This is an ode to the women who refuse to shrink, soften, or stay silent. They lead boldly and humbly, dominate kitchens and boardrooms, defy the odds, and rewrite the rules as they go. These are the women who open conversations, take risks, embrace their femininity, and refuse to play it safe. Together, their stories reflect the full spectrum of womanhood—proof that there is no single way to lead, only the courage to do it out loud. Together, we pay homage to the women in restaurant leadership—past, present, and future—who are shaping the industry on their own terms.
In her second year as CEO, Suzie Tsai is positioning Bonchon to lead the global dialogue on Korean food—anchored by full-service roots and propelled by fast-casual expansion. Tsai took the helm of Bonchon in 2024—and it truly felt like a homecoming. Her first move as CEO was to restore the Korean letters in the logo, which translate to “my hometown,” signaling her commitment to fiercely protecting Bonchon’s Korean identity even as the brand expands globally.
Under Tsai’s leadership, Bonchon delivered its strongest franchise development year in 2024, expanding its footprint across both new and existing markets. She has streamlined the kitchen to optimize it for dine-in, takeout, and delivery, ensuring speed and convenience without sacrificing quality. Technology has also revamped kitchen line builds and improved ease of operation for franchisees.
Her external work—the menu, technology, and new restaurant buildouts—is matched by what she’s driving internally. She has doubled down on fostering a spirit of transparency, tying back to her leadership style of being “like a clear broth of udon noodles.”
Reflecting on her early days—the nights she wondered if she had hit a ceiling, and the women leaders who encouraged her to leap—Tsai often reflects on what advocacy truly means, and what it looks like in practice.
She tries to integrate advocacy and support into her everyday work. It doesn’t mean flashy statements on a keynote stage or avoiding tough decisions to keep the peace. For Tsai, real support starts small but has a big impact. For example, bringing a rising star along on business travel, exposing them to how the business works, showing them how to take a measured risk, and letting them observe leadership in the field and how decisions are made in real time.
“I want to create as many opportunities as possible for everyone in the organization, especially women, to step into something outside their comfort zone,” Tsai says. “Like, let’s visit the franchise restaurants. I know you may never need to step into a restaurant in your role, but you have to go and see it. Creating opportunities every day for my team to learn is how we can better support each other.”
Building a strong network of women and seeking out mentors helped Tsai through the times she felt stuck, hesitant, or alone. She notes that it can be overwhelming to open social media and feel pressure to live up to the perfect, polished lives others appear to have. Sometimes, simply having someone to talk through those feelings with is enough.
“When you’re trying to manage all of these expectations … it’s important not to limit yourself,” Tsai says. “It is so easy to get consumed by what others think and swept up in the idea of perfection that people put out there. In the past, we didn’t talk about the pressure we feel, the truth about being a woman in this business. But the dialogue is starting to open up … and the reality is, it’s not about fitting into a mold. It’s about bringing your unique perspective and not being afraid to do it.”
Read the rest of Tsai’s story here.
Orange County chef Jessica Roy channels her competitive spirit and fine-dining expertise into 608 Dahlia, a garden-to-table culinary destination that reflects both her precision and her passion. But Roy’s story can’t be told without understanding the competitive mindset that has shaped nearly every chapter of her career.
Having played competitive sports—including hockey and volleyball—for half her life, Roy developed an ethos rooted in discipline, intensity, and the relentless pursuit of improvement—traits that continue to define her approach in the kitchen today.
“It really shaped me as far as, I’m naturally a very, very competitive person. I was just made that way,” Roy explains. “Nobody needs to start my engine. I’d start at like 7:00 in the morning. That really drove a lot of my desire to cook more ambitiously and do better. My thing is, I’ve always been, how can I do better? How can I push this as far as I can take it right here and now, and then I’m always looking at, how can I make it better for the next time?”
