Causing A Stir developed from a luncheon of twelve female bartenders of color November 2016 in Chicago, IL. Gathered together in fellowship with a goal to discuss views & perspectives on the hospitality industry.
Our group came to find that there was a need for radical inclusion, equal representation, and accessibility to educational opportunities within our bar community.
We initiated a Facebook group in hopes of cultivating a social space to inform, guide, and empower individuals from all backgrounds to succeed despite the lack of readily made resources.
Causing A Stir’s goal, quite simply, is to #getinvolved by listening and understanding the needs of our bar community as a whole. Our vision is to nurture better working environments and the people that encompass them.
We are motivated by a duty to support the success of bartenders and their fellow hospitality professionals industry wide.
The last 18 months have been great for Causing A Stir and I would like to thank all of our supporters, partners, staff, volunteers, friends and family.
As we look forward, we will continue our focus on making the hospitality industry more inclusive by providing opportunities and resources for underserved and underrepresented communities and individuals.
In this letter we will reflect on the value we’ve created within our communities since our inception over a year ago, highlight three global trends and several key challenges that will transform the hospitality industry in the coming years, and discuss Causing A Stir’s future, including new membership and sponsorship programs, novel trainings and professional development workshops, and our unwavering commitment towards increasing community value.
CAS Highlights In Review:
Since creating CAS 21 months ago, we've participated in over 30 events across 3 continents, 7 countries, and 18 cities. We've partnered with nearly 50 spirit brands, one-third of which reside within the global top 15 largest alcoholic beverages companies. And we've gained over 2,500 members in 50 different cities.
Last February we held our first fundraising Gala, attendees from across the industry, representing nearly a dozen countries, came to celebrate our cause. During this celebration Bacardi Legacy’s National Finalist, French Marshall, from D.C. was on hand to serve his award winning cocktail. Thank you to everyone who attended!
Sponsored by Grey Goose, we created a partnership and launched The Express Yourself Cocktail Challenge. It celebrated Chicago bartenders in underrepresented areas while providing a 6-part educational program where they learned advanced bartending skills, social media and public relations best practices, and interview tips. Four finalists were chosen and awarded $1,000 each, and the winner, CAS member Samantha Spencer, won a free trip to France! Upon conclusion of Chicago’s launch, the program expanded to Atlanta, Houston, and D.C.
In March 2018, we kicked off Women’s History Month featuring two specialty cocktails at MONEYGUN for their #MonthlyGun collaboration.
In April 2018, two CAS members made it to the finals of the Diageo Tin on Tin Cocktail Classic and were challenged to create four-drink cocktail menus and present to an esteemed panel of judges.
In May 2018, the president and founder of CAS hosted a dinner, CELEBRATING CULTURAL ARCHITECTS, as a part of the Chicago Style Dinner Series. Cultural architects are the creative leaders of the future. The dinner discussion centered around the idea that “we are the future,” and participants shared the oftentimes unconventional processes taken to brand themselves and their businesses. “Cultural architects are people who are able to change the mindset of others,” explains CAS Founder, Alexis Brown. “They are able to break barriers; they have vision. They are self-confident and able to transfer self-confidence to other players. As leaders we have a duty and responsibility to lay foundation for future generations. The arts and culture sector is continually developing and changing.”
In June 2018, we were officially awarded 501(c)(3), federal tax-exemption status.
In July 2018, CAS headed to New Orleans to showcase our talent at the Tales of The Cocktail Conference. We were recipients of the inaugural TOTC Grant and awarded $20,000. During the conference, we hosted and staffed the first ever R(e)Charge Lounge at historic Arnaud’s Restaurant in collaboration with Beam Suntory. Aside from providing a one stop refresher space packed with charging stations (for phones, minds, and bodies), we fostered a positive social impact through hosting our cultivated Jeffersonian-style dinner experience with the Idea to Institution Spirited Dinner and Flor de Caña. We also collaborated with Victory Nola and partner with Bacardi to highlight members of Causing A Stir during the Celebration of Color.
