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Article

Abstract

Perceived inequality permeates the hospitality industry at large, and women chefs have to overcome many obstacles, like gender roles, on their path to success in a restaurant. As time settles into the 21st century, the principles of equality and diversity are topics at the forefront of discussions about industries like hospitality. Many aspiring chefs entering the industry can easily name a cisgender, white, and male role model chef that they look up to while struggling to come up with a single name of a female chef as a role model. This apparent homogeneity in leaders reveals greater issues at large. Other demographics and aspects of identity politics are not nearly as represented in the leaders of the restaurant industry. Sifting through surveys and interviews of female chefs from Malaysia, Spain, and the United States helps illuminate where there are issues as well as how women have achieved their success and have become chefs. Men and women are graduating and entering the industry at similar rates, but are not equal in numbers as managers. This paper seeks to explore the barriers preventing women from success in the restaurant industry during the course of their careers and examines the ways women chefs say have supported their success in reaching the top of their field. Common counterpoints to overcoming these barriers included creating opportunities specifically for women, seeking a balance between work and life, and mentorship to help women achieve chef status.

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