International Women's Day: 15 female restaurant leaders of Calgary
Calgary has many impressive female-identifying women working in the tough but highly rewarding restaurant industry.
There needs to be a passion for it, and if that passion, talent, and knowledge are there, then the opportunity should be too.
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In what was once an extremely male-dominated industry when it comes to management roles, Calgary now has an extremely impressive group of women leading the change in the restaurant business.
Behind the bar, in management, in the kitchen, on the dining room floor, in the office, or otherwise, it’s important to recognize the hard work it takes and the accomplishments that result from it.
Here are just a few of the female restaurant leaders we aim to shed light on and celebrate here in Calgary, and here are 15 more.
Maven
Mish Lee Hobbs, Head Chef
Mish Lee Hobbs/Maven
Mish Lee Hobbs initially had to fight for a hostess job, and then a kitchen job, and was often the only woman on the line. When gaining experience to get jobs elsewhere, Hobbs even hid the fact that she was a woman.
“It was hard to get interviews, and when I submitted resumes, I often would use M.Hobbs instead of Mish or Michelle,” Hobbs told Dished. When she got the job, that was just the beginning of the uphill battle.
“I felt that I had to do twice as much for half the recognition. I had a hard time finding a chef to sign my apprenticeship papers.“
Now, Hobbs is “excited and thrilled” that her new restaurant, Maven, is doing so well.
“The menu is so personal, and it feels so lovely to see that it has made people happy.”
Calcutta Cricket Club
Dréa Philip, General Manager and Wine Director
Drea Phillip/Calcutta Cricket Club
Drea Phillip worked at a pub in New York City as the first female manager. During this time, there were constant challenges.
“It was a struggle to get the job even though it was clear I deserved it after many failed managers,” Phillip told Dished in an email.
“Then once I finally had the position, getting the owners to change things for the better was another constant struggle.” Years later and in a different city, there are still challenges.
“I still get mistaken as the hostess all the time on the floor or as a male through emails if people do not know me,” said Phillip. She has now been in Calgary for six years and feels fantastic about the changes she has seen.
“I feel that owners and management are recognizing that females have different strengths that are well suited to the industry.”
Shelter Cocktail Bar
Ivana Lovric, General Manager and Bar Manager
Ivana Lovric/Shelter Cocktail Bar
Ivana Lovric started as a hostess, server, bartender, and finally a manager. She has been at Shelter for four years. Lovric acknowledges there are challenges to face every day by being a female in a male-dominated industry.
“Women are not taken as seriously in this industry and face critique for things my male peers get praised for,” she told Dished. Lovric knows the steps she wants to take to help change things for the better.
“I’m hoping to encourage women in this industry to be more confident in their skills, assertive and not afraid to make waves by creating an environment where everyone is free to express themselves, perfect their craft if they are passionate about it, and be surrounded by like-minded people,” she added.
Lulu Bar
Amy Campbell, General Manager
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Amy Campbell started out as a dishwasher, ended up travelling through Europe, moved up the ranks of the industry, and is now the general manager at one of the most successful restaurants in Calgary. It wasn’t always easy.
“I vividly recall authorities asking for a manager, walking directly past me once I announced that that was me, and heading towards a male behind the bar,” Campbell told Daily Hive in an email. “It was infuriating.” Despite this, Campbell knew her worth.
“I was young but wildly capable of being in the position I was placed in.” Now, Campbell uses her position to create a work environment that maybe she didn’t see enough of as she was coming up.
“Developing a culture of kindness, honesty, and straight-up transparency,” she said. “Being able to provide a safe and happy work environment is very important to me.”
Surfy Surfy
Sandi Voerman, Head Chef
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“Being a female in this industry, I’ve often felt like I have had to work twice as hard as my male peers to be respected and prove myself,” said Sandi Voerman, head chef at the brand new Surfy Surfy Bar.
“I’ve often found myself being the only woman or one of two or three women on the kitchen staff,” she added. Now, in her management role, she has the ability and is proud to create a different culture than she experienced.
“I love being able to mentor and teach young cooks and watch them grow into their career,” said Voerman.
