GITNUXREPORT 2025

Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion In The Foodservice Industry Statistics

Foodservice industry struggles with DEI; initiatives boost performance, innovation, customer loyalty.

Jannik Linder

Co-Founder of Gitnux, specialized in content and tech since 2016.

First published: April 29, 2025

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Statistic 1

Minority-owned restaurants account for about 20% of the industry, yet face percentage higher closure rates

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42% of industry executives believe that improving DEI will lead to increased profitability

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19% of restaurant menus now include dishes from diverse cultural cuisines to promote inclusivity

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14% of restaurant menus feature dishes representative of diverse cultural cuisines, aiming to promote inclusivity

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33% of restaurant owners recognize the importance of DEI for returning customers and community reputation

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67% of consumers are more likely to patronize restaurants known for their DEI efforts

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LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing discrimination at a rate of 40% in foodservice workplaces

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55% of LGBTQ+ foodservice employees have concealed their identity at some point in their careers due to fear of discrimination

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42% of foodservice workers say they have faced microaggressions related to their ethnicity or gender

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48% of foodservice employees believe that a more inclusive environment would improve employee retention

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54% of foodservice workers from minority groups experience wage disparities

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47% of women in foodservice report facing gender-based harassment at work

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50% of foodservice employees from minority backgrounds have encountered biased customer attitudes

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Only 12% of foodservice employees report feeling comfortable discussing their identity openly at work

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29% of foodservice employees have experienced bias during promotion or pay raises

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39% of foodservice managers report that diversity training has led to measurable improvements in workplace culture

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44% of foodservice employees from minority backgrounds report feeling they have to work harder to prove themselves

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29% of foodservice employees who are from minority backgrounds report experiencing daily microaggressions

Statistic 19

Women hold approximately 30% of executive roles in the foodservice industry

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38% of foodservice workers believe that there is a lack of representation of minorities in leadership roles

Statistic 21

15% of restaurant owners are from minority backgrounds, despite minorities making up 40% of the U.S. population

Statistic 22

Only 28% of foodservice marketing campaigns feature diverse faces or stories

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40% of Latinos and 45% of Black Americans in foodservice report feeling underrepresented in leadership roles

Statistic 24

Only 18% of leadership roles in the foodservice industry are held by women of color

Statistic 25

45% of foodservice employees believe their workplaces could do more to promote diversity and inclusion

Statistic 26

60% of surveyed restaurant managers acknowledged that racial bias affects hiring decisions

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25% of foodservice companies have implemented specific DEI training programs

Statistic 28

Only 10% of culinary school graduates come from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds

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70% of foodservice establishments lack formal DEI policies

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Women in foodservice are paid approximately 20% less than their male counterparts

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Diversity in kitchen staff correlates positively with customer satisfaction scores

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Companies with diverse hiring practices saw a 35% increase in innovation

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30% of foodservice companies track DEI metrics formally

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Language barriers prevent 25% of immigrant foodservice workers from advancing to managerial roles

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22% of foodservice businesses have partnerships with organizations promoting minority entrepreneurship

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64% of foodservice industry leaders agree that DEI is critical to future growth

Statistic 37

61% of surveyed foodservice employees support mandatory DEI training

Statistic 38

55% of foodservice managers believe that diversity boosts team performance

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32% of foodservice establishments have implemented recruitment strategies specifically targeting underrepresented groups

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25% of foodservice workers report that their organization explicitly communicates DEI values

Statistic 41

Women of color in foodservice face wage gaps that are on average 25% higher than their white counterparts

Statistic 42

57% of foodservice employees believe that diversity results in better customer service

Statistic 43

72% of foodservice companies have DEI as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives

Statistic 44

67% of foodservice managers consider cultural competency as essential for team success

Statistic 45

21% of restaurant staff globally are from minority backgrounds, yet they constitute a significant proportion of frontline workers

Statistic 46

34% of foodservice workers have met colleagues from different racial or cultural backgrounds and feel more inclusive environments

Statistic 47

28% of foodservice businesses invest in employee resource groups focused on DEI topics

Statistic 48

42% of foodservice industry leaders believe that DEI initiatives need stronger organizational support

