Charlie Pogacar

When James Beard Award Winning Chef Debbie Gold started working in the industry, there was a dearth of women holding positions in the kitchen. She identified this as a paradox of sorts. “I always thought it was funny,” Gold says, “because if you read histories of chefs of the past, they all learned from their mother, or grandmother. But for some reason, when it came to restaurants, (people thought) we couldn’t do it.” The lack of women in restaurant kitchens persists, especially when it comes to the most coveted positions. In 2022, The Bureau of Labor Statistics found that just 22.8 percent of head chefs in the U.S. were female. The inequity is even more stark at the country’s top restaurants: research by Chef’s Pencil showed that just 6 percent of restaurants that received Michelin stars in 2022 were led by women. It’s an imbalance that is likely rooted in prejudice. Don’t believe it? Ask a woman who is a chef, and they’ll likely tell you a story about the obstacles they faced due to their gender. ...

For the past three years, supply chain hiccups have left chefs grasping at straws. Even ingredients like eggs, once very reliable, have become scarce and begun to inflate in price. Unfortunately, supply-related issues seem likely to continue for the foreseeable future. “Everyone has endured major challenges when it comes to the supply chain,” says Michael Slavin, vice president of culinary and menu innovation at Houlihan’s, a casual-dining restaurant brand under the Landry umbrella. “Product availability, product quality, and record high costs have affected all of us across the board. It’s a daily battle.” ...