Culinary Agents

About

Focused on our mission to help talent succeed in their careers, Culinary Agents is a website to find career-related information about the hospitality industry. Our growing community includes over 2,510,000 members and 59,000 businesses nationwide. The platform empowers aspiring and existing talent to easily discover and apply to the best jobs. Culinary Agents also provides job marketing, recruiting and employer branding solutions to help businesses hire the best talent. Additionally, our hospitality-focused marketplace for goods and services enables buyers and sellers to connect.

Media Inquiries

[email protected]

Address

Culinary Agents Inc.
500 7th Avenue, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10018, United States

Press Mentions

Culinary Agents CEO Alice Cheng On Hospitality Hiring Trends

03/17/2025

Alice Cheng joins host Kerry Diamond to share industry insights and her own unexpected career journey. Listen Here

Five Years After COVID, the Restaurant Labor Market Has Yet to Recover

03/14/2025

Grappling with the lasting effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry continues to adapt to a shifting labor market. Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, highlights how talent experience levels have changed. Read More

Covid-19 took their restaurant jobs. They switched careers: ‘I’m making twice as much money now’

03/13/2025

March 2025 marks five years since the COVID lockdowns, a turning point that reshaped the industry and its workforce. Alice Cheng, alongside former industry professionals, explores how businesses and individuals have adapted to these lasting changes. Read More

Building the LinkedIn of hospitality with Alice Cheng of Culinary Agents

12/09/2024

Matt Newberg from HNGRY chats with Alice Cheng about HospitalityCareerPaths, a new platform from Culinary Agents focused on career insights and salary data. They discuss how technology can support career development and explore what the industry can do to attract and retain talent. Listen Here

22 Digital Disruptors Redefining the Future of Restaurants

12/03/2024

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, is recognized by QSR Magazine as a leading innovator reshaping the restaurant industry through groundbreaking technology and visionary leadership. Read More

Career paths and industry growth: a conversation with Alice Cheng

11/28/2024

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, joins The Burnt Chef Journal podcast to discuss why the restaurant industry lags behind in career growth and share insights on how to build a long-term career in hospitality. Listen Here

Moving Beyond Hourly Wages Toward Supporting Employees as Whole Individuals

11/06/2024

Industry expert Alice Cheng shares key strategies for attracting and retaining talent, while addressing evolving hiring trends in hospitality, such as the growing emphasis on soft skills and fostering supportive work environments for employee well-being. Read More

Alice Cheng Founder & CEO, Culinary Agents

10/22/2024

On The Simmer Podcast, Alice Cheng joins Kristen Hawley and Brandon Barton to discuss Culinary Agents’ latest initiative, HospitalityCareerPaths.com—a platform that highlights the professional journeys of leaders in the hospitality industry. Listen Here

Alice Cheng on Connecting the Industry through Her Company, Culinary Agents

09/10/2024

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, shares how she transformed a personal challenge into an innovative solution that’s reshaping the future of hospitality on The Meez Podcast. Watch Here

Revolutionizing Hospitality Hiring with Alice Cheng of Culinary Agents

08/26/2024

Founder and CEO Alice Cheng shares her journey, challenges, and lessons learned in building Culinary Agents, as well as unveils the company’s new free model in a conversation with Shawn P. Walchef on the Digital Hospitality Podcast. Watch Here

Is a Hospitality Career Limiting? Alice Cheng Doesn’t Think So

08/19/2024

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, talks about how bridging the gap between hospitality talent and employers through a blend of technology and human connection fosters worker growth, enabling both employees and businesses to thrive together. Read More

The Art of Hospitality with Culinary Agents founder, Alice Cheng

08/05/2024

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, speaks with BrewLogix about creating memorable experiences in the hospitality industry and the art of hiring. Watch Here

Culinary Agents CEO Alice Cheng on Restaurant Industry

07/31/2024

Culinary Agents Founder and CEO, Alice Cheng, discusses the strong outlook for fall restaurant hiring and the industry’s focus on growth in an interview with Scarlet Fu on Bloomberg Television. Watch Here

Small Plates, Big Checks

05/16/2024

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, sheds light on how wage increases are a factor for why restaurant prices feel so high, and why they’re going to stay that way. Read more

Hospitality Industry Looking to Fill Specific Job Roles

08/07/2023

Alice Cheng, founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, discusses hiring trends and needs in the hospitality industry. She speaks with Scarlet Fu and Romaine Bostick on Bloomberg Television. Watch here

