A new dawn

Austin hospitality pros cook up new nonprofit in service to other women

Women of F&B members gather at a recent event.

Courtesy photo

Emily O’Connor had just taken over as general manager of Juliet Italian Kitchen when she had an idea. It was late 2017, and the new job was demanding and stressful.

“It was hard to find women that could relate to me in my position,” O’Connor says. “I had friends that I could talk to, but if you’re not in the service industry you just don’t understand.”

She discussed the issue with a therapist who encouraged her to find women in her life who could relate to what O’Connor was going through.

That’s when she decided to form Women of F&B ATX, “a group of women that would get together and we could talk about the things that we struggle with on a day-to-day basis in this industry,” she explains.

O’Connor discussed the idea with Carley Dunavant of Campari and Cassidy Mora of Still Austin Whiskey Co. Together, the trio decided to form Women of F&B Texas (F&B is a common industry abbreviation for food and beverage) to organize events, contribute to charities benefiting local women, and provide support and mentorship.

At a time when the hospitality world is grappling with issues like the #MeToo movement, workplace equality, and substance abuse, Women of F&B Texas offers support for Austin industry professionals — a key component in combating the often toxic culture of restaurants and bars.

Nationally, this conversation has reverberated in institutions like the James Beard Foundation. The foundation recently changed the rules for its prestigious annual awards, adding, among other things, considerations for diversity and professional behavior. Closer to home, Austin has seen a growth in support organizations like Ben’s Friends and Heard.

Like those local groups, Women of F&B Texas specifically focuses on the service industry, which differentiates it from Austin’s Les Dames d’Escoffier, a professional organization that includes members from any culinary related field.

Women of F&B group meetings aim to facilitate conversation on common issues, industry news, and upcoming events. They also provide members opportunities to give back to the community.

One of the most rewarding moments so far has been hosting a fundraiser to help a motorcycle crash victim pay her medical bills. Women of F&B Texas is also currently partnering with Periods ATX to collect feminine care donations that are then distributed to women experiencing homelessness in Austin.

Women of F&B Texas currently meets monthly, but is considering changing that to accommodate members and their busy schedules. O’Connor said the group also needs more representatives from the back of house, and they are working to recruit more members from that vital part of the industry.

But as it grows, the organization will keep empowering women as its central mission.

Says Mora, “I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in the coming years to support each other."

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Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.