Twenty woman-owned restaurants and other food-related retail ventures in the Washington, DC and Los Angeles areas, learned today that they will receive $5,000 grants, and potentially even more valuable mentoring and training from leaders in the industry, to help their businesses thrive. This includes Montgomery County’s very own Scratch Kitchen in Olney.
Bernie Rousseau, one of 10 DMV restaurant owners to be named a ‘Regarding Her Scholar’, opened Scratch Kitchen in September 2022 at 18062 Georgia Ave in Olney. Regarding Her, in partnership with leading restaurant tech platform OpenTable, along with FOUND/LA, and SoCalGas, will distribute the grants to the women who are hospitality business owners. The Regarding Her Scholars will also complete a ten-week in-depth learning program with industry leaders.
At the start of 2022, owner Bernie Rousseau decided she would lease the space formerly occupied by CB Acai for her daughter, who shared Bernie’s passion of cooking, to operate starting April– when the restaurant initially hoped to open. Tragedy struck, as Bernie’s daughter passed away on February 1st– the same day Bernie got the keys to the new location.
The decision was made to push forward and continue with the plans to open the the restaurant to create a legacy for her daughter and two younger children. Bernie was planning a funeral and putting a restaurant together. She continued to forge ahead while grieving– ordering signage and restaurant equipment. “It was like so arrived at my destination and lost my why”, Bernie told us. She decided she was going to make the most of this tragic situation– creating jobs, bringing healthier food to the community, using local products, and opening a place the community is proud of.
Regarding Her, the national nonprofit organization of women entrepreneurs in the food and beverage space, with hubs in Los Angeles and Washington, DC, is working to improve rates of success for woman-owned food businesses with its 2024 Regarding Her Academy.
The program focuses on early-stage businesses, with owners who have had their businesses open for one to five years and 2023 revenues between $250,000 and $1 million. The organization received an unprecedented number of applications for the 20 spots, 75% of which were from women of color. The program seeks to enhance financial success, streamline growth, and provide peer support.
The Academy includes sessions on strategy, technology, leadership, financial modeling, culture, legal, media, negotiation, and capital raising. It also addresses personal development, mental health, and challenges unique to women business owners.