Women have always been an important part of the restaurant industry, yet their voices were not always heard. That is too familiar of a refrain and foodservice companies have made pledges to diversify their executive positions. According to the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, women make up 63% of entry level employees, yet only 38% of executives are women. This disparity is improving and that 38% represent some of the most impactful people in the industry. We will be continuing our Trailblazers series by examining two of these exceptional women executives in the foodservice industry.

Frances Allen is the CEO of Checkers & Rally’s, a position she has held since 2020. Prior to her tenure at the fast-food restaurant, she was the Chief Marketing Officer at casual dining chain Denny’s. At Denny’s she helped pioneer the America’s Diner concept that harnessed the chain’s unique concept and strength. She was also able to position the brand as a value company, a stance they have recently returned to following pandemic struggles. Her hiring at Checkers occurred in February of 2020, only one month before the pandemic would re-shape the industry. She had an initial strategy when she took the helm and those plans were moot almost immediately. Allen responded by quickly pivoting and putting her plans on the back burner. Like she did at Denny’s, she leaned on the brand’s strengths and allowed Checker’s dual drive-thrus and outdoor seating to gain an edge on their competition. The company has bounced back under her leadership and now they are pushing technology forward at their locations. She has overhauled the kitchen design to improve efficiency and utilized voice A.I. for drive-thru orders. The pandemic dealt Allen a bad hand, yet she has successfully navigated through it and has moved to future proofing the Checkers brand.

White Castle doesn’t have the same size as their competitors, and neither do their signature sliders, yet they are one of America’s most iconic chains. The brand has thrived thanks to a strong family leadership that is currently in its fourth generation with CEO and President Lisa Ingram. Ingram has done more than carry on family tradition, she has transformed White Castle and proven that the American icon won’t be fading away any time soon. She has expanded their physical footprint and oversaw the opening of the chain’s largest location in Orlando, FL, and even worked the grill on opening day. The chain has a solid footprint in northern states, although the success of the Orlando location is pushing the brand south and west. She has also driven the company forward with new technology like their voice A.I. She also partnered with Miso Robotics and their Flippy robot in select locations. The results led to Miso developing a completely new version of the robot. Even with the advancement of technology, Ingram has made sure that White Castle retains its family atmosphere with one of the highest manager retention rates in the industry, a factor that has helped them avoid recent labor issues.

Women leaders have helped the restaurant industry navigate recent pandemic challenges and pioneer the future with new technology. The restaurant industry has made a strong recovery over the last year and Frances Allen and Lisa Ingram are just two of the executives that have led this comeback. There is still more work to be done to ensure women are represented in the segment and the accomplishments chronicled here are only a part of what women can lend to the industry. Please join us next week as we continue our Trailblazers series.