“It’s been really great to see more female representation within the Concorde management team and the industry as a whole,” she added.
Concorde Entertainment Group
Amanda Jansen, Regional Manager
Annie Nguyen, Regional Manager
Darcy Townshend, Head Chef Catering
Amanda Jansen (L) and (R) Annie Nguyen/Concorde Entertainment Group
For Amanda Jansen, it isn’t just that she can’t get to management roles, but once they get there, there’s an entirely new set of challenges.
“One challenge I’ve experienced is that women are often expected to get things done and do them well, when men sometimes can be rewarded for doing less,” she told Daily Hive. “There have also been times that I’ve shared an idea that came to be implemented, but witnessed a male counterpart receive the credit,” Jansen added.
A positive trend Jansen sees in the industry is that more women feel they can put their names forward for leadership positions.
“Our industry needs to leave space for female leaders at the table, and as female leaders, we need to encourage and support fellow women looking to grow and help them get there,” said Jansen.
Annie Nguyen, who became a server on a whim, has now been with Concorde for nine years and enjoys it because it’s so much fun. “The ability to make great connections in this industry is another reason why I love it so much,” Nguyen told Daily Hive in an email.
“Some of the most important people in my life I have met through working in restaurants.”
Nguyen faced challenges early on in the male-dominated industry, but female trailblazers were supportive and uplifting. Now she’s a regional manager who just helped open Surfy Surfy. “To be able to see a restaurant come together from construction to menu development, IT, financials, marketing, operations, and the training hours that go into it all has truly been so special,” said Nguyen.
“So much behind-the-scenes work goes into creating the magic that happens during a great service,“ she added.
Darcy Townshend/Concorde Group Entertainment
Working in the food industry since she was 14, Darcy Townshend has had an amazing experience because of the support from female and male leaders. “As a female I was always applauded for my success, hard work, determination, and given a lot of opportunities to continue growing,” said Townshend.
“I was lucky to always work for very supportive male leads who helped push me to succeed. Many of whom are still close friends and mentors.” Now that Townshend has worked her way into a leadership role, she knows how important it is to do the same for others.
“It’s most important that we, as female leaders, continue to provide strong mentorship to new ladies to the workforce and constantly surround ourselves with other strong females and supportive peers,” Townshend told Daily Hive.
“Be open about concerns and stand up for yourself and your colleagues if you are feeling any sense of discrimination.”
Lonely Mouth Bar
May Ng, Head Chef
Nicole Salcedo, Sous Chef
Nicole Salcedo (L) and May Ng (R)/Lonely Mouth Bar
“Being a female chef in my 20s and an immigrant coming from the Philippines, there were definitely a lot of challenges that I had to surpass in the restaurant industry,” said Nicole Salcedo, a sous chef at Lonely Mouth Bar. “I’ve had a few male chefs — not Concorde — who had come up to me before and tell me that I will never become a sous chef or a higher position in my whole career.“
“There were a lot of times where my voice would not be heard, especially whenever I tried to stand up for myself,” she added. It looks like those leaders in the kitchen were not only not supportive, but dead wrong. Now, Salcedo is clear on whether she sees a change in this way of thinking.
“Absolutely yes,” she said. “Prime is example is Lonely Mouth Bar, where the management team, both front of house and back of house, are dominated by women, which is extremely empowering.“
May Ng, the head chef at Lonely Mouth Bar, feels like she is a prime example of the shift happening in the industry. “From being a line cook at Notable, then the executive sous chef at Goro + Gun, and now the head chef at Lonely Mouth, I can proudly say that I experienced through this shift.”
She has now been with Concorde for six years, and to her, that’s been her biggest career accomplishment. “I am very proud of my promotion to be the head chef. It feels like all my sacrifices have paid off,” Ng added.
Clive Burger
Krissy Hanna, Head Chef
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Krissy Hanna became a hostess at the young age of 12. It was when she first started bartending that she felt the challenges of being a woman in the restaurant industry.
“There were a lot of jokes about being “strong enough” to tend bar, and that I only had the most regulars because I was a woman and they wanted to date me, instead of recognizing the fact that I was simply good at my job and had a great memory to gain those regulars,” Hanna told Daily Hive.