In August 2018, CAS awarded Chicago member Mark Coulter a scholarship to attend Bar Methods in New York. Bar Methods’ classes focus on the fundamental skills needed to be successful behind a cocktail bar. Participants learn not only how to perform these techniques properly, but also why and when to apply them and what each technique contributes to the overall product. This course has proven to elevate skills, confidence and creativity behind the bar.
In October 2018, CAS was invited to present a seminar at Portland Cocktail Week. The PDXCW programming allowed us to speak on our diversity and inclusion strategies and practices. The discussion addressed issues that plague the industry and focused on how imperative it is to combat implicit biases in order to cultivate true inclusivity.
In November 2018, CAS met with The Ghana Bartender’s Guild to speak with women servers, bartenders, and mobile bar owners. The discussion centered around the lack of equal opportunities and discrimination happening in the hospitality industry throughout the country. We were able to provide insight and support to these women, helping change the cultural narrative. During the 5th annual Lagos Cocktail Week, CAS spoke on the importance of branding and how to use social media as a tool to create visibility.
In February 2019, CAS’s 2nd Annual Fundraising Gala raised nearly $20k and highlighted members from Atlanta, Chicago, and Detroit who created speciality cocktails inspired by the theme #InvestingInYourself. Over 10 brands participated in the gala and pre-gala activations with Tito’s and Beam Suntory Brands (Effen, Courvoisier and Makers Mark) sponsoring the Gala. During the Gala each sponsor was paired with a local artist to bring the #InvestingInYourself theme to life through a live painting. The paintings were auctioned during the Gala.
Also in February 2019, CAS collaborated with Hennessy & Liquor.com on the Equal Parts Initiative and launched our first set of trainings.
Again in February 2019, Beam Suntory & Courvoisier recognized our founder, Alexis Brown, as an honoree at their Black History Month Special alongside James Beard Nominated Chef Brian Jupiter and the owner/operators of Midway Wholesalers, Everett and Tim Rand.
To celebrate Women’s History Month, CAS partnered with The Virgin Hotel in Chicago for a month long highlight of CAS members. Week to week a CAS mentor and mentee collaborated on a specialty cocktail and tested their skills during a happy hour hosted by Hennessy and Chandon.
In March 2019, 12 finalists from the Grey Goose Express Your Cocktail Challenge spanning from Atlanta, Houston, and D.C met in Miami at the Bacardi, USA headquarters for the Winner’s Experience. There they were able to learn advanced bar techniques, media and press training, obtain professional headshots and mixology video, and gain invaluable mentorship from Bacardi mentors.
In April 2019, we highlighted Keith Anderson from Brown-Forman who made history by becoming the first African American artist to have his work featured on a special limited edition Woodford Reserve Kentucky Derby bottle.
In May 2019, after working with outside strategy consultants, we will be rolling out a new Board of Directors, membership, partnership and sponsorship programs, and curated hospitality curriculums and professional development classes this upcoming June. After nearly two years of hypothesis testing, it's time for CAS to scale!
Key Trends
We realize that if we want to scale and impact tens of thousands more individuals we must engage in rigorous, data-driven research. From our research we have identified three key trends in the hospitality industry that will shape our new approach to programming and development:
Companies are leveraging sustainability to create a conscious lifestyles and experiences for consumers and hiring local talent to provide an authentic experience. There are growth tailwinds behind companies and brands that provide localized experiences and maintain eco-friendly habits.
Listen to millennials. Millennials are believed to be the most purpose-driven generation. Regardless of socioeconomic status, Millennials are fluent in, and influenced by, social media and technology. Gone are the days of businesses solely focusing on financial gains: 87% of millennials believe that the success of a business should be measured by its impact on the world.
The hospitality industry is a dynamic environment in an everlasting state of movement and progression. The industry is leading the charge in creating the world we want to live in. Speaking up about equal rights, food waste, health and wellness and much more. With the help of technology, the travel and hospitality industries reached more people than ever before.
Key Challenges
We believe these key challenges must be addressed by the hospitality industry in order to sustain its continued growth trajectory:
Sustainability: Eco-friendliness is evolving from a nice to have, on-trend commodity to a must-have priority for a growing number of environmentally and socially conscious consumers. 66% of respondents would pay more for products or services from companies committed to positive social and environmental impact.
