Courtesy of ANNE FISHBEIN; MAGDALENA WIELOPOLSKA; ANDREA D’AGOSTO; JOYCE KIM; COURTESY OF SUBJECT
Her co-founder Dina Samson, co-owner of DTLA’s Rossoblu; Socalo’s Baja seafood platter; Her merch; Hotville Chicken’s Kim Prince; All Day Baby’s Lien Ta.
Running Jan. 21-30, the 10-day fest will include more than 100 eateries as organizers attempt to boost female-run businesses that have suffered during the pandemic.
Last fall, as restaurants in L.A. faced an endless wave of changing COVID-19 restrictions, nine female restaurateurs from across the city started a virtual meetup. "We needed a place to vent, a sounding board to just talk," says Hotville Chicken owner Kim Prince. Those discussions evolved into the sharing of resources and grant information. "Some ladies have six locations and 300 employees and now they're down to 40. Hearing things like that gave me some comfort and allowed me to breathe and recognize, 'OK, I'm not the only one struggling. We're all struggling, and we're all going to get through this.' "