While women in Hollywood have been leading the recent charge against sexual misconduct, there are several other industries in which the status quo is being challenged. One of those specific fields is that of the culinary arts. With an onslaught on restaurateurs having been accused of sexual misconduct or assault in the past month, the deeply problematic cases of abuse from chefs and within kitchens across the globe are slowly coming to public attention.
Chefs and co-owners Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer are two women leading by example when it comes to revolutionizing the restaurant business. Currently based in Los Angeles, their trendy and well-reviewed restaurant, Kismet, is gaining attention of the good kind. As an Arabic word reflecting the meaning of “fate,” Kismet’s emergence couldn’t have come at a suitable time.
What sets Kismet apart from its competitors is the distinct culture it promotes. For Hymanson and Kramer, running a business as female entrepreneurs comes with a responsibility to create an atmosphere reflective of their beliefs in empowerment.
“The way that we run a business is not generally the way a man would run a business,” says Hymanson. “We are obviously women and so we want to create a workplace that is supportive of other women and women in leadership positions, while not making men feel alienated,” Kramer notes. Additionally, inclusivity and diversity among staff is made a priority. “Also, not everyone adheres to male or female gender, so we’re trying to take gender out of the equation when possible and treat everyone with the same amount of respect and dignity.” And as for those heated moments in the kitchen everyone has seen on television cooking shows? Hymanson and Kramer take entirely different, yet conscious, approach. “We work really hard with the language we use…to try not to be critical, to be constructive.”
Intentionality is everything for these two chefs and businesswomen who strive to place the humanity into their everyday work. Their website claims to reimagine “Mideast flavors for current-day California” by sourcing “as much as possible from small, responsible growers” with who they “care very much about forging personal relationships with.” Tack on a 20% service-included policy “to make the restaurant industry a more sustainable home for all those who work in it,” and it becomes clear that Hymanson and Kramer’s mission is more than just talk.
As for bringing change to the future of their industry, the pair recognize the challenges of uniting an entire business that is so individualized, yet are hopeful that Kismet is just one chain in a longer, more powerful reaction.
“The only way to do it is to create it ourselves,” says Kramer. “It’s something we all want to see happen — a cultural shift. In a lot of kitchens, a lot of what was hip was this sort of machismo, bravado, not showing real sincerity because that’s not cool and that is changing. I feel like in a way it’s our moment,” says Kramer.
“Bravado is no longer cool.”