Women Leading the Restaurant Business
We are spotlighting 8 women in the restaurant and hospitality industry for Women's History Month and International Women's Day in March
Women’s History Month is in March and International Women's Day is on March 8th. It's an ideal time to spotlight women redefining leadership in New York City's restaurant industry.
According to the National Women’s History Alliance, the 2026 WHM theme, “Leading the Change: Women Shaping a Sustainable Future,” feels especially resonant in hospitality, where female chefs, operators, and owners are not only creating exceptional food, but also building businesses rooted in mentorship, community impact, and long-term sustainability, often while navigating an industry that has historically underrecognized their contributions.
We know our readers will be impressed by these accomplished women in New York City!
Melba Wilson – Founder & Executive Chef, Melba’s Restaurants, NYC
A Harlem native and James Beard nominee, Melba Wilson is a true force in American hospitality. Over 20 years in business and more than 11 million meals served, Melba has built a growing portfolio that includes Melba’s Harlem, Melba’s Grand Central, Melba’s Central Park, Melba’s Catering, Melba’s at the Prudential Center, and the forthcoming Melba’s Newark. Beyond her celebrated Southern comfort food, Melba is a mentor, philanthropist, author, and community advocate whose leadership extends far beyond the dining room. As a board member of organizations including God’s Love We Deliver and NYC Tourism & Conventions (and former President Emeritus of the NYC Hospitality Alliance), she exemplifies what it means to build a sustainable, community-driven restaurant legacy.
Emma Bengtsson - Executive Chef, Aquavit, NYC
Emma Bengtsson will tell you that her grandmother was truly her first inspiration when it came to cooking. Growing up in the small fishing village of Falkenberg in Sweden, Emma wanted to be a fighter pilot and would often go with her father to the firing range in preparation for a military career. She would also watch her grandmother cooking tirelessly when the family visited. Her grandmother’s love for ingredients and her belief that good food takes time, live on in the way Emma cooks at Aquavit, where she became the first female Swedish Chef to hold two Michelin Stars, which were awarded the same year she took over as Executive Chef (2014). She has held those stars ever since. Emma still uses her grandmother’s recipes – especially her chocolate cake, which always finds its way onto the menu, and is the basis for Emma’s signature Arctic Bird's Nest dessert. At the encouragement of her grandmother, Emma enrolled in the International Restaurant School in Stockholm at just 16 years of age. She began her career as a pastry chef at Edsbacka Krog - the only Swedish restaurant to hold two Michelin stars at the time; and eventually found her way to Aquavit in 2010, where she started as the pastry chef until assuming the role of Executive Chef. In addition to holding two Michelin stars, Emma was also named Michelin’s mentor of the year in 2023.
Emily Li - Owner, Sushi Ouji, NYC
One of few women who own omakase counters in NYC, Emily Li moved to the U.S. in 2010 after going to college in China, and jumped right into the restaurant world. Emily spent her first five years in America working in different Asian restaurants before landing a job at the Michelin-starred Tempura Matsui in 2016, where she deepened her love for Japanese cuisine. During the pandemic, she started thinking about what was next and wanted to push herself further. In 2024, she took the leap and opened Sushi Ouji with her best friend, Ben Chen, a chef mentored by Toshio Suzuki of Michelin-starred Satsuki. Sushi Ouji is a dream come true for Emily, who is bringing her love for sushi and traditional omakase to life at a 12-seat counter in SoHo, sourcing seasonal fish primarily from Japan’s Toyosu Market to offer an intimate, high-quality omakase experience for NYC residents and tourists at an accessible price point ($149).
