The foodservice industry is constantly evolving, adapting, and growing as it works to address challenges such as labour shortages, mental health concerns, and the need for greater workplace diversity. As these important conversations continue, progress is being made toward achieving more equitable representation for women. However, many opportunities still remain to create meaningful and lasting change.
What does female representation look like today? The sector is made up of 58 per cent women in all positions, with 30 to 33 per cent in management, 7 to 11 per cent are high-level decision makers, 19 per cent represent kitchen leadership, and only six per cent of Michelin-starred restaurants are led by women.
We spoke with Kelly Higginson, President and CEO of Restaurants Canada, who offered her insight into the current state of women’s participation in hospitality, common challenges women are facing, and the path towards a more equitable sector.
What factors are driving the inequity?
Among a list of reasons ranging from a lack of modeling and mentorship to economic obstacles, Higginson suggests that a “broken rung” often exists, creating a barrier to women in securing their first promotion from an entry-level position to a manager role, and stalling talented females early in their careers.
Once women do make their way up the ladder, studies show that female leaders are 1.5 times more likely than male leaders to have their judgement questioned and are twice as likely to be called “too aggressive” or “too terse” when demonstrating the same assertiveness as their male counterparts. So, this is a balance that female leaders need to navigate, and it is the sort of unconscious bias that affects women demonstrating their leadership skills to the fullest capacity.
Additionally, Higginson points out that what we once may have called ‘soft skills,’ predominant in female leaders, are skills that are now considered extremely valuable for leadership in all sectors. Higginson calls these “power skills,” emphasizing the critical role that these abilities play in leading teams that strive to create an emotional experience as a fundamental part of the business.
But the lack of female representation in foodservice is not just a social issue, it’s also an economic one. Women-owned businesses receive roughly 10 per cent less financing than their male counterparts, despite owning 21 per cent of Canadian businesses. Typically, female founders only secure three to four per cent of total venture capital funding, and female led businesses are 22 per cent less likely to secure external equity.
Positive change
Investing in change can be a challenge for foodservice businesses with such tight margins, when it might take five years to see the full ROI. To help address some of the economic challenges, the Honourable Rechie Valdez, Canada’s Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), recently announced several significant federal funding initiatives to support women and address systemic barriers.
“Investment takes a lot of commitment, and I applaud our sector that is continually being hit from all sides. Sometimes, just doing it the way we’ve always done it is the less-risky business choice,” says Higginson, but she affirms that many companies are taking steps to make real change. “It’s a need, rather than a wish, to grow the sector and build strong workforces.”
Higginson cites Restaurants Canada as one body that is investing in making systemic shifts. Early in her appointment, Higginson challenged the Restaurants Canada board to adopt a 50/30 representation – which they have met. This means that the 25-person board represents their community, with 50 per cent female and 30 per cent visible minority members. These conversations and actions are meaningful ways that that the sector is moving forward, recognizing shortcomings and working towards creating teams that represent the people they serve.
Similarly, many large companies are taking steps to invest in changing their culture and making structural changes to try and break through some of these barriers. Associations like Worth (hosting the Yes Shef event, featured as part of the RC show in Toronto) and their partners are paving the way for change with mentorship, scholarship and more, for women in hospitality. In addition, fantastic mentorship programs are being created across the country that recognize where we are missing out on tapping into our fullest workforce potential. “When more and more of our board rooms participate in action like unconscious bias training, that’s where change begins – around the table, at the top, and then that filters down,” says Higginson.
The foodservice industry continues to address the inequity and challenges that women face, making progress as we look towards a brighter future.
“The bar is being raised for everybody as some of these larger companies invest in training, pay equity, and mentorship,” confirms Higginson. “As we bring more attention to these issues, we encourage people to pause and look within their own businesses and leadership teams to find ways that they can best represent the communities they are serving.”
The RC 2026 Show is on from March 8 to 10, featuring over 27,000 industry professionals, 1,300 booths, 130 speakers and presenters, and more. Tickets are available here.