That drive translated seamlessly into professional kitchens, where Roy learned to cook with both precision and speed for a high volume of guests. Navigating environments where she was often the only woman only sharpened her focus. “I was extremely driven and competitive, and also, a female, and there were no other women around me, so I was outnumbered in that way. But I really never thought about it too much, because I was just always looking to dominate,” Roy says.
As she looks toward the future, Roy’s ambitions extend beyond the kitchen. Her plans include exploring lifestyle branding, incorporating elements of her passions for fashion and design into her work. At the same time, her commitment to creating joyful, memorable dining experiences remains unwavering.
For Roy, being a chef is more than a profession—it’s an expression of love and community. With every dish, every celebration, and every new venture, she continues to build a legacy defined by passion, creativity, and the unyielding pursuit of excellence.
As the first female CEO in Tony Roma’s history, Mina Haque is reshaping what leadership can look like within a legacy restaurant brand. Her vision extends beyond the title itself, focusing on long-term impact, inclusive growth, and opening doors for others. Encouraging female franchise ownership and supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs are central to Haque’s leadership agenda.
“Being the first female CEO of this brand shouldn’t start and end with me,” Haque says. “The legacy I want to leave is having more female franchisees. Ownership in this industry still lacks proportional representation of women, and by leading with a sustainability mindset, we hope to set a new standard for responsible business practices.”
With a background rooted in law, Haque brings a distinctive perspective to the restaurant industry—one that blends advocacy, collaboration, and hospitality. One of the most surprising aspects of her journey has been how deeply she’s connected with guests and franchise partners along the way.
“As lawyers, we often get buried in briefs, but I’ve enjoyed the communal aspect of creating something for a broader audience,” she says. “I’m still in the legal world, but now I find my zealous representation extends to my clients in the restaurant industry and the communities we serve. I represent them by creating memorable dining experiences.”
That commitment to people—inside and outside the organization—shapes how Haque approaches leadership. She encourages women to embrace nontraditional paths, trust their strengths, and remain open to opportunities that may not look linear on paper. For Haque, true leadership is built by stepping outside comfort zones, taking risks, and being willing to put yourself out there.
“Don’t be afraid to share your authentic self,” Haque advises. “Your presence can help create a more inclusive and diverse environment. Innovation thrives on diverse ideas, so don’t be scared. I’m a firm believer in creating your own space and opening up your own opportunities. Step away from the conventional and start embracing unprecedented paths.”
Adenah Bayoh’s journey is a masterclass in unconventional hospitality. From escaping civil war in Liberia as a teenager to being shut out by lenders, she has turned every barrier into momentum, building a hospitality brand that champions equity, access, and audacious ambition.
“When I opened my first IHOP, seven banks turned me down, but I didn’t give up,” Bayoh adds. “We need to have funding and capital readily available for minority women entrepreneurs. They are hyper-scrutinized, and often, these lenders are looking for a reason to say no. I think we have a great opportunity to change that by investing in people and having faith in the first steps of their journey.”
Bayoh’s goal is to continue developing her soul-food-inspired restaurant, Cornbread, into a national brand, accelerating growth through franchising in major cities before expanding nationwide. She hopes to serve as a beacon of inspiration for future entrepreneurs, encouraging them to have an “unshakable belief within themselves and the audacity to dream big.”
“Here is a girl who came to the U.S. at age 13, couldn’t read, and fought her way through the education system to get a college degree. Here’s a girl who started in real estate, lost everything, found her way through restaurants, and is now growing her own brand,” she says.
“Here’s a girl who has fallen many, many times and has faced so many obstacles but refused to quit,” Bayoh continues. “I want this story to resonate with someone who feels like giving up … because anything is possible if I’m standing here today despite generational limitations and trauma. There is no substitution for hard work … but when you want something badly, understand that the universe has got you, and you will prevail.”
Jennifer Weishaupt has long recognized the need to elevate women’s voices in the hospitality industry—so she built a company where gender parity isn’t aspirational, but intentional. At Ruby Slipper Restaurant Group, a people-first culture means opening the table to diverse viewpoints and designing systems that support those who have historically been overlooked.
