Women in Restaurant Leadership

Satyne Doner
  • 5.0 (12)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Biweekly

Women in Restaurant Leadership is a new podcast from the teams at QSR and FSR magazines and the podcasts QSR Uncut and The Restaurant Innovator. It will explore stories and insights from women leaders across the industry, creating a space to share ideas, aspirations, and help progress the sector forward. Join the WiRL movement!

  1. Oct 6 ·  Bonus

    BONUS: Two Founders Exposing Hospitality's Biggest Secret

    Employee theft quietly drains bars and restaurants every single day. Everyone knows it's happening. No one talks about it. Until now. Chloe Rachel Howard and Jauna Werner co-authored "How I Steal From You"—a true crime exposé on internal theft schemes in hospitality. Chloe grew up in a family restaurant, spent a decade consulting on loss prevention. Jauna is a business operations expert who's transformed restaurant operations at major corporations. Together, they're changing how restaurant owners think about security, culture, and profit protection—without turning their operations into prisons. In this episode, they walk us through the psychology behind why employees steal, how "small" schemes escalate into six-figure losses, and what the red flags actually look like. Plus, we play through real scenarios so you can see how they actually think. This is transparency. This is what needs to be said. Find out more here: https://www.howistealfromyou.com/ Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  2. Oct 6

    Kasia Bednarz: Survival Story Turned Fast-Casual Mission

    Kasia Bednarz didn't grow up thinking about "clean eating." She grew up eating potatoes because that's what her family could afford. Today, she's the Founder and CEO of FARE—a fast-casual brand proving that fast food and real food don't have to be enemies. Built on scratch-made recipes, zero seed oils, zero refined sugars, FARE has grown from a farmers' market table to 10 Chicago locations, with Charlotte opening this fall. Kasia scaled FARE without cutting corners. Inc. 5000 honoree. EY Winning Women. Still develops every menu item herself. And she's deliberately building the leadership pipeline she never had—placing women at every level. In this episode, she talks about turning survival into mission, staying true to what matters while scaling, and what it means to be a first-generation female founder building something real. Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  3. Sep 29

    Zipporah Allen on Real Power: Boundaries, Motherhood, and Leading on Your Terms

    Zipporah Allen's #WiRLPOWER moment isn't about climbing the corporate ladder. It's about learning to ask for what she needs—unapologetically. Ten weeks postpartum, pumping on a corporate jet with a room full of men. Caregiving for her mother while preparing for board meetings. Leading at work while being a leader at home. Zipporah carries a lot. And over nearly two decades at McDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, Strava, and now Sweetgreen, she's learned something crucial: real power isn't about doing it all quietly. It's about setting boundaries while still meeting the mission. As Chief Commercial Officer at Sweetgreen, Zipporah is redefining what it looks like to lead with your whole self—creativity, strategy, tech savvy, heart, and the courage to ask for what you need. In this episode, we dive into her journey to Sweetgreen, the wraps launch, strategic collaborations, the fall menu launch—but mostly, we explore what happens when a woman stops apologizing for her needs and starts leading from a place of authenticity and power. You'll also play through her "Build Your Leadership Menu" game—a deeply personal look at the foundation of her leadership and what she's learned about real strength. This is what #WiRLPOWER actually looks like. Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  4. Aug 25

    Front-Line Leadership: Burger King Manager Tells All

    Most leadership advice comes from people who've never worked a Saturday night shift. Kayla Henson has. She started as a McDonald's crew member in 2006 and worked her way to Burger King General Manager. She's worked the doubles, led through call-offs, managed impossible shifts, and built cultures people actually want to be part of. Kayla is also the creator of QSR Nugs of Wisdom. She shares practical lessons on developing leaders from crew to GM, building culture, and leading through pressure without losing your people.  In this episode, Kayla talks about her actual journey, the moments that shaped her, and what she's learned about investing in people. She shares real stories from the trenches and plays through actual QSR leadership scenarios. This is what real leadership looks like. You can connect with Kayla here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kayla-henson-68aa662a9/ Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  5. Aug 11

    HOT OFF THE PRESS: Maureen DiStefano, Director of Franchise Development at Slim Chickens

    Maureen DiStefano just stepped into her new role as Director of Franchise Development at Slim Chickens. And we wanted you to hear her story first. With 20 years of franchise development experience across Potbelly, Dunkin', Starbucks, GNC, and Magnolia Bakery, Maureen is a Certified Franchise Executive, frequent speaker, and someone who genuinely believes "the best part of franchise development has always been the people." She's not just talking the talk. She's spent her entire career building authentic relationships with franchisees, understanding what operators need, and developing the kind of culture that makes people stay. On this week's WiRL Podcast, we sit down for a fun, fresh conversation about what drew her to Slim Chickens, her 20-year journey across different brands, what she's learned about building successful franchise partnerships, and why she's excited about what's next for the brand. Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  6. Jul 28

