Let’s Talk Womxn was started in July 2020 in Chicago with 15 members as a forum for women restaurateurs to talk to each other and share resources. Rhini Depy–Ph.D.; owner of Vermilion restaurant (Chicago), former trustee and founder/chair of the Hames Beard Foundation Women’s Leadership Program, former McKinsey & Co. consultant and World Bank economist–founded the initiative.
Let’s Talk has expanded to 350+ members across 12 cities, including Atlanta. The initiative aims to increase visibility, funds and combine economic power for women restaurateurs through this crisis and beyond.
Let’s Talk announced its official nationwide debut event on International Women’s Day. Nearly 100 women restaurateurs across nine of its cities invite all to join them for “Dine Together & Let’s Talk” on March 8, 2021. This evening features collaborative, multi-restaurant dining experiences for takeout by the women of Let’s Talk. These dinners span four to ten-course menus priced $45-$150 for order by March 4, 2021. Dinner order links will follow on the Let’s Talk website in the coming weeks ahead
The event invites guests to Dine Together and join a Zoom conversation from 7-8 p.m. with the Let’s Talk women. Congresswoman Marie Newman and bestselling author/TED speaker Angela Duckworth will moderate the event.
“Restaurants are the hardest hit sector,” says Dey. “And women entrepreneurs within this segment are hit hardest. Our restaurants are smaller in scale and often undercapitalized. Women shoulder the inevitable extra home workload, and they are isolated as business owners. Let’s Talk is not an organization, it is not an entity, or an association – from whom we women restaurateurs have received a deluge of webinars, guidelines and manuals – it is an action movement by us.”
The Atlanta Zoom conversation offers ten sources of small plates and wine for $150 per person. The participants include:
Deborah VanTrece(Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours), Anne Quatrano(Bacchanalia), Archna Molhotra Becker (Bhojanic), Natalie Keng (Chinese Southern Belle), Savannah Sasser (Sasser Culinary Insights), Suzi Sheffield (Beautiful Briny Sea), Rosa Thurnher and Jarina Naone (El Ponce, Tiendita, La Palapa), Julia Leroy (Produce and Provide), Amber West (Gathering Industries), Sarah Pierre (3 Parks Wine), Julie Pender (Ria’s Bluebird)