Workplace culture: Past struggles that were present in the service industry must be taught in order to raise the standard of inclusiveness. The quality of life has to improve. Women represent more than half of all students in hospitality programs at 67%. Yet, women hold fewer than 40% of all hotel managerial positions and less than 20% of general management roles.
There is no more “that’s just how it is” in response to harassment, discrimination and lack of benefits for workers. Moving the needle on progress requires collaborative effort. Every industry participant, adjacent industry associations, and sponsors have important roles to play.
Job Training and Career Opportunities: There are currently more job openings than available workers. In 2009, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated 353,000 job openings across the leisure and hospitality sectors. As of 2018, with the travel and hospitality industries surging, that number swelled to 1,139,000. This lack of talent causes pipeline blockages within the hospitality industry. Attracting talent to this industry requires outreach, investing in new technology, and developing procedures that improve, speed, and efficiency. Restaurants seeking to improve profitability and create jobs must identify and understand key performance metrics and create loyalty amongst employees by understanding their needs. Industry turnover rate is 73%. To improve employee experience and eventually reduce turnover, organizations are looking to cutting-edge benefits that help employees.
Our Solution: Causing A Stir’s very own Hospitality Professional Incubator
There are currently 588,700 Restaurants in Illinois that make up 10% of employment in the state. By 2029 that number is expected to grow by 7%. This progress in the restaurant industry means that owners and managers will feel the pressure to put culture first and offer their hard workers benefits, a stable environment, and opportunities for growth. CAS will provide a stable pipeline of qualified hospitality professionals.
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we align resources received from partners, donors, and sponsors with an eye toward value creation. Our currency is opportunity. We will provide our members with the education, resources, and guidance necessary to succeed in the hospitality industry. We will teach excellence. We will expect excellent. We will ensure every program graduate is adequately equipped to Cause A Stir, with a smile.
Our Hospitality Professional Incubator will include:
PARTNERSHIP POPUPS & HOSPITALITY CAREER TRAINING
Through apprenticeship and training programs, career events, partnerships with academia and nonprofits, members will have an opportunity to smoothly transition into the field of hospitality. There are entire communities of leaders, parents, and students who are thirsting for education and a fair shot at entering the hospitality industry. Creating pathways to success pairs perfectly with CAS’s mission to empower underserved individuals and communities. Creating resources of cultural expression, in partnerships with local accelerators and incubators, will provide an unrivaled training and education experience that will populate our pipeline and allow our members to thrive.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT IN OPPORTUNITY ZONES AND BEYOND
Many of the communities we deem as underserved and underrepresented have been labeled as Opportunity Zones. We will create jobs in those neighborhoods, lessening the plight of those community members. CAS will promote investment, education, networking, and cultural support into businesses that can drive local sustainable development and job opportunities for our members.
DINNER SERIES & SUSTAINABILITY WORKSHOPS
The secret to change is to not focus all your energy on fighting the old, but to channel that energy into building the new. CAS continues to lean-in on sourcing and facilitating green and sustainable establishments and organizations aiming to improve entrepreneurs’ access to opportunities. We will continue coordinating dinner series designed to discuss cultural challenges and eco-friendly solutions within the broader hospitality community.
Our foremost mission is to create value for the communities we serve. We will provide professional development trainings and classes, job placement programs, and curated content and initiatives rooted in the hospitality industry for underrepresented individuals residing in underserved communities.
I hope this letter gives you a good idea of what we have achieved and where we are going in 2019 and beyond. Your continued support enables us to provide opportunities for the communities we serve and to commit resources to generate even more value for our members. Your generosity allows us to afford the necessary investments required to perpetuate the creation of community value. Your continuing support and encouragement of the CAS community never ceases to amaze me. Thank you! You are creating jobs, uplifting spirits, and helping us Cause A Stir!
To learn more, please visit our website www.causingastir.org or email [email protected].
Cheers,
Alexis Brown
Co-Founder, Executive Director
Causing A Stir