When she moved into the kitchen as a line cook, she felt it there too. Hanna is now happy to see more women in the kitchen, proud of her switch from front of house to back of house, and loving the shift that is happening industry wide for women.
“Not only work in and be in charge of kitchens, but also getting to see so many women as GMs, Regional Managers, and Department heads in this company,” Hanna added.
Major Tom
Brittany Thompson, General Manager
Brittany Thompson/Major Tom Bar
Brittany Thompson gets excited when she hears people ask her if they could ever be a restaurant manager one day. That’s because she used to ask it, and she did so while working her way up the ranks in the industry, starting at the age of 14.
“When I turned 18, I transitioned to a steak house where I trained with a team of fine dining professionals and worked my way through every front of house position, from hosting to General Manager of two stores over a period of eight years,” Thompson told Daily Hive in an email. Thompson feels very lucky to have been supported throughout her career, although she also knows the need to stand up for herself in unfair situations.
“There have been instances in the past where I’ve had to advocate for equal pay for myself in relation to my male counterparts – it’s something that I am very passionate about – standing up for yourself is imperative in any business and my mentors have supported me through this process,” she added. Opening Major Tom, one of the best and coolest spots in town, was initially intimidating for Thompson. She loves her work and she loves her role.
“There’s something so special about carefully putting together a team, giving them an opportunity to showcase their talent, passion, and uniqueness, and witnessing the sense of pride they feel when they’ve made an impact on our guests’ experiences,” said Thompson.
As a leader in the Calgary dining scene, Thompson finds it remarkable to see more females in the industry. “I believe that female leaders bring a unique sense of strength, resilience, kindness, and critical thinking to a team that is apparent in the female-run restaurant cultures that I am familiar with,” she said.
Goro + Gun
Connie Webber, Manager
Connie Webber/Goro + Gun
Getting into the industry on a fluke, Connie Webber at Goro + Gun loves everything about her job.
“My team, my venue, my regular guests,” she told Daily Hive. “There’s never a dull moment, and I wouldn’t change that for anything!” Even though her passion is obvious, there are still challenges that come with it.
“As a female, in my experience, you do a lot of work that gets credited to your male coworkers instead of yourself,” said Webber. “It’s pretty disappointing.” Webber is amazed to see the shift to uplifting women into leadership roles, and she herself was recently evidence of that when she started her new management position.
“It was scary at first, but my regional manager, Amanda, has blown me away and has taught me so many things,” added Webber.
Donna Mac
Julie Dalton, General Manager
Kayla Woods, Chef
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Kayla Woods, the chef at Donna Mac, loves everything about the collaboration and organization of working in a kitchen.
“From planning dishes and organizing a day, to running a line — it’s so nice to be able to work as a group to accomplish something together,” said Woods.
“Being a leader and being able to have a team that comes into work feeling happy and leaves fulfilled is a beautiful thing, and it fills my heart to be able to spearhead that every day.” It was tricky at times for Woods to find a voice without seeming too pushy or bossy, especially with little in the way of role models and people around her with a different mindset.
In her current position in a changing industry, she feels good about where things are headed for the next generation. “It’s refreshing to see more female representation these days, and it’s much easier to access with amazing shows and cookbooks,” said Woods.
Working closely with Woods is the general manager of Donan Mac, Julie Dalton. Together, they create a safe environment where their team can thrive. “We love to create unique and fun events, menus, and specials that our guests will love and our team will be excited to be a part of,” Dalton told Daily Hive in an email.
Dalton started in this new leadership role with Donna Mac last year and has been with the company since 2017. “I have been very lucky to work with wonderful men and women in the hospitality industry in Calgary,” said Dalton.
“As a female manager, finding my voice has its challenges, but over time I have become more comfortable with the responsibility of speaking up for myself, my team, and the business,” she added.
With more than 10 years in hospitality, Dalton has definitely noticed a shift for women working in the industry. “I think that women in the industry have worked very hard to create more space for themselves and to say yes to new roles,” she said.
“We are really lucky at Donna Mac that we have a space where everyone feels welcome and that their opinion matters.”
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