The Recruit

03/01/2023

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, was interviewed by the American Culinary Federation on what it takes to attract the best talent as well as a better employer. Read more

Finding Your Next Passion with Alice Cheng at Culinary Agents

10/20/2022

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, joins Chris Cano on Hospitality Leaders Podcast to discuss her own career path as well as bridging the gap between passion and work and helping hospitality workers find roles that they can be excited about. Listen here

Tech Bites CEO MOM With Alice Cheng of Culinary Agents

05/03/2022

Tech Bites, host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Alice Cheng, CEO and Founder of Culinary Agents, about being a CEO Mom and how the hospitality industry is changing to accommodate parents and family in order to stay competitive and retain top talent. Listen here

The Return of the Hospitality Industry

04/01/2022

The pandemic caused a massive reshuffle to the hospitality industry, but jobs are slowly climbing back. Culinary Agents CEO and Founder, Alice Cheng joins Quicktake for more. Watch here

Rescue plan for NY small businesses 'lifeline that is desperately needed'

01/06/2022

Culinary Agents CEO says NY small business rescue plan 'desperately needed' lifeline Read more

Is It Just Me, Or Does It Seem Like There Are Way More Restaurant Hosts Now?

12/20/2021

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, shares job data and trends related to hiring for host positions. Read more

Through The Looking Glass: Finding Your Way In a New Era of Hospitality (2022 Trend Report)

12/01/2021

Culinary Agents shares survey results from a recent survey, highlighting the importance of employer branding as a main factor in attracting workers. Read more

To Win the War for Talent, Restaurants Must Evolve as Employers

09/16/2021

According to Alice Cheng, founder and CEO of hospitality career website Culinary Agents, the pandemic gave workers a chance to step back and reevaluate their priorities. In doing so, they reconsidered whether working in a restaurant was right for them. Read more

Four Key Challenges in Hospitality Recruiting and How to Overcome Them

09/15/2021

Cheng’s outlook remains positive. “They will come back in waves and on their timeframe,” she says. “That’s just going to take a little bit of time. Nobody wants to hear that.” Read more

Quicktake “Take the Lead”

09/13/2021

Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, discusses adapting to staff shortages in light of the restaurant industry’s comeback after Covid-19. Watch here

Restaurants offer signing bonuses to new employees amid a labor shortage

05/02/2021

Restaurants and food businesses are coming out of the pandemic with yet another crisis: How to find workers. Some have gotten creative. Read more

Restaurants face new COVID-19 challenge: Finding enough workers

04/30/2021

"Every businesses got a couple of weeks of lead time saying, 'OK, now you can reopen,' following a year of closures and project delays," said Alice Cheng, CEO of Culinary Agents, which runs a job site for restaurants. "Everybody is hiring at the same exact time. That's causing supply and demand issues right off the board." Read more

Culinary Agents Joins eQuest’s On-Demand Marketplace – eQuestXpress

04/29/2021

Culinary Agents announced today that it has joined eQuest’s exclusive job board marketplace, eQuestXpress, offering customers discounted rates not offered anywhere else. Read more

Restaurant Workers Are Combing Through Job Listings - But They’re Not Applying

04/26/2021

Culinary Agents CEO Alice Cheng on the restaurant worker shortage and how workers will return to the industry 'on their timeframe'. Read more

Restaurant Hiring: Navigating the Labor Shortage

04/23/2021

There's a labor shortage impacting the restaurant industry, made tougher by the pandemic. Early on in 2020, we were scrambling to figure out ways to get food to customers and how to give staff enough hours and keep them on the payroll. Now as we enter a recovery stage, the biggest challenge that's emerged has become finding enough staff to fit the demand. Read more

America scrambles for restaurant workers

04/22/2021

Millions of restaurants are hiring all at once and, after a deadly pandemic, the jobs of waiters, cooks, and hosts seem more dangerous than they ever have before. All of this is contributing to a nationwide hospitality worker shortage as the economy opens back up. Read more

Unemployed workers defect and debate their next moves, leaving restaurant owners to contend with a labor shortage

04/12/2021

Restaurants across the U.S. are desperate to hire as outdoor dining season begins, indoor dining restrictions lift, and vaccination rates trend upwards. But despite the hospitality industry losing nearly one-third of its jobs during the pandemic, workers aren’t coming back. In many cases, they’re not even applying. Read more

