Milwaukee City Wire

As International Women's Day, a day of recognition for women worldwide, has come and gone, female restaurant owners in Milwaukee are coming together to support each other, network and talk about the struggles of owning a restaurant in a male-dominated field. 

The "Let's Talk Womxn" group consists of more than 30 local businesswomen in Milwaukee and the mission is to offer support for women entrepreneurs and business professionals. 

Tomira White, the owner of Delicious Bites, is a member of the group.

"Half of the women in here I did not know before this event so I'm really looking forward to getting to know each and every one of them," she said.

The Let's Talk Womxn group has exploded in popularity in recent months, expanding to 13 cities and making huge inroads to making the culinary industry more approachable and accessible to women. 

Anomaly Catering owner Anomalous Campbell spoke about the struggles of being a female in the restaurant business.

"Especially since we are in a male-dominated industry, I feel that sometimes we are not taken as seriously. Even just being a diverse woman or minority woman of color in the industry is extremely challenging," Campbell said.

One of the aspects about the organization that women appreciate is that it is free to join and is extremely accessible to anyone that wants to advance their career in the restaurant business. 

"There are no dues, there are no fees. It's not an organization, it's just a group of women doing great things together. It's really about supporting one another, lifting each other up, helping one another when they need anything," Heirloom MKE co-owner Jessie Ignatiev said.