March 6, 2025
Women-Owned, Leading Sustainability in the Food Industry
AUTHOR
Nicolette Tsafantakis, Marketing Manager
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the incredible women leading the charge in sustainability, innovation, and business. This year, we’re also spotlighting one of our amazing customers, Red Apron, a thriving women-owned business that shares our passion for sustainability and community impact.
Red Apron: Women-Owned, Leading Sustainability in the Food Industry
The Red Apron is 100% woman-owned, and all of the owners are actively involved in the operation of the business on a day-to-day basis. They strive to offer their team a safe and supportive workplace, a competitive wage, and numerous benefits. Their menus change daily, weekly, and seasonally, using fresh, locally sourced ingredients from a long list of farmers and producers. Through these relationships, their food dollars help employ hundreds of people in their community.
They value the connection between food, human health, and the wellness of their community. How they spend their food dollars is an important statement about their priorities. Their clients appreciate their commitment to these values, making Red Apron the perfect match for Friendlier’s reusable packaging program. By choosing Friendlier, Red Apron is helping reduce waste and support a circular economy. Their commitment to sustainability within the food industry proves that businesses, big and small, can make a lasting impact.
To learn more about their journey as a women-owned business and their commitment to sustainability, we asked the Red Apron team a few questions about their experiences and values.
Q: How did your founding team meet and come to be?
As the Founder (Jennifer Heagle) I wanted to create entrepreneurship opportunities for young women within our organization who demonstrated commitment, a willingness to lean into responsibilities, and a desire to grow with the business. Over the 20 years of our business operations we have taken on 4 owners from within.
Q: What do you consider to be your company’s superpower?
Our superpower is our culture & commitment to our values. We support each other, take care of each other, and stay focused on our commitment to keeping the Red Apron strong and healthy. This culture of care and nurturing filters through the organization and is reflected in how our team work together, and how we engage with our community.
Q: Can you talk about some of these initiatives, how they started, and what impact they have on the world and on your business?
We have always tried to make the right decision, even if it isn’t the easiest or most cost effective decision. For example, our commitment to supporting local growers and producers is not always easy, and never more cost effective than commercial alternatives. But we have the privilege of getting to know these growers and producers while watching their businesses and their families grow and thrive. We take great pride in the knowledge that we are keeping our dollars in our community and we see first hand the impact that makes.
Our decision to commit to a fully electric fleet of delivery vehicles was a risky choice in 2017. The technology was somewhat new and there were not a lot of vehicles on the market to choose from. Eight years later, with 5 fully electric delivery vehicles, we can now say with confidence that not only was this the right decision for our environment, but has turned out to be a good business decision. These electric vehicles are more efficient, cost less to maintain, and retain their value over time. Sometimes making the right decision can also be good for the bottom line.
Our decision to embrace the Friendlier solution was made out of a real desire to find a reusable solution. Finding one that is also Made in Canada, and a woman owned business was a bonus! The decision was not made because reusable is less expensive or easier. We chose to implement this solution fully, without giving the client an option for another container. Friendlier is the only container we use. Our planet isn’t single use and millions of single use containers are thrown out every day. Recycling and composting only go so far. Friendlier provides an opportunity for meaningful change and insight into a future where we, as citizens of the same world, can do better.
Q: What is the significance of International Women's Day to you?
We created this business with a desire to provide a safe and supportive work environment for women in the Food & Beverage Industry. There were not a lot of businesses 20 years ago that could boast 100% female ownership and majority female staff. Unfortunately, 20 years later there are still not many.
Q: In what ways do you hope to unlock potential for other women and girls?
Today we still struggle to find F&B businesses that are 100% woman owned and that needs to change. We want to support, mentor, uplift and encourage more women to take leadership roles in this industry, and to encourage the industry to support them.
Q: Do you have a story of a time you had to use your resilience as a woman at work?
A box of tissue sits on our boardroom table because there are always opportunities for tears; of frustration, joy, sadness and sometimes exhaustion. We see the expression of emotion not as a weakness but as a strength. To give people space to feel without shame is empowering. To acknowledge that we all have moments of fragility, and that is not a sign of failure, is important if we want to create inclusive spaces.
Q: Do you have a story you could share about the power of women celebrating women?
When the ownership team of Friendlier presented their product/service to us via zoom during the pandemic. I was overwhelmed by how incredibly poised and informed these two young women were in making their pitch. They had brilliantly thought out an end-to-end reusable solution, had thought through all the possible objections, and had proved their concept in their own town. I literally cried and all I could think to say was ‘Your mothers must be so proud of you’.
It might seem like an odd thing to say but all Mothers hope that their children will change the world in some small but meaningful way. To watch these two young women doing it made me incredibly proud. We agreed on the spot to throw our support 100% behind this initiative and have been Friendlier’s biggest fans ever since.
Q: In what ways do you think things have changed in a positive way, as a female leader through your career?
There are more female leaders in business in 2025 than there were when I entered the workplace in the 1980’s. I can remember attending conferences where I was the only woman among hundreds of men, or one of a very few. I haven’t been asked by a client or a supplier if they 'could speak to my boss’ in a little while. That’s positive. I think everyone is trying harder not make assumptions based on stereotypes, and that’s positive.
Q: If you could share one thing with non-females to help them to understand the importance of this day, what would it be?
Unfortunately barriers still exist. Our accomplishments and successes are often overlooked, diminished, or attributed to ‘good luck’. Members of our ownership team are not always treated with the respect they have earned. As a woman in business, we are often underestimated. As someone who has been an entrepreneur for over 30 years, I wish I could say this has changed a lot. It has changed a little but not enough.
Q: What is the future for Red Apron?
As we work through our 19th year in business my thoughts have been turning to celebration. 2026 will mark or 20th year and I think it will be important for us to acknowledge and celebrate that accomplishment. Operating a successful food business is hard, and doing so successfully for 20 years is worth celebrating. Beyond that we want to continue to cook good food, from scratch, using local, seasonal and organic ingredients. It’s what we do!
Empowering Women, Driving Change
This International Women’s Day, we celebrate the power of women-led businesses to create meaningful change. From crafting sustainable meals to reducing waste through reuse, the Red Apron team is proving that leadership, innovation, and environmental responsibility go hand in hand.
We’re proud to stand alongside so many incredible women working toward a greener future. Here’s to the women shaping sustainability, today and every day!