Wanted: Thousands of restaurant workers

04/09/2021

Competition for talent has become cutthroat in Chicago's restaurant world as COVID restrictions loosen and diners venture out again. Restaurant job postings in Chicago increased 100 percent during the month of March, according to data from hospitality job site Culinary Agents. Read more

Why Recruiting Platforms Don't Attract Shift Workers

03/16/2021

Culinary Agents allows employers to post openings ranging from full time, to internships, to a single shift. Employees provide employer feedback and candidates can apply to businesses with no open roles - applications that businesses can then store, sort and revisit when roles open up. Read more

Good Beer Matters Episode 70: Creating a Career in Hospitality That Matters, with Alice Cheng

03/03/2021

Podcast host of Good Beer Matters, Jeremy Storton interviewed Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, about what it takes to have a thriving career in the restaurant industry. Listen here

Gourmand Episode 12: Alice Cheng

02/18/2021

Hosts, Maggie Tang and Alaina Chou, chatted with Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, covering a myriad of topics, including the challenges and rewards of starting Culinary Agents, her career at IBM and what she sees for the future of the industry. Listen here

Tech Bites Episode 225: New Skills & New Jobs with Culinary Agents

01/19/2021

Host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Alice Cheng, CEO and Founder of Culinary Agents, about current open positions, our new Marketplace, and how to build new skills for your new job. Listen here

Tech Bites Episode 197: New Year, New Job with Alice Cheng

01/14/2020

Host Jennifer Leuzzi talks with Alice Cheng, CEO and Founder of Culinary Agents, the job website for the hospitality industry. Listen here

What We’re Thinking About: Growth, Responsibility, Profitability

12/18/2018

Over the past seven years, Culinary Agents, a two-sided marketplace for hospitality jobs, and Cheng and her team have maintained a focus on serving the hospitality industry to successful results — the company is profitable. Read more

8 Tips for Networking in the Drinks Industry

09/03/2018

Experts, including Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, share their strategies for making—and optimizing—professional connections. Read more

Skift Table's Top Restaurant Tech Startups to Watch 2018

07/24/2018

Skift Table's list of the top startups, spotlighting the most impressive new or little-known restaurant tech startups, including Culinary Agents. Read more

Danny Meyer’s Recipe for Success

06/20/2018

The restaurant mogul behind Union Square Cafe, Shake Shack, and many other dining destinations uses culture to drive scale. Alice Cheng, founder of Culinary Agents, reflects on the significance of his standards on the hospitality industry. Read more

Alice Cheng: The Art of the Grind

11/15/2017

Alice Cheng, Founder & CEO of Culinary Agents, shares her success story about creating a tech-startup for the hospitality industry. Read more

Being Deliberate About Your Path, Alice Cheng

05/22/2017

Joanne Wilson interviews Alice Cheng, Founder & CEO of Culinary Agents for her weekly podcast, Positively Gotham Girl. Listen here

Restaurant Hiring Gets Digital

05/03/2017

The latest websites specifically target the restaurant industry’s hiring and employee management needs. Read more

Wanted in San Francisco: Cooks

04/30/2016

Culinary Agents develops innovative features to help address needs in a challenging market. Read more

In Search of That Special Sommelier

02/16/2016

Restaurants use Culinary Agents' as a way to find more qualified wine professionals. Read more

How to Beat the Stress of Seasonal Hiring

11/19/2015

Culinary Agents Founder and CEO, Alice Cheng shares the number one secret to hiring for the holidays, plus tips for pulling it off. Read more

Not Enough Cooks: Restaurant Industry Faces Talent Crisis

11/19/2015

Data from a Culinary Agents' administered survey reveal what talent is really looking for in potential employers. Read more

Back of House

11/15/2015

It can be a tough life in the pressure cooker of the professional kitchen. Alice Cheng contributes to this piece discussing the most pressing issues of the culinary age. Read more

METRO Group Supports Culinary Agents as it Expands its Services to French and Italian Entrepreneurs

10/28/2015

The market entry into Italy and France clearly showcases Culinary Agents’ international success story, giving way to further expansion into European and Asian markets in the next year. Read more

Not Enough Cooks in the Restaurant Kitchen

10/21/2015

Chefs may see a shortage of cooks, but the overall picture is one of growth. Alice Cheng of Culinary Agents, weighs in on how the industry, and chefs' expectations, are changing. Read more