    Jennifer Durham Is the Architect Behind Potbelly's Growth

    Great growth doesn't happen by accident. It's architected. Designed and built with strategy, discipline, and a deep understanding of what actually works. Jennifer Durham, Senior Vice President of Franchising and Development at Potbelly, is the architect behind the brand's expansion as they head toward 500 locations. Jennifer's path to this role is unconventional. She started as a CPA at KPMG, then pivoted into the restaurant industry. She's held senior leadership roles across multiple concepts—Checkers & Rally's (where she was Chief Development Officer), Cooper's Hawk, and Hand & Stone—each time bringing her unique combination of financial discipline, process improvement, and franchise development expertise. What makes Jennifer different is that she doesn't just execute growth. She designs it. She brings financial rigor to franchise strategy. She builds high-performing development teams. She understands how strong leadership directly influences long-term brand success. In this episode, Jennifer talks about her unconventional career journey, what she's learned leading development across different brands and formats, how she thinks about smart, sustainable growth at Potbelly, and what it takes to build a franchise strategy that actually works. You'll hear about evolving guest expectations, team development strategies, franchise partnership models, and how financial discipline and process improvement become competitive advantages in franchise development. But mostly, this is a conversation about what it means to architect growth—not just chase it. Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  7. Jul 14

    Shannon Swenson Is Making Her Next Bold Move at Swig

    Sometimes winning at something means knowing when it's time to move.  Shannon Swenson just did exactly that. After helping drive one of the most explosive growth periods at Dave's Hot Chicken, she's now Chief of Franchise Partnerships at Swig, taking on a pivotal leadership role as the beverage concept rockets forward. But why would she leave something so personal and successful? In this episode, Shannon shares the real story. What it was like scaling Dave's during that crazy period. What made Swig stand out at exactly the right moment. And what that decision taught her about leadership, risk-taking, and knowing when it's time for the next chapter. We talk about building authentic franchisee relationships during rapid expansion, how leadership evolves when you're in growth mode, and what women leaders should know about trusting their instincts and pursuing opportunities that genuinely excite them—even when it means leaving a winning situation. But mostly, we get into the story of a leader who knows her value, trusts her gut, and isn't afraid to make the bold move. This is the conversation about calculated risks, clarity, and knowing when to leap. Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

  8. Jun 30

    Chef Adrianne Calvo on the Kitchen That Started It All

    Thank you to Foodbuy, our sponsor for this episode. Strategic procurement supports effective menuing and operations. Foodbuy Foodservice resources its Members to develop effective procurement strategies. Learn more at https://www.foodbuy.com/.  There's a kitchen in Chicago where it all started. A kid running home from school instead of playing sports. A mom cooking dinner. Afternoons spent watching, learning, creating together. That's where Chef Adrianne Calvo fell in love with food—and where her entire life was set in motion. But Chef Adrianne's story goes so much deeper than just becoming a chef. It's about building an empire while staying connected to that original spark. It's about creating a restaurant that's on national "must-eat" lists, reaching 1.2 million followers across social platforms, collaborating with everyone from Formula One to the NFL to luxury brands, and still making time to give back through her Make It Count Foundation. In this episode, we trace Chef Adrianne's journey from that Chicago kitchen to Miami restaurants to YouTube series to global influence. We talk about her philosophy on "Maximum Flavor," what drives her to create across so many platforms, and how she balances ambition with the core values that got her started. More than anything, this is a conversation about staying true to your roots even as you build something big. About remembering that kitchen. About cooking with intention and purpose. If you've ever wondered what it takes to turn a childhood moment into a life of creativity, connection, and impact, this episode is for you. You can learn more about Chef Adrianne, her foundation, and her cookbooks here: https://adriannecalvo.com/ Registration is now open for the Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona. Find your community. Be empowered. Learn from the best. Find out more and sign up here today.

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Trailer

5
out of 5
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About

Women in Restaurant Leadership is a new podcast from the teams at QSR and FSR magazines and the podcasts QSR Uncut and The Restaurant Innovator. It will explore stories and insights from women leaders across the industry, creating a space to share ideas, aspirations, and help progress the sector forward. Join the WiRL movement!

Information

  • Creator
    Satyne Doner
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    65
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Women in Restaurant Leadership
  • Show Website
    Women in Restaurant Leadership