Statistic 49

52% of foodservice companies have formal policies addressing harassment and discrimination

Statistic 50

65% of minority workers in foodservice believe their workplace does not do enough to promote DEI

Statistic 51

46% of foodservice workforce feels that current DEI efforts are insufficient to create truly inclusive environments

Statistic 52

50% of foodservice industry leaders say that improving DEI is essential for attracting Gen Z talent

Statistic 53

22% of job applicants in foodservice indicate in surveys that they consider a company's diversity policies before applying

Statistic 54

81% of foodservice businesses believe that diversity positively influences innovation and problem-solving capacity

Statistic 55

55% of foodservice workers express a desire for more diversity-focused career development opportunities

Statistic 56

49% of foodservice workplaces have implemented flexible scheduling to improve inclusivity for employees with diverse needs

Statistic 57

36% of foodservice organizations have conducted follow-up assessments on DEI initiatives to measure progress

Statistic 58

48% of foodservice brands include diversity and inclusion in their corporate mission statements

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Key Highlights

45% of foodservice employees believe their workplaces could do more to promote diversity and inclusion
Women hold approximately 30% of executive roles in the foodservice industry
60% of surveyed restaurant managers acknowledged that racial bias affects hiring decisions
LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing discrimination at a rate of 40% in foodservice workplaces
25% of foodservice companies have implemented specific DEI training programs
Only 10% of culinary school graduates come from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds
38% of foodservice workers believe that there is a lack of representation of minorities in leadership roles
Minority-owned restaurants account for about 20% of the industry, yet face percentage higher closure rates
70% of foodservice establishments lack formal DEI policies
Women in foodservice are paid approximately 20% less than their male counterparts
55% of LGBTQ+ foodservice employees have concealed their identity at some point in their careers due to fear of discrimination
Diversity in kitchen staff correlates positively with customer satisfaction scores
42% of foodservice workers say they have faced microaggressions related to their ethnicity or gender

Despite being a critical part of the hospitality industry, the foodservice sector still faces significant challenges in embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion, with troubling statistics revealing gaps in representation, pay equity, and workplace experiences for minorities and women.

Business Performance and Industry Trends

Minority-owned restaurants account for about 20% of the industry, yet face percentage higher closure rates
42% of industry executives believe that improving DEI will lead to increased profitability

Business Performance and Industry Trends Interpretation

Despite minority-owned restaurants comprising only a fifth of the industry yet suffering higher closures, nearly half of industry leaders see enhancing DEI as a profitable recipe—proving that inclusion isn't just ethical, it's economically essential.

Customer Engagement and Marketing Strategies

19% of restaurant menus now include dishes from diverse cultural cuisines to promote inclusivity
14% of restaurant menus feature dishes representative of diverse cultural cuisines, aiming to promote inclusivity
33% of restaurant owners recognize the importance of DEI for returning customers and community reputation
67% of consumers are more likely to patronize restaurants known for their DEI efforts

Customer Engagement and Marketing Strategies Interpretation

As the culinary world spices up with 19% of menus embracing diverse cuisines, it's clear that more restaurant owners are realizing that a commitment to DEI isn't just good ethics but also good business, given that 67% of consumers are more likely to tip the diversity dice in favor of inclusive eateries.

Employee Experiences and Workplace Culture

LGBTQ+ employees report experiencing discrimination at a rate of 40% in foodservice workplaces
55% of LGBTQ+ foodservice employees have concealed their identity at some point in their careers due to fear of discrimination
42% of foodservice workers say they have faced microaggressions related to their ethnicity or gender
48% of foodservice employees believe that a more inclusive environment would improve employee retention
54% of foodservice workers from minority groups experience wage disparities
47% of women in foodservice report facing gender-based harassment at work
50% of foodservice employees from minority backgrounds have encountered biased customer attitudes
Only 12% of foodservice employees report feeling comfortable discussing their identity openly at work
29% of foodservice employees have experienced bias during promotion or pay raises
39% of foodservice managers report that diversity training has led to measurable improvements in workplace culture
44% of foodservice employees from minority backgrounds report feeling they have to work harder to prove themselves
29% of foodservice employees who are from minority backgrounds report experiencing daily microaggressions

Employee Experiences and Workplace Culture Interpretation

These stark statistics reveal that despite progress toward a more inclusive foodservice industry, nearly half of LGBTQ+ and minority employees still conceal their identities, face discrimination, microaggressions, wage disparities, and biased treatment—highlighting an urgent need for genuine systemic change rather than just training checkboxes.

