FSR August 2022

Perspectives

‘I was wondering if I should come.’ But after the first day, they said it was the best decision they ever made. What central themes emerged? It was really unearthing what has been there well before the pandemic. No one can deny that COVID impacted the way the industry is run, but many issues were just exacerbated and have always been there. When we’re talking about why the industry was hit hardest in terms of the labor shortage—6 percent of the workforce left hospitality—it’s because of issues we’ve been advocating for all along, like a dignified wage, flexible work schedules, harassment-free work envi ronments. It’s very important to have a lot of people be the ones to speak and share their experiences. At the height of the pandemic when some of the leading restaurateurs were invited to the White House to discuss policy, not one female was included. And the people who were invited, we respect them all, but they only represent a sliver of the industry— we’re talking about Michelin-starred res taurants in New York City or Napa. Well, that doesn’t reflect some of the great work happening in Indiana or Kansas City or Rochester, New York, or all the other places that we have women chefs and restaurateurs. And they’re the back bones of their communities. Many of these women started their businesses 18–25 years ago. No one thought they could do it, and here they are, proving everyone wrong. But they did it with a lot of sacrifices because they didn’t have the resources and the net work that we’re trying to build today so that it can be more equitable. Of course, less than 7 percent of chefs and restau rant owners are women—they’ve oper ated at such a disadvantage. How has the organization evolved? MAPP has been doing this work since 2018. When we weren’t hosting events because of COVID, we used that time to reflect on what we could do, espe cially now that our friends in the indus try needed help. So we created MAPP as

down to storytelling. Why do these peo ple do what they love? What is the moti vation behind the work that can be so grueling? I grew up in this industry. I had the greatest role model in my mother, who still does it everyday. She’s been in her restaurant 32 years now. So for me, it’s very personal because I see that it’s such a labor of love and dedication. We have to get those stories out there so the public sees the incredible work they do and what influence they have on their communities. Then we can support the industry better. My mom owns Val’s Restaurant out of Holden, Massachusetts. She started it as a small pizzeria—I don’t even know if it was 1,300 square feet—and now the restaurant itself is 15,000 square feet. I realized I should share her story, what she went through. Plus, she’s got a big ger-than-life personality. It wouldn’t do justice writing about it; she had to tell her own story. What’s next for MAPP and for your Ɠ OPPDNLQJ" We have built such an amazing MAPP community of women committed to food and hospitality that the energy is contagious, and the momentum to our movement is incredible with MAPP members growing in each state. What drives me is seeing the difference we’re making, knowing that 30 years ago, my mother didn’t have a network like this where women are supporting women in the industry. I’m excited to announce some of the new initiatives we’re working on. First, we’re encouraging women to take the pledge for our ‘roadMAPP’ to profes sional and personal fulfillment. And from there, we are developing the road MAPP series, a virtual, seven-part busi ness leadership webinar series leading up to MAPP’s annual conference in South Florida next spring. I’ve also got a lot of ideas and am doing some pre-development for a new film series. At the end of the day, that’s my love and what I want to keep work ing on.”

JOANNA JAMES

a 501c3. We’re doing a lot of legislative outreach because we had that setup from our advocacy work with the Partnership for the National Partnership for Women & Families. Then when the Independent Restaurant Coalition was formed, we did a post-COVID survival toolkit series as a webinar on some of the most impor tant things that small businesses were doing to pivot. A lot of our members were really want ing to learn more, and so as daunting as it was, we said, let’s consider hosting our first conference. You could sense that people wanted to get together and be in the same space as opposed to Zoom. And that was the best part: seeing so many friendships and partnerships that were being built. It wasn’t just networking. What led you to document women in hospitality through A Fine Line ? The power of food and film all comes “The power of food and Ɠ OP DOO FRPHV GRZQ WR storytelling. Why do these people do what they love? What is the motivation EHKLQG WKH ZRUN WKDW can be so grueling?”

KATE WARK PHOTOGRAPHY

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AUGUST 2022