International Women’s Day is fast approaching, a day to celebrate equality and female empowerment in all areas of society, therefore let’s talk about a particularly interesting group of women restaurant owners.

2020-2021 forced to deal with capacity reductions, closures, massive layoffs, lack of revenue, and sales…

In other words, it’s been a particularly difficult year for everyone, and certainly, the hospitality services sector had been hit very hard.

To support one another, these women restaurateurs came up with a wonderful idea!

RE: HER, founded in November 2020, unites over 100 women restaurant owners in Los Angeles County to participate in 10 Days RE: HER.

10 Days RE: HER is a food festival that featured collaborations of women leaders in the industry at the end of January.

What is their intention?

To elevate the sisterhood of restaurants in LA and unite to rise above this adversity.

How did the idea come?

RE: HER is affiliated with “Let’s Talk” and thus the idea was born during monthly meetings.

So, “Let’s Talk” members discussed various ways women-owner restaurants have banded together to survive across the country, and RE: HER appeared as a way to take further action and support the industry in Los Angeles.

“We created RE: HER to not only drive business for participating restaurants during a historically slow period but also to funnel cash, via a grant program, directly to women operators across town who are struggling to keep their businesses afloat.” Lien Ta.

You can find out a little more about this foundation here. Now, let’s meet these industry leaders.

Lien Ta

Co-owner of “All Day Baby” and “Here’s Looking At You”.

Lien is committed to supporting, educating, and guiding women-owned restaurants in LA.

Likewise, is also involved in raising and donating food for low-income and food-insecure families with El Nido Family Centers in the Watts community.

Learn more about her here

Sylvie Gabriele

After a couple of decades in the restaurant industry, you can say you know what you’re talking about.

Sylvie grew up in a restaurant, as her dad owned Café Pierre, which later became “Love & Salt”.

Part of every operational and administrative area and it is all that knowledge and experience that she wants to pass on to every member of her team, client, or member of the restaurant community.

Sandra Cordero

Owner and Chef of “Gasolina Café”, Sandra focused on bringing Spanish food with a new perspective.

Seasonal produce, sustainably grown and locally sourced, Sandra is passionate about her career, her restaurant, and her community.

Always looking to make a difference, and help, all these while learning along the way and enjoying the experience.

Learn more about her here

Bricia Lopez

A partner in her father’s restaurant, “Guelaguetza”, Bricia is a strong advocate of Oaxacan culture and an integral figure in the Los Angeles dining culture.

She has participated as a judge at various food and spirits events discussing the authenticity of Mexican cuisine and the influence of mezcal in mixology and the current spirits market.

Herb Wesson, President of the Los Angeles Council in 2013, recognized her contribution to the community and being an inspirational icon as a leader for young women.

You can get to know her a little more on her Instagram profile, she is very active!

Mary Sue Milliken

Co-owner of “Border Grill” and “Socalo”.

Has her focus set, not only in the culinary world but also in offering the community, her work team, and the environment her grain of sand, as a response and action in the face of everything that happens around her.

Her restaurants work with local products, her employees love working with her and she also seeks to help the community. She is definitely great!

Kimberly Prince

HotvilleChicken’s website declares it loud and strong “If you’ve never heard about Nashville-style hot chicken, it’s certainly time to get familiar.”

Back in 1930, a family tradition was patented at BBQ Hot Chicken Shack, and then renamed Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack in the 1980s.

A restaurant with tradition, it’s part of the community, a community that Kimberly has strived to give her full support to.

Heather Sperling

Co-founder of Botanica, a restaurant/market focused on using local produce to create colorful, fresh, healthy, and nutritious food.

She served as editor of two culinary websites and has written about food for a host of publications, consulted for chefs and market makers, attended culinary conferences on four continents, and is dedicated to enjoying the good colors that cooking can offer.

Know her a little more on her Instagram profile

Dina Samson

The owner of Rossoblu and SuperfinePizza has dedicated herself to offering her help to the community.

She is part of other programs to offer help to anyone who needs it from her possibilities.

A great example (:

You can learn a little more about social actions here.

Brittney Valles

In 2015 she partnered with Chef Wes to manage the business operations of a small taco truck.

By 2018 they opened Guerrilla Tacos Restaurant and have developed their own style of Haute Mexican cuisine.

Almost everything on the menu is a hit and she is very happy about it.

Get to know them a little more here.

A group of women with a common taste, goals, and effort, got together and created this wonderful idea to generate support and awareness among other restaurant owners.

All this, while some of them had to close their own restaurants.

These actions are wonderful, they speak of born leaders, resilience, commitment, action, and above all, a good heart.

By the way, RE: HER is actively seeking donors and sponsors to support their grant program, in which they pledge to distribute cash assistance to LA restaurants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, you can be a part of it 😉

Estefanía Barbieri

I’m a Publicist passionate about letters, bibliophile par excellence, and happily dedicated to being an amateur cook in my spare time. Not much free time and not many good recipes, but I try;)