Women in Restaurant Leadership

Employee theft quietly drains bars and restaurants every single day. Everyone knows it's happening. No one talks about it. Until now. Chloe Rachel Howard and Jauna Werner co-authored "How I Steal From You"—a true crime exposé on internal theft schemes in hospitality. Chloe grew up in a family restaurant, spent a decade consulting on loss prevention. Jauna is a business operations expert who's transformed restaurant operations at major corporations. Together, they're changing how restaurant ow...

Kasia Bednarz didn't grow up thinking about "clean eating." She grew up eating potatoes because that's what her family could afford. Today, she's the Founder and CEO of FARE—a fast-casual brand proving that fast food and real food don't have to be enemies. Built on scratch-made recipes, zero seed oils, zero refined sugars, FARE has grown from a farmers' market table to 10 Chicago locations, with Charlotte opening this fall. Kasia scaled FARE without cutting corners. Inc. 5000 honoree. EY Winn...

Zipporah Allen's #WiRLPOWER moment isn't about climbing the corporate ladder. It's about learning to ask for what she needs—unapologetically. Ten weeks postpartum, pumping on a corporate jet with a room full of men. Caregiving for her mother while preparing for board meetings. Leading at work while being a leader at home. Zipporah carries a lot. And over nearly two decades at McDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Strava, and now Sweetgreen, she's learned something crucial: real power isn't about ...

Most leadership advice comes from people who've never worked a Saturday night shift. Kayla Henson has. She started as a McDonald's crew member in 2006 and worked her way to Burger King General Manager. She's worked the doubles, led through call-offs, managed impossible shifts, and built cultures people actually want to be part of. Kayla is also the creator of QSR Nugs of Wisdom. She shares practical lessons on developing leaders from crew to GM, building culture, and leading through pressur...

Maureen DiStefano just stepped into her new role as Director of Franchise Development at Slim Chickens. And we wanted you to hear her story first. With 20 years of franchise development experience across Potbelly, Dunkin', Starbucks, GNC, and Magnolia Bakery, Maureen is a Certified Franchise Executive, frequent speaker, and someone who genuinely believes "the best part of franchise development has always been the people." She's not just talking the talk. She's spent her entire career buildi...