Culture Wars — Sexual Harassment in the Kitchen
The kitchen has always been a place of heat — burners blazing, tempers flaring, adrenaline pumping. But beyond the clang of pans and the rush of service lies another kind of heat, one far more insidious: the persistent issue of sexual harassment and the gendered power dynamics that have shaped restaurant culture for decades. Episode 6 dives into this uncomfortable but necessary conversation, confronting the realities many workers face and exploring how the industry can evolve into a safer, more equitable space.
🔥 The Unspoken Reality: Harassment in Culinary Workplaces
Sexual harassment in restaurants isn’t new. In fact, hospitality consistently ranks among the industries with the highest rates of reported incidents. The reasons are layered:
- High-pressure environments where boundaries blur
- Late-night hours and alcohol-heavy cultures
- Hierarchical brigades that can silence victims
- A “toughen up” mentality that normalizes inappropriate behavior
For many women — and increasingly, nonbinary and queer workers — the kitchen becomes a place where they must constantly navigate unwanted comments, touching, or power plays disguised as “kitchen banter.” The expectation to “just deal with it” has been baked into the culture for far too long.
🍽 BOH vs. FOH: Two Worlds, Same Problem
While harassment exists across the restaurant ecosystem, the dynamics differ significantly between the Back of House (BOH) and Front of House (FOH).
Back of House (BOH)
The BOH is traditionally male-dominated, shaped by the old-school brigade system. This environment often encourages:
- Hyper-masculine energy
- Crude jokes passed off as camaraderie
- Power hierarchies that discourage speaking up
- A culture of endurance where vulnerability is seen as weakness
Women and gender-diverse cooks often feel they must “prove” themselves twice — once through skill, and again by tolerating behavior that would be unacceptable in most workplaces.
Front of House (FOH)
FOH workers face a different, but equally harmful, dynamic:
- Customer-driven harassment, often dismissed as “part of the job”
- Appearance-based expectations, especially for women
- Pressure to be friendly, accommodating, and non-confrontational
- Tip-dependent income, which can force workers to tolerate inappropriate behavior to protect their earnings
While BOH harassment tends to come from coworkers or leadership, FOH harassment often comes from customers — and management doesn’t always intervene.
🌱 Changing the Culture: What Equality Looks Like in Practice
Promoting equality in culinary spaces isn’t about a single policy or training session. It’s about reshaping the culture from the ground up. That means:
- Clear, enforced anti-harassment policies that apply to everyone — staff, leadership, and guests
- Leadership accountability, not just lip service
- Empowering workers to report issues without fear of retaliation
- Normalizing respect, not aggression, as the foundation of kitchen culture
- Diversifying leadership, ensuring women and marginalized groups have real authority
- Training that goes beyond compliance, focusing on empathy, communication, and boundaries
The goal isn’t to sanitize the kitchen or strip away its intensity. It’s to build a workplace where intensity doesn’t come at the cost of safety or dignity.
🎙 Why This Conversation Matters
Episode 6 isn’t about calling out individuals — it’s about calling out a culture. The culinary world is evolving, and the next generation of chefs, servers, and restaurateurs are demanding better. By acknowledging the problem, understanding the nuances between BOH and FOH, and committing to real change, the industry can finally move toward a future where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued.
The kitchen will always be hot. But harassment doesn’t have to be part of the recipe.
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