Representation and Leadership Gaps

Women hold approximately 30% of executive roles in the foodservice industry
38% of foodservice workers believe that there is a lack of representation of minorities in leadership roles
15% of restaurant owners are from minority backgrounds, despite minorities making up 40% of the U.S. population
Only 28% of foodservice marketing campaigns feature diverse faces or stories
40% of Latinos and 45% of Black Americans in foodservice report feeling underrepresented in leadership roles
Only 18% of leadership roles in the foodservice industry are held by women of color

Representation and Leadership Gaps Interpretation

While women and minorities constitute a significant portion of the foodservice workforce, their underrepresentation in leadership—particularly women of color—sheds light on a stark reality: the industry may serve diverse menus but often fails to serve diverse leadership tables.

Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Efforts

45% of foodservice employees believe their workplaces could do more to promote diversity and inclusion
60% of surveyed restaurant managers acknowledged that racial bias affects hiring decisions
25% of foodservice companies have implemented specific DEI training programs
Only 10% of culinary school graduates come from diverse racial or ethnic backgrounds
70% of foodservice establishments lack formal DEI policies
Women in foodservice are paid approximately 20% less than their male counterparts
Diversity in kitchen staff correlates positively with customer satisfaction scores
Companies with diverse hiring practices saw a 35% increase in innovation
30% of foodservice companies track DEI metrics formally
Language barriers prevent 25% of immigrant foodservice workers from advancing to managerial roles
22% of foodservice businesses have partnerships with organizations promoting minority entrepreneurship
64% of foodservice industry leaders agree that DEI is critical to future growth
61% of surveyed foodservice employees support mandatory DEI training
55% of foodservice managers believe that diversity boosts team performance
32% of foodservice establishments have implemented recruitment strategies specifically targeting underrepresented groups
25% of foodservice workers report that their organization explicitly communicates DEI values
Women of color in foodservice face wage gaps that are on average 25% higher than their white counterparts
57% of foodservice employees believe that diversity results in better customer service
72% of foodservice companies have DEI as part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives
67% of foodservice managers consider cultural competency as essential for team success
21% of restaurant staff globally are from minority backgrounds, yet they constitute a significant proportion of frontline workers
34% of foodservice workers have met colleagues from different racial or cultural backgrounds and feel more inclusive environments
28% of foodservice businesses invest in employee resource groups focused on DEI topics
42% of foodservice industry leaders believe that DEI initiatives need stronger organizational support
52% of foodservice companies have formal policies addressing harassment and discrimination
65% of minority workers in foodservice believe their workplace does not do enough to promote DEI
46% of foodservice workforce feels that current DEI efforts are insufficient to create truly inclusive environments
50% of foodservice industry leaders say that improving DEI is essential for attracting Gen Z talent
22% of job applicants in foodservice indicate in surveys that they consider a company's diversity policies before applying
81% of foodservice businesses believe that diversity positively influences innovation and problem-solving capacity
55% of foodservice workers express a desire for more diversity-focused career development opportunities
49% of foodservice workplaces have implemented flexible scheduling to improve inclusivity for employees with diverse needs
36% of foodservice organizations have conducted follow-up assessments on DEI initiatives to measure progress
48% of foodservice brands include diversity and inclusion in their corporate mission statements

Workforce Diversity and Inclusion Efforts Interpretation

Despite widespread acknowledgment of DEI's importance—with 64% of industry leaders citing it as vital to growth and 81% believing diversity boosts innovation—the stark reality remains that only 10% of culinary graduates are from diverse backgrounds and 70% lack formal DEI policies, revealing that the foodservice industry must cook up more genuine commitment if it is to truly serve inclusively.