Iowa Restaurant Association to honor women restaurateurs
Women are having a growing impact on the restaurant industry, evidence of which can be found in the latest list of Iowa Restaurant Association award winners.
Six women will be honored Oct. 8 at the group’s annual Celebrating Excellence Ceremony. Winners, who are honored in various categories, will be recognized for their creativity, business acumen, leadership and philanthropy.
2018 female honorees include:
Emerging Hospitality Leader of the Year
Holly Hintz, pastry chef/general manager
Créme Cupcake + Dessert, Des Moines
Purveyor Partner of the Year
Linda Funk, executive director
Soyfoods Council, Ankeny
Industry Champion
Krista Kay
Go Fish Marina Bar & Grill, Princeton
Restaurant Employee of the Year
Shayna Watts, assistant manager,
Fresh Mediterranean Express, Waukee
Small Community Restaurant Neighbor Philanthropist
Unc’s Cheesecakes
Jessica Baldus, Osage
ProStart Educator of Excellence
Joan Stekl, ProStart educator
Washington High School, Cedar Rapids
A full list of honorees is available online.
Studies show that 61 percent of adult women have worked in a restaurant at some point in their lives, and women-owned restaurant businesses are growing at a faster rate than restaurants overall, according to a news release from the Iowa Restaurant Association.
Many are moving on to own or manage their own restaurant. Research from the National Restaurant Association shows that between 2007 and 2012, the number of women-owned restaurants jumped by 40 percent, and today 33 percent of American restaurants are majority owned by women while another 15 percent are equally co-owned by women and men.
“There are more women in restaurant management and ownership positions than virtually any other industry,” noted Jessica Dunker, president and CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association. “The industry offers opportunities to women of all ages and at all stages of their careers, from owners to managers to college students to retirees.”