One of the few hills I’ll die on is that representation absolutely matters. It expands what people believe is possible for themselves, opening doors to aspirations that might have otherwise seemed unreachable.
Perhaps that’s why 2026 has so far felt discouraging as a woman tasked with covering the restaurant industry, or any industry for that matter. Fortune recently reported that the number of Fortune 500 CEOs running the biggest public companies includes just 55 women. That’s 11%. As Bloomberg Opinion writer Beth Kowitt noted, this pace will require 100 years for women to reach parity in the role.
In the restaurant industry, however, progress is even slower.
Nation’s Restaurant News tracks executive moves monthly, covering chains big and small, restaurant groups, and organizations. Through the end of June, there have been 24 new CEOs named. Two of those are women — Deborah Derby at Honey Baked Ham and Kelli Valade at Women’s Foodservice Forum.
That’s 8%.
Non-CEO C-suite movement has been a bit more inclusive this year. In such roles, not inclusive of vice presidents or board members, but inclusive of interim positions and promotions, there have been 76 announcements through the end of June, 24 of which have been women. That’s 31%.
There are a lot of leadership development and talent pipelines in place across many, if not most, restaurant companies, but they don’t seem to be translating effectively for women aiming for a corner office. Some of this can be explained by the fact that more women dropped out of the U.S. labor market last year (more than 450,000 workers).
That statistic includes a slight decline of female representation in the restaurant industry. But even with this decrease, women still make up a majority of the industry’s workforce, at 54% (compared to 48% of the total labor force). According to the National Restaurant Association, 55% of restaurant supervisors are women and 68% of tipped servers are women. The talent pool isn’t shallow.
Companies and organizations like the Women’s Foodservice Forum have been trying to figure out how to close the gap in representational disparity between frontline workers and managers and those in the C-suite for decades. Is it a board representation issue? Maybe.
Is the broader pushback against DEI causing some companies to pause their efforts toward more diverse representation? Perhaps. Is there a legitimate “broken rung” that disproportionately impacts women when faced with the choice between paying high childcare costs or working part- or full-time jobs? Absolutely.
Have some capable, experienced, and proven women been passed over for C-level and even CEO jobs in this industry? Resoundingly, yes.
I can’t answer what the endgame is here. What I know is that the conversation and the work must continue, even as we swim against a strengthening current.
Representation doesn't just matter. In an industry that requires fresh ideas and innovation to thrive — particularly in challenging times — it's downright critical, from the top down.
Contact Alicia Kelso at Alicia.Kelso@informa.com
Follow her on TikTok: @aliciakelso