Karma and How to Find a Job in Food

09/17/2015

Radio Cherry Bombe brings Cherry Bombe Magazine to life through conversations with some of the most interesting women in the world of food. Alice Cheng joins Kerry Diamond and Claudia Wu in studio. Read more

How Alice Cheng Is Revolutionizing the Restaurant Industry

08/18/2015

NBC News spent the day following Cheng around New York City as she works to take Culinary Agents to every corner of the country, and the world. Read more

Culinary Agents Plays Matchmaker for the Restaurant Industry

08/09/2015

An interview with Culinary Agents' Shawndra McCrorey on how they continue to evolve to help the industry meet new challenges. Read more

Where have all the cooks gone?

08/03/2015

Culinary Agents contributes data proving cooks today have a wider selection of job opportunities — opportunities that aren’t necessarily in traditional restaurants. Read more

Top 5 Misconceptions About Staffing in the Restaurant Industry

07/22/2015

Alice Cheng of Culinary Agents, shares some of the biggest misconceptions about finding talent in the business today. Read more

Hats Off to Web Advertising. No, Really.

07/06/2015

Advertising technology has been a breeding ground for Web innovation and Raymond Chan, Culinary Agents' COO, implemented the skills he acquired from an ad tech startup to help talent find jobs using Culinary Agents. Read more

Alice Cheng from Culinary Agents about their partnership with METRO

06/28/2015

Alice Cheng, Founder & CEO, discusses how Culinary Agents got its start and what the METRO partnership means for the company's future. Watch here

CUESA Rolls Out New "Market to Chef" Carts in Partnership with Culinary Agents

06/25/2015

Just in time for summer, CUESA is excited to relaunch the Market to Chef Program, an outreach and support program for culinary professionals in the San Francisco Bay Area, with support from Culinary Agents. Read more

Eater Introduces a New, Improved Culinary Jobs Board

05/19/2015

Eater is partnering with Culinary Agents, a leader in job-matching for the food, beverage, and hospitality industry, to bring you a new and improved jobs marketplace. Read more

Alice Cheng featured on " All in the Industry " radio show.

04/18/2015

Alice Cheng - Founder and CEO - of Culinary Agents, talks about food, beverage, and hospitality talent having a professional tool to represent themselves, and how a job is a stepping stone to a career. Listen here

Elevator Pitch: Would you invest in Culinary Agents?

12/12/2014

Shankman Honig Partner Peter Shankman, Flybridge Capital Partners General Partner Matt Witheiler and Jack Hidary of Agent 99 weigh in on startup Culinary Agents in front of CEO Alice Cheng. Watch

4 Ways Tech Can Support the 13.5M U.S. Restaurant Employees

08/01/2014

By leveraging technology to invest in the further development and growth of the talent in the industry, the future of dining will be spectacular, no matter what side of the table you're on. Read more

Culinary Agents Brings Hospitality Job Search into the 21st Century

01/29/2014

After spending years "working with, understanding and witnessing how industries were being transformed by technology" Cheng decided to apply her experience to the industry she was most passionate about. Read more

Former IBM Exec Now Cooking With $500K for ‘LinkedIn' for Chefs, Restaurants

01/15/2014

"Ms. Cheng believes it's time for chefs to have their own networking and hiring site." Read more

Press Releases

Culinary Agents Serves Up Hospitality On The Rise Podcast, Dishin' Out Career Inspiration

March 12, 2025

Culinary Agents, the leading hiring platform for the hospitality industry, is proud to announce the launch of its highly anticipated podcast, Hospitality On The Rise. Hosted by Alice Cheng, Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents, this podcast will offer an intimate look into the careers of hospitality leaders, highlighting the challenges, lessons learned, and triumphs that have defined their careers. Read More

Culinary Agents Partners With Turn.Ai To Revolutionize Background Checks In Hospitality Hiring

November 13, 2024

Culinary Agents, the leading hiring platform for the hospitality industry, has announced a groundbreaking partnership with Turn.ai to introduce advanced background check solutions tailored for the industry's unique needs. Read more

Culinary Agents Launches HospitalityCareerPaths.com: Empowering Hospitality Professionals with Career Insights and Exclusive Compensation Data