“My experience is when you’re the only female voice at the table, you aren’t heard, even though you’re putting your ideas out there … and then someone else turns the idea around, and suddenly it’s such a great idea,” Weishaupt says. “The bigger problem is that there are a lot of challenges to attract and retain women in this industry. The demands of our business can make it very difficult for women in all different positions to say yes and be successful, and that’s a big part of the conversations we should be having as restaurant owners and leaders.”
If Ruby Slipper is known for its creative, Southern-style breakfast twists, then Weishaupt has become known for her ability to foster a people-first culture. For her, it comes down to having deliberate and purposeful processes in place to uplift underrepresented people—individuals who might be the best candidates but haven’t been given a fair shot. Part of that is eradicating the idea of a small circle and opening conversations to welcome diverse viewpoints to the table.
The most fearful conversation in Weishaupt’s career happened nearly 20 years ago, when she was afraid to tell her boss about an upcoming pregnancy, even though she was a high performer—a culture she says is enduringly harmful and unacceptable.
“I was so afraid of being a disappointment. It feels so isolating in that moment … and it shouldn’t be. Whether it’s a pregnancy announcement, a parent-caregiver situation, or a health issue, there are a lot of different directions in life that women can get pulled into, and we often feel as if we can’t tell anyone,” Weishaupt says. “We need to keep talking about it, to share the story … it shouldn’t be scary, and the more we open up this conversation as a community and society, maybe we can reach some better answers for all of us.”
Ginger Flesher Sonnier is considered a pioneer in the competitive social dining scene, from opening the first escape rooms in Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia to launching the first urban axe-throwing lodge in New York City. Her latest concept, THRōW Social, combines unique “backyard-style” games, live music and entertainment, outdoor spaces, cabanas, and chef-crafted cuisine and cocktails.
Flesher Sonnier took an unconventional path to the hospitality realm as a former high school math teacher turned entrepreneur. For 20 years, Flesher Sonnier taught algebra, calculus, and AP statistics before she was hit by a wave of changes that spurred the next era of her life: retiring from teaching, going through a divorce, meeting her new husband, then moving with him when his job took them to Europe for three months in 2014. It was there that she discovered the concept of escape rooms—an interactive puzzle game where a team of players works together to discover clues and accomplish tasks in order to often “escape” from the room or accomplish another specific goal to win the game.
“I love puzzles, and I also happen to love interior design and marketing,” she says. “So we started to go to [escape rooms], and I fell in love with them. But I noticed that there was a feminine touch missing, and there was so much that could be improved upon. I started thinking about how I can make this so much better, so much prettier and more immersive, and then also have space for groups to gather.”
Before she knew it, Flesher Sonnier was launching a website for an escape room in Washington, D.C. and started getting bookings—all without having an actual location locked down.
“Nobody wanted to rent to me because I was just a math teacher. I had no business plan, really. I had no business concept or experience,” she admits. Eventually, she found a woman off Craigslist who rented her a space next to a lawyer’s office and behind a Starbucks. “She loved escape rooms because she was from Russia, and they were huge in Moscow and she knew of them … it was crazy.”
Within a month and a half, Flesher Sonnier opened her first Escape Room Live, “and it exploded. We were number one (on TripAdvisor) above the White House and above the National Monument,” she recalls. “I kept creating, taking all my profits and putting it back to make sure we had a gorgeous, boutique, hotel-looking lobby, so people could host events … I just noticed the experiential part of it, and I decided to add a bar. I thought, ‘what would make this super fun, and why would people want to choose me over other escape rooms?’”
Thus launched the beginning of The Ginger Brands, which has since grown to encompass Kick Axe Throwing—the first urban axe-throwing lodge to open in New York City in 2017—and, of course, THRōW Social, which opened its first location in Washington, D.C., its second unit in Delray Beach, Florida; and is set to open a third spot in Miami early this year.
