There are so many ways you can celebrate Women’s History Month , but one of the best (and our favorite) is to support female chefs and women-owned restaurants within your own community.

Some of the most groundbreaking women in history are the ones who impacted the culinary world. Legends such as Julia Childs and Alice Waters changed the landscape of American cuisine with their innovative approaches to cooking. Restaurateur Lena Richards broke barriers as the first black woman to host her own TV cooking show back in 1949.

As part of our own effort to celebrate Women’s History Month, we reached out to three women-owned restaurants featured on ezCater to find out how they got their start, what inspires them, and the best ways people can support businesses like theirs during the month of March and throughout the rest of the year. 

Lil Mama’s Chicago Style Hoagy

Feeling hungry yet nostalgic? Lil Mama’s Chicago Style Hoagy is a sandwich shop that brings the distinctive taste of the Chicago hoagy to the heart of Chattanooga while also delivering a healthy dose of 90’s memorabilia. More than just a meal, Lil Mama’s is a unique experience where everything is made to order and with love. 

“My biggest inspiration as a restaurateur is bringing people together around food,” owner Kori Ellis says. “I am always telling our crew that everyone is family around our table and that is what we hope everyone who enters our doors feels.”

Lil Mama’s 90’s inspired decor and murals from local artists is a big hit among patrons. But it’s the food that keeps them coming back. Each hoagy is filled to the brim with the freshest ingredients and homemade sauces.

Not sure where to start? Kori recommends The Crew, which features turkey, ham, crispy bacon, swiss, cheddar and their house-made seasoned mayo. It’s all that and a bag of chips. Specifically their “All That” Chips, seasoned with famous oil, parmesan, parsley, and crushed red pepper. “I have these two all the time and never get tired of them!” she adds. 

Kori added that a great way to support businesses like Lil Mama’s is to share your experience and recommend their catering to others. 

Baba’s Pierogies

Baba’s Pierogies is a successful female-owned restaurant in Brooklyn that was born from humble roots. In 2013, owner Helena Fabiankovic began making pierogies using her grandmother’s recipe and selling them out of her small apartment. The dumplings were a hit and by 2015 she was able to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant. 

The key to her success is making them just like Baba used to, Helena says. 

“My baba, Julia, is the inspiration behind our restaurant. When she immigrated to New York from her homeland, Czechoslovakia at the time, she had to use ingredients on hand rather than the dairy that she was used to,” she says. “That’s how American cheese landed in what we call Baba’s Potato.”

Their menu continues to blend the old with the new, with more traditional items sitting side-by-side with options such as Mac and Cheese Pierogies and Vegan Jalapeno Pierogies. Helena adds that some of her favorite dishes can only be found on their catering menu.

“The Slovak meatballs, fasirky, are absolutely delicious,” she says. “They come with a bright dill sauce that reminds me of summers in Slovakia.”

As for the best way to support women-owned businesses? It’s simple, she says. Support them whenever possible.   

Slate Cafe 

It takes a big leap to make a big dream come true. And that’s exactly what Ashley Jaffe and her husband, Zack, did when they quit their jobs in 2015 to open Slate Cafe, a restaurant and coffee bar in New York City. 

The gamble paid off. Slate Cafe now has three locations across the city. Ashley credits their success to the couple’s background in the hospitality business but added that it never would have happened if it weren’t for her husband’s willingness to leap with her. 

“He has been the best partner in life and in business and I wouldn’t be able to do it without him,” Ashley says. “We had such varying backgrounds in the same industry that it was really a match made in business heaven.”

The menu at Slate Cafe combines delicious artisan coffee drinks with gourmet breakfast options, as well as flavor-packed sandwiches, salads and small plates. Ashley’s personal favorite is the Avocado Caprese salad.

“It was the first dish I crafted all on my own, without the help of a chef consultant or recipe developer. I knew my customer and knew what they wanted,” she says. “It continues to be among our most popular items.”

She adds that the best way to support women-owned businesses is to shop small, engage with them on social media and buy gift cards for friends. 

Find catering from women-owned businesses on ezCater

Looking for a woman-owned business to cater your next business meeting or corporate event? ezCater’s filters can help.

Under the “diversity of ownership” filters, select “woman-owned business” and you’ll be shown the women-owned businesses near you.