Ky. culinary leader builds a sisterhood with restaurateurs

James Beard Foundation nominee and owner of nine Kentucky restaurants Ouita Michel shares how the challenges brought on by the pandemic inspired her to form a sisterhood with other female restaurant owners, ultimately leading to the launch of the Let’s Talk initiative and Kentucky Duchess website, a directory of food and beverage businesses owned by women. “The comfort and strength of our numbers and our common issues along with the networking of solutions was eye-opening and will result in strong, long lasting relationships and networks that will sustain us all in years to come,” she says.