Instagram story viewer> @alicecheng411> Posts

Alice Cheng Walfisch

@alicecheng411

3.2K

followers

6037

following

Founder & CEO @culinaryagents🍍@HospitalityCareerPaths 📊
Host @hospitalityontherise 🎙️
On a mission to connect the hospitality industry 💪🫶

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

14 years of connecting the hospitality industry. And we’re just getting started. 💚🥂

What started in 2012 with one simple idea — find the best jobs, find the best people — has grown into a community we’re incredibly grateful to be part of.

✨ 2.8M+ registered members
✨ 12M+ annual site visitors
✨ 67K+ businesses hiring
✨ 17M+ applications processed

But for us, it’s always been about more than jobs. It’s about the people, the possibilities, and everything that happens along the way.

That’s why we created @HospitalityCareerPaths, with free career insights and resources to help you navigate your next move. And through @HospitalityOnTheRise, we share real stories from hospitality leaders who are taking chances, figuring things out, and inspiring what’s next.

Whether you’re landing your first hospitality gig, making a career pivot, finding your people, or building your dream team, we’re here for you. 💚

The biggest thing we’ve learned? This industry is nothing without its people.

To every chef, server, bartender, manager, business owner, and hospitality pro who shows up and makes this industry what it is: THANK YOU.

14 years down. So much more ahead.

We’re incredibly grateful to be part of this community and honored to play a small role in your journeys. We wouldn’t be here without you. Here’s to everything we’ve built together and all that’s still ahead! 🥂💚

#CulinaryAgents #ConnectingTheIndustry #NotJustJobs #HospitalityCareers #HospitalityIndustry by @alicecheng411

3

6

9 days ago

Loved sharing exciting updates about the restaurant industry and the hospitality profession 🍍 as a whole on @bloombergtv @bloombergbusiness with @scarjfu this week 💚🥰🙌

While the industry continues to face challenges (ripple effects of inflation from every direction) we’ve seen a renewed focus on growth in 2024 📈🚀 culminating in a highly anticipated series of new fall openings. Everything from private clubs, elevated casual concepts, fine dining, city expansions to collaborative food concepts...we’re here for it all!!! 💪👍🙌🎉

Of course we also touched upon pop culture @thebearfx and how it highlights real challenges that industry talent and business owners face. What an incredible series by @chrisstorer @courtney__storer @mattymatheson @wguidara and crew 💚 relatable across the hospitality industry and inviting everyone else to connect to this world. 🙏🍍💚 #culinaryagents #notjustjobs taken in USA by @alicecheng411

3

15

2 years ago

Wrapping up the week @bloombergtv 🙌💪 hospitality industry ramping up for the fall hiring season and we’re seeing signs of seasonal normality across the US. So inspired by the collaboration and support this industry continues to give to each other. 💚🙏🍍 Still lots of challenges that business owners and workers face, but this community continues to tackle them with grit and grace. Keep going out, try new places, frequent old favorites, enjoy yourselves and be kind. #hospitalityindustry #culinaryagents taken in New York, N Y by @alicecheng411

3

11

3 years ago

Experience is valuable. So is knowing you still have more to learn.

@JackMcGarry1, @Sabato3 Sagaria, and @TracyMalechek-Ezekiel share a similar lesson for anyone building a long-term career: keep learning, stay open to change and don’t get too comfortable doing things the way they’ve always been done.

Growth doesn’t stop when you become a leader.

🎧 Hear more career lessons from hospitality leaders on @HospitalityOnTheRise. New episodes every Tuesday.

#HospitalityOnTheRise #CulinaryAgents #HospitalityCareerPaths #ConnectingTheIndustry #NotJustJobs by @alicecheng411

3

0

14 hours ago

👀 That one stage could matter more than you think.

🎙️ @ChefBrianLockwood (@MidosujiChicago and @GingieChicago) tells @AliceCheng411 how cooking for Chef Corey Lee (@CLee_Benu) at The French Laundry (@_TFL_) helped open a door years later.

Brian was working at @GaryDankoSF when he first staged there. The timing wasn’t right to make the move, but the experience stuck with him. Years later, he went back to Napa and reconnected with Chef Corey, who still remembered his cooking. No second stage needed. Brian landed the job he’d been chasing.

Show up. Do good work. Leave a good impression. You never know when that connection might come back around. 👏

🎧 Tune in now to @HospitalityOnTheRise (@Apple, @Spotify, @YouTube)! 🔗 in bio. New episodes every Tuesday.

#HospitalityOnTheRise #CulinaryAgents #ConnectingTheIndustry #NotJustJobs #BrianLockwood taken in The French Laundry by @alicecheng411

3

0

4 days ago

🍔 Before the restaurants, accolades and leadership roles? Fast food.

@GavinKaysen started at @Subway. @GregBaxtrom worked at @Wendys at fifteen. Caroline Glover (@caroglover8) got her start at @Chilis before becoming obsessed with restaurants.

