitality community and celebrates his industry peers any chance he gets. With his own team, he’s deeply committed to developing their skills and talents, and imparts his passion onto them. He has implemented numerous service initiatives that have helped our employees grow and succeed. He serves as a mentor and provides opportunities for professional growth. Christian is always there for his team and does exceptionally well under pressure. He adapts quickly when challenges are presented and does it all with a smile.”
- Peter Johnson, Senior Director of Operations at José Andrés Group
Sarah O’Brien Is Creating The Community She’s Proud to Live in
The pillars of Little Tart Bakeshop & Big Softie? Delicious pastries and community activism.
The Marketing Directors Turning Their Restaurants Into Full-Fledged Brands
Marketing Director at John Fraser Restaurants
Casey Hyken
Casey Hyken’s passion for the industry is palpable. She puts people first, and the relationships she’s built with her chef clients proves that. Casey is so committed to restaurants that she created a program called Industry Table that treats a deserving restaurant worker to a deeply discounted meal at JF Restaurants. This allows folks in the industry to recharge and become reinspired through the power of hospitality.
Restaurant & Small Business Marketing Consultant
Emily Burke
Emily is a quiet but powerful force in the Boston restaurant scene. She built the brands of some of the most iconic restaurants in Boston, like Rochambeau and Back Door Donuts. She’s extremely committed to the restaurants she works with and has taken that passion into her own business: marketing for small businesses and restaurants all over Massachusetts.
CMO at Lightstone/Moxy Hotels
Lauren Levin
Even though Lauren is a hospitality industry vet, her passion and talent continue to grow. She has been granted numerous awards for her innovative and exciting campaigns but still makes time to push this industry forward. She does that through her involvement in the mentorship program at her alma mater, Cornell’s School of Hotel Administration.
VP of Digital Marketing at Clique Hospitality
Joanna Fravel
Joanna is one of the most driven people in the hospitality industry. She pushes her team to innovate on unique and exciting branding across each of Clique Hospitality’s restaurants and does so with diligence, organization, and passion. Her attention to detail when it comes to the digital presence of each of the restaurants she manages is inspiring.
Marketing & Communications Manager at Clyde Restaurant Group
Meghan Newkumet
Taking a century-old restaurant into the digital world is no easy feat. Meghan has maintained the reputation of Clyde Restaurant Group as one of D.C.’s highest-quality restaurants, all while adapting to the ever-changing landscape of the current restaurant scene. Because she’s a true master of her craft, Meghan and her team are able to evoke that special feeling we all go to restaurants to find.
For Mercer Street Hospitality, Real Life is Better
How the operators of Manhattan’s legendary Lure Fishbar use technology to focus on creating peerless in-person hospitality.
Juan Oajaca Isn’t Just a Great Prep Cook or an Efficiency Pro. He’s the Man.
At Wenwen and 886 in New York City, he’s an essential figure in the back of house and beyond.
James Beard Foundation’s Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership Program
Even though 47% of restaurants are at least 50% women-owned, the restaurant industry has a lot of room to improve. That’s why the James Beard Foundation offers a virtual 10-week crash course for women & non-binary restaurant owners to teach them everything they need to know about building and growing a successful business.
The Women’s Entrepreneurial Leadership program makes better business owners who provide so much more than just a delicious meal. They foster professional development connections, advocacy, policy change, and community relationships that last well past the 10-week program.
Fini Pizza Director of Culinary & Purchasing
Maria Torres
“Maria began her career with Grovehouse in 2018 at Misi, where she oversaw the gelato program. Since then, she has taken on the role of developing all of Fini’s Italian cuisine & dessert recipes as well as many operational facets of the business. She’s a creative genius, able to work analytically as well as develop delicious recipes that make our brand strong. She’s one of the greatest quiet leaders I’ve ever had the experience of working with.”
- Sean Feeney, Co-Founder of Grovehouse Hospitality
Pastry Chef at Cúrate
Andrew Buie
“Andrew is constantly reminding our team and our guests that a wonderful, integrated pastry program makes the difference between a good dining experience and an incredible one. He pushes the boundaries of creativity, infusing local Blue Ridge Mountain-grown ingredients with the authenticity and culture of Spain. He is constantly reviewing the product mix on our POS to drive his menu changes, requesting feedback from the service team so he can better understand the guest experience, and thinking of ways that the pastry team can enhance the guest experience through surprise and delight in ways that are creative yet affordable. I can say without hesitation he is a main pillar of why a dining experience at Cúrate stands out.”
- Katie Button, Chef & Co-founder of Cúrate