October 22, 2024

Culinary Agents launches HospitalityCareerPaths.com, a new platform with career insights as well as exclusive pay, benefits and skills data. The site also features career paths and advice from over 500 industry leaders in diverse roles to help aspiring, new, and seasoned workers navigate career growth. Read more

Culinary Agents Expands Its Support of the Culinary Institute of America with Student Scholarships

April 02, 2024

Culinary Agents continues to invest in the education of future hospitality leaders, providing scholarships to students at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). Read more

Culinary Agents Supports C-CAP Students with Future Leaders Scholarships

March 21, 2024

Culinary Agents invests in the education of future hospitality leaders, providing scholarships to C-CAP students across its campuses nationwide. Read more

Culinary Agents Releases Culinary Agents Jobs Android App for Job Seekers in the Hospitality Industry

January 08, 2024

Culinary Agents announces its free mobile Android app “Culinary Agents Jobs” to help hospitality talent more easily discover and apply to jobs on-the-go. Read more

Culinary Agents Releases Update for Improved Candidate Matching

September 13, 2023

Culinary Agents has released the newest version of its candidate match feature to help workers discover opportunities and employers more efficiently identify potential candidates. Read more

Culinary Agents Provides More Seamless Job Application Process Through Key Partner Integration with Indeed

September 06, 2023

Culinary Agents has enhanced its hospitality industry-leading hiring platform with existing partner Indeed, for more seamless job application submissions. Read more

Culinary Agents Creates First Resume Digitization Service for Job Seekers to Get Discovered by Employers

July 11, 2023

Culinary Agents offers Resume Digitization, the first-of its-kind, free service for job seekers. Read more

Culinary Agents Launches Concierge Team to Further Support the Hospitality Industry

September 14, 2022

Culinary Agents expands to include a Concierge Team to further support talent and businesses within the hospitality industry. Read more

Culinary Agents Releases Culinary Agents Jobs iOS App for Job Seekers in the Hospitality Industry

September 20, 2021

Culinary Agents announces its free mobile iOS app "Culinary Agents Jobs" to help hospitality talent easily discover and apply to jobs on-the-go. Read more

Culinary Agents Launches an Online Marketplace to Help Hospitality Businesses and Professionals

November 23, 2020

Culinary Agents expands its platform beyond jobs to include an online marketplace for equipment, supplies and services. Read more

Culinary Agents Addresses Hospitality Talent Shortage with Employer Branding Solutions

October 01, 2019

Now, after seven years of supporting the industry, incorporating feedback and anticipating needs, Culinary Agents offers exclusive, community-powered features aimed at simplifying how businesses and talent connect. Read more

Culinary Agents Announces New Hosted Career Pages for Businesses

September 19, 2017

With this tool, businesses can embed a Career Page as a mini-site within their website that then displays the jobs they have posted on CulinaryAgents.com with real-time updates. Read more

Culinary Agents Announces New Features for Job Applicant Matching Optimization

April 17, 2017

The “Willing to Relocate” feature, which has been added to the Job Preference section of each user’s profile, allows employers to connect with potential employees who may otherwise seem to be out their geographic reach. Read more

Culinary Agents Confirms Hospitality Trade Association Partnerships for Q1 2017

April 03, 2017

Culinary Agents proudly confirms the growth of its private network during Q1 2017 to include new partnerships with the following associations: Golden Gate Restaurant Association, NoshTalks and Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington (RAMW). Read more

Culinary Agents announces strategic partnership with METRO AG

April 27, 2015

Berlin, Germany - Culinary Agents announced today a partnership with METRO AG, the 5th largest retailer in the world, enabling Culinary Agents to expand to Europe and Asia and grow US operations. Read more

CulinaryAgents.com announces Industry Advisory Board

April 07, 2015

New York, NY - Professional networking and job matching site CulinaryAgents.com announced today their Industry Advisory Board. Read more

Culinary Agents partners with prominent industry leaders to provide mentoring to food, beverage, and hospitality professionals

October 08, 2014

Professional networking and job matching site CulinaryAgents.com announced today that they have started accepting applications for their first of a kind "Get Inspired" mentoring series being held in early November 2014. Read more

About

Media Inquiries

Address

Press Mentions

Press Releases

CULINARY AGENTS

BUSINESS

JOIN THE INDUSTRY NETWORK

About

Media Inquiries

Address

Press Mentions

Press Releases

CULINARY AGENTS

BUSINESS

JOIN THE INDUSTRY NETWORK

Log in