Turns out, a first job that feels like “just a job” can be the beginning of something much bigger.

🎧 Hear more real hospitality career stories on @HospitalityOnTheRise. New episodes every Tuesday.

#HospitalityOnTheRise #CulinaryAgents #ConnectingTheIndustry #NotJustJobs #HospitalityCareerPaths by @alicecheng411

3

3

5 days ago

There’s no shortcut around the work.

The long days, the hard jobs and the moments when you question whether you can keep going are all part of building a career.

@DominiqueAnsel, @OchiLatjuba Vongerichten and @The_ShuaiWang share reminders to stay consistent, keep learning and keep moving forward.

🎧 Find more career advice on @HospitalityOnTheRise. New episodes every Tuesday.

#HospitalityOnTheRise #CulinaryAgents #HospitalityCareerPaths #ConnectingTheIndustry #NotJustJobs by @alicecheng411

3

0

8 days ago

Friendly reminder: You can’t pour from an empty cup. 💚

Our 2026 Talent Insights Report found that burnout is the #1 reason people leave jobs in hospitality. That’s a conversation worth having—especially in an industry where going above and beyond can feel like the norm.

Rest. Ask for help. Lean on your people. You don’t have to do it all alone.

Putting faces to the advice ➡️ Swipe through to meet the #SSF26 hospitality leaders featured in the 2nd edition of our SSF Mental Health Moment card deck, sharing their own reminders and words of encouragement.

Your career is a marathon, not a sprint. Take care of yourself along the way. 💚

Explore the full Talent Insights Report at CulinaryAgents.com and HospitalityCareerPaths.com.

#CulinaryAgents #HospitalityCareerPaths #MentalHealthInHospitality

“Rest is part of leadership. If I’m exhausted, I can’t lead with clarity or generosity.”
- @SerigneMbaye_, Chef/Owner of @DakarNOLA

“I’ve learned to unapologetically set boundaries.”
- Erin Smith (@purslane_erin), Chef and Owner of @FegesBBQ

“When I’m overwhelmed, I look into how amazing my team is. It’s inspiring. Getting out of my head is a form of meditation, and the more I do it, the more peace I feel.”
- Isabel Coss (@chabelacoss), Chef at @Pascual.DC and @LuteceDC

“Scheduling time for yourself is something that took me years and years to learn, and it is crucial at this point for my survival.”
- Neal Bodenheimer (@nealbodie), Managing Partner at @CureNOLA

“Speaking with a therapist... It’s always good to talk to someone and just get some of those thoughts out of your head — it’s not a bad thing.”
- Sarah Grueneberg (@chefsarahjayne), Chef & Owner of @MonteverdeChi

“I’m used to putting myself and my needs last, but I really try now to be very intentional about self-care.”
- Cheetie Kumar (@cheetieku), Chef/Co-Owner of @AjjaEats & @BigCat.Brookside

“Train yourself to have peace of mind when you are away by giving your best possible when you’re at work.”
- @LenaCiardullo, Executive Chef of @UnionSquareCafe

“It’s never about what others think of you, it is what you think of yourself that matters most.”
- Tavel Bristol-Joseph (@tavel19), Director of Hospitality, taken in Discovery Green by @alicecheng411

3

9

10 days ago

One of the many delicious meals we’ve had @lerocknyc the past few months 💚✨🥂. Many thanks to the team for always bringing the delicious hospitality! 💯🙌🙏 Proud of my Thanksgiving-like plate 💪 #sharingiscaring taken in Le Rock by @alicecheng411

3

0

3 days ago

3

1

11 days ago

Still pinching ourselves! Feeling incredibly grateful to have been part of the @SouthernSmokeFoundation Festival magic this weekend. 💚

We got to spend time with some of the people who make hospitality what it is. And honestly, it’s an honor to have been in the room (and grassy field 😉 @DiscoveryGreen) with so many talented, generous, and resilient people who show up for each other every day.

Together, this community raised $2M to support food & beverage professionals facing emergencies. 🥹🙌

We’re beyond proud (and humbled) to support @SouthernSmokeFoundation and the incredible work they’re doing to take care of the people who have dedicated their careers and lives to taking care of everyone else.

Need emergency relief or mental health resources? Visit SouthernSmoke.org.

#CulinaryAgents #ConnectingTheIndustry #NotJustJobs #SouthernSmoke #SSF26 taken in Discovery Green by @alicecheng411

3

12

12 days ago

You don’t always know when you’re taking the first step toward your future career.

Home economics, a coffee shop job or simply trying something new can end up changing the direction of your life.

For Tavel Bristol-Joseph (@tavel19), @JordanSalcito and @BobbyStuckeyMS, the dots only connected later.

🎧 Discover where more hospitality leaders began on @HospitalityOnTheRise. New episodes every Tuesday.

#HospitalityOnTheRise #CulinaryAgents #HospitalityCareerPaths #CareerInspo #NotJustJobs by @alicecheng411

3

0

12 days ago