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Despite women leading the way in scholarship and culinary education, they are suspiciously vacant at the top of the leadership ladder. According to Bloomberg, only about 7% of executive chefs are woman, and "67% of executive women are in support roles...as opposed to running their own line of business." This doesn't appear to be because of a lack of entrepreneurial spirt, as "405 of restaurants are women-owned businesses or WOB, and startups by women are growing much faster than the industry overall." This made me reflect on my own city, as I do see women in executive positions, such as Stephanie Izard, Sarah Grunenberg, and Mindy Segal, they all got to their positions in very different ways. Probably the most successful, with currently 7-8 restaurants, is Izard, she got her start by winning a reality tv show and then joining forces with two male business owners (BOKA). Grunenberg also started visa vi the reality TV route, and now eventually owns and runs a very successful restaurant downtown. Mindy Segal is the only woman executive in this group that has built her business, her cookbooks, her brand, and now her cannibis retail, mostly by herself. It is interesting to relate these women to this article because while they are all three incredibly successful, only one was able to pull herself there through the three points mentioned in this article. In order for women to break the glass ceiling in restaurants and culinary, they will need to accomplish three main goals: 1. Gain confidence, 2. Increase their aspirations, and 3. Learn and Maintain Financial literacy. The "grim reality (is) that 96% of WOB do not cross the $1 million in revenue...(and) fewer than 8% seek external financing. Women "receive less than 4% of Small Business Administration loan dollars and less than 2% of venture capital dollars. For confidence, this article recommends to women to learn how to advocate for yourself. Use coaches, practices public speaking, and learn how to pitch your business

At a recent even at NYC, the CEO of Hilton, Christopher Nassetta, announced that the Hilton team is developing meeting focused hotels as a means to get the upper hand on event management. These hotels are being built with events such as conventions and business meetings in mind while constructing a five-star property. Thus, a new brand, Signia, was created as a means to improve upon flexibility in its architecture, as well as more daylight, modern design, and more spacious volume, as well as an upgraded culinary experience, and technologies that help run meetings more efficiently, likely updates in their event management system. This premium quality is something that has been constantly asked by them from customers. In the future they are planning to stretch out internationally.

"Technology and innovation are what have helped, even saved, restaurants as they transform how they operate to not just survive, but thrive, in this new connected and contactless era" "Third-party food delivery apps like UberEats, Foodpanda, or Door Dash will continue to be an important solution for those not able to offer in-house ordering and delivery services" "Contactless technology is going mainstream, and it's not just about placing an order online, but also about paying with a smartphone, smartwatch or smartcard via an app or touchless device" "technology-enabled reservation systems, restaurants can manage seating, waitlists, customer loyalty and dining preferences as well as collect vital client data be it for contact tracing or market insights" "Kitchen Display Systems (KDS) are a digital menu board for kitchen staff helping restaurants streamline back-of-house operations" "companies like Winnow are helping restaurant owners and managers cut food waste and costs and run their businesses more efficiently and sustainably" "auto-scanning barcodes with smartphone cameras on posters, tables, coasters, doors or websites allows customers to access online menus, order and pay - without contact" "air purification technologies to promote 'clean air'" https://diigo.com/0lmspn

Some of these technologies such as food delivery services, and conctactless payments I have grown used to as a consumer. However, technology like KDS to improve the back of house operations or air purification technologies are more behind the scenes type of technologies that I have not given much thought so I found this article interesting.

Many restaurants are adapting to a new reality. Some of the digital trends to watch in 2022 are as follows: 1. Online ordering systems and delivery apps - Food delivery market worth more than $150 billion globally. 2. Contactless payment estimated to triple from $2 trillion to $6 trillion by 2024. 3. Online table reservation system such as Open table Experiences initiative offering unique culinary events and dinner experiences. 4. Digital kitchen boards such as KDS, a digital menu board for kitchen staff linked to the restaurant's POI which displays orders automatically and efficiently. 5. Automated inventory management software tracking food and beverage stocks, anticipating quantities and scheduling reorders. 6. QR codes that allow customers to access menus online, order and pay. 7. Air purification technology like bipolar ionization and ultraviolet light.

Every restaurant manager is highly concerned about guest satisfaction. This article touches on how accounting systems are theoretically used to increase customer satisfaction in the restaurant. The article first points out to focus on the 'four parts of the meal'; these are the food quality, culinary experience, the service experience, and the aesthetic experience. They take these four dimensions and create and accounting system around their expectations which was inspired by activity-based costing. Meaning they value the customer experience more than the cost of making the product. The metaphor the article uses to simplify this theory, "A pinch of salt costs nothing, but may make a large contribution to the experienced value of a bowl of lobster soup". Another important input that an accounting system has is being able to monitor customer expectations and assessment of the meal. This is a great tool for managers to be able to keep track of customer data.

This article highlight how robotics can be used to have consistency in staff across multiple markets while also addressing the shortage of qualified applicants in todays competitive market. As time goes forward efficiency and reliability of robotic workers and AI will become ever more prevalent and emerging products like the ones in this article are very good examples of the direction and trends of staffing in the future.

companies and people are wanting more evolved events design and decor and technology being apart of it. A dimly lit ballroom just isnt cutting it anymore. Event Managers are in high demand to work with hotels to create a space that can host all kinds of events in one venue.

As the need for event planning rising more and more over the years Hotel developers are assuring the need to hire event planners to help boost their sales and awareness for their property by redesigning and maintain their current areas. This allows many hotel owners to help create memories while leaving a great taste on the guest who requested the venue. he job of event planners are very critical because they go through every detail and trends to gather ideas for the clients. They have to keep in contact with property for any changes or layout to ensure it meets to clients needs.

An article about an Eco Friendly luxury hotel. Its nice to see a company that focuses on green initiatives in their entire property, not just in the lobby, or in the public areas. The property in Miami Beach is amazing.

Expenses relating to telecommunications in the hospitality industry have seen an increase despite a decline in returns for products offered to guests like fees for phone calls and internet. The article explains the rising costs and how operators can control costs regarding telecommunications. "Between 2015 and 2019 telecommunications costs went up faster than operating costs across the board." One reason was due to the complimentary phone and internet offered at some properties. IT Audits, consolidation of telecom providers, and technology upgrades are three ways organizations can manage costs. IT audits involve looking at an organization's current tech plan and its performance. What does it need beyond what it has? Then consolidating the vendors used. Controlling costs especially when technology is changing will benefit owners and operators as it helps them "limit disruption and use the best tech".

Coming from a culinary background controlling costs is everything especially when it comes to food. In tech, it's way more than just what the customer sees or eats. I think IT audits would be a must nowadays in the hospitality sector as it provides a clear view of what is being utilized and a road map to where we can go and how we can skim the fat to make a better product for management and customers. I suppose consolidating tech would be like using one provider for a variety of tech solutions or software that includes many BOH applications in one place. That would be handy to have and management effectiveness would increase as you wouldn't need to educate employees on multiple platforms.