The idea of Kick Axe Throwing came from Flesher Sonnier’s desire to completely revamp the typical axe-throwing venues: “It’s in warehouses with plywood walls and a chain link fence. I could make it super cute, I could make it look like a Canadian lodge … we were booked out for months in advance; you couldn’t get a spot.”
A cozy fireplace, plaid chairs, and leather-tufted sofas made for a much more welcoming and approachable vibe, particularly for women, and after opening in Brooklyn, Kick Axe Throwing expanded to Washington, D.C. (on the bottom floor below THRōW Social in a duel unit), and Philadelphia.
“I got a little bit braver, once we opened the axe-throwing venues. I began to think ahead—wouldn’t it be cool to do something even more feminine that is not focused on just axe throwing or escape rooms or one activity? And that’s when I thought of THRōW Social,” Fresher Sonnier says.
“I really felt like I hit a niche,” she continues. “There were people looking for unique places visually to spend time in and unique activities, but they didn’t want to sacrifice on the food and beverage either. So it was a hit.”
THRōW Social’s upcoming third location in Miami’s Wynwood district will feature 35,000+ square feet of indoor-outdoor space with five bars, VIP cabanas, games, live music, and all-day dining. Flesher Sonnier’s team is also looking at expanding into cities like Nashville, Tennessee; Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; and Los Angeles.
First-generation Japanese-American Jessica Kim has grown Harumi Sushi from a five-employee family operation into a Phoenix powerhouse generating $10 million in net revenue—without ever losing sight of where it all began.
Kim describes her family’s first sushi restaurant as a “bento box corner lot”—a 1,200-square-foot space in downtown Phoenix with just one working freezer. Opened more than a decade ago, Harumi Sushi was born out of necessity, created to support Kim’s family after they arrived from Japan with nothing. In those early days, Kim recalls being responsible for everything from front-of-house work to cleaning the restrooms. “Sushi restaurants in Phoenix were nonexistent at the time, and although the location wasn’t ideal, we went in because the rent was affordable, and we wanted to cater to the office crowd,” Kim says.
Her upbringing in the Japanese culinary industry shaped both her work ethic and her leadership style. “My entire family has been in the Japanese culinary industry for as long as I can remember, and they started from the ground up,” she says. “I was there alongside them, doing all the grunt work and being the janitor—basically, being part of the operations from the beginning.”
That hands-on approach remains central to Kim’s philosophy today. Training her team, working shoulder to shoulder with them, and leading with humility have been among the most rewarding parts of her decade-long journey. She still puts on an apron regularly—sometimes joking that she looks more like a maintenance worker than an owner. “Demonstrating in person what I expect my employees to do is an invaluable experience for them to witness. Whatever they need, they know I’m there to help,” Kim says. “Being humble and learning from your challenges is the only way to stay sane and open new restaurants. You have to be passionate and forget about walking in as some sort of flashy owner.”
Kim takes particular pride in watching her people grow. Several team members who started as dishwashers are now among her top chefs, a testament to the culture she’s built and the organic, sustainable way Harumi has expanded. She credits her team with helping the brand stay deeply connected to its community.
“It’s an incredible responsibility on my shoulders to make sure my team is taken care of and inspired. At the same time, it’s also important for everyone to understand the local community,” Kim says. “We just want to be a very approachable space for our regulars to enjoy super-fresh fish at an affordable price. Seeing people come in on date nights or in pajamas with their family without getting surprised by the bill keeps me motivated to keep going.”
Looking ahead, Kim plans to continue expanding Harumi Sushi throughout the Phoenix area, with a growing focus on the Japanese cocktail scene. Inspired by the hospitality standards of American steakhouses, she envisions the same level of excellence—delivered with warmth, accessibility, and authenticity. Along the way, she remains committed to reinvesting in her community, supporting women- and minority-owned businesses, and opening doors for the next generation of leaders.