Lane Li - Owner & Executive Chef, Noodle Lane & Rulin, NYC
Lane Li is the owner and executive chef of beloved Brooklyn spot Noodle Lane and newly opened Rulin, where she showcases bold Cantonese, Sichuan, and Chinese comfort food to New York City diners. Born in China and raised in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Lane was the first in her family to graduate college before beginning a career in finance. She later trained at the Institute of Culinary Education at night, ultimately leaving finance after the birth of her son Jackson – whose Chinese name inspired the name Rulin – to fully pursue her culinary path. After launching Noodle Lane at Smorgasburg in 2011 and growing it into a brick-and-mortar known for soulful, family-style cooking, she now expands her vision with Rulin, specializing in hand-pulled noodles and celebrating her heritage, craft, and perseverance.
Sunisa - “Susan” Nitmai, Chef, Moon & Back, NYC
Sunisa “Susan” Nitmai hails from the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, familiarly known as Korat, in the Northeastern Thai province of Isaan where she learned to cook from her mother and grandmother. At Moon & Back, which she opened with her daughter, Chompoo, she serves what she calls “mom-to-table,” cuisine, including homestyle classics like Braised Pork Leg with five-spice marinade and mustard greens; regional specialties like Somtum Korat, shredded green papaya with dried shrimp, peanut, long bean, tomato, marinated raw crab, and fermented fish sauce; as well as original creations like Escargot Curry with betel leaves and kaffir lime. Prior to Moon & Back, she was the chef of Pata Café, in Elmhurst, Queens, which earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand before shuttering in August 2025. Prior to cooking at Pata Cafe, Susan was a teacher for 37 years in her home country of Thailand.
Elena Oliver - Co-Owner, La Bastide and Cenadou, NYC
Elena Oliver is the co-owner and General Manager of Michelin-starred La Bastide and Cenadou restaurants located in North Salem, New York. Originally from Provence, she and her high school sweetheart, now husband Chef Andrea Calstier moved to New York and opened a French bistro called Papilles in the East Village. After falling in love with the farmhouse that the restaurants are located in in North Salem, Elena renovated and designed the spaces which became La Bastide and Cenadou - two distinct yet deeply personal experiences under one roof. The menu is deeply rooted in the couple’s connection to Southern France, reflecting the seasonality and terroir of the Hudson Valley. Through Elena’s vision and devotion to hospitality, both restaurants have flourished, with La Bastide earning a Michelin star and Cenadou continuing to be a favorite of renowned chefs such as Martha Stewart.
Romina Peixoto – Corporate Pastry Chef, Sweet Graffiti, NYC
Originally from Buenos Aires, Romina Peixoto has quietly made history throughout her career, including becoming the first female and first non-French Executive Pastry Chef at the legendary Le Cirque. With experience spanning Eleven Madison Park, WD-50, Alan Wong’s, and The Chocolate Room, Romina now oversees multiple pastry programs as Corporate Pastry Chef, with Sweet Graffiti serving as her most personal and expressive project. Located inside the historic Martinique Hotel, Sweet Graffiti blends art, global flavor, and seasonality–reflecting Romina’s commitment to innovation, mentorship, and pushing pastry forward while honoring craft and technique.
Pei Shan Wei, co-owner, Zaab Zaab, NYC
Pei Shan Wei, a proud resident of Queens, opened Zaab Zaab in the heart of Elmhurst’s Little Thailand in April 2022 with Bryan Chunton. The destination for authentic Isaan fare from Northeastern Thailand has received numerous accolades, including a 3-star review from The New York Times, and being listed three years in a row on the NYT’s 100 Best Restaurants in NYC as well as being nominated as a semifinalist in the Best Restaurateur category for the 2024 James Beard Foundation Awards. In 2020 during the pandemic Wei and Chunton almost closed their former restaurant, but were able to stay afloat by providing meals for those suffering food insecurity through organizations like Rethink Food, Heart of Dinner, and Queens Together and later open Zaab Zaab. Wei continues to feed the needy to this day. Wei is also a strong single mother and likes to offer opportunities to chefs and cooks, especially mothers. Wei’s idol among women industry leaders is Heart of Dinner co-founder Moonlynn Tsai. She hopes to be like Tsai and create an organization to help people. She’s still working on it.
Photo Credit: Melba Wilson, Courtesy of Melba's
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