About [un]hospitable
“I’ve lived this. I’ve watched my friends live this. I’m making sure the world can’t look away.”
We have just wrapped the proof of concept/short film: tentative Release date, Thanksgiving 2025. Ask how you can view the short or host a Q&A Viewing.
[un]hospitable is a raw, cinéma vérité-style documentary designed to spark uncomfortable yet necessary conversations in the hospitality industry.
With an intended run time of 60-75 minutes, it will tackle taboo topics like menstruation stigma, perimenopause struggles, pregnancy discrimination, endometriosis, the silent suffering of miscarriage, and more, shedding light on the unseen toll of the industry.
Through candid conversations with 12-15 women—chefs, restaurant professionals, and industry leaders, alongside experts in healthcare, HR, and mental health —the film aims to break down barriers, spark conversation, and drive meaningful change in the hospitality industry through offering free resources to navigate these conversations.
If you'd like to learn more about this project, please send an email to unhospitable.doc@gmail.com
New Early Funding Opportunity
We have now opened an early round funding opportunity for any amount under $1000.00.
This is an opportunity for anyone to get involved in some capacity without having to commit to our larger sponsorship tiers.
This round will close on 11.11.2025
Your sponsorship doesn’t just fund a film—it fuels change in hospitality, and I’m endlessly grateful for your support. Colleen Silk
“In an industry where we are always giving of ourselves, we rarely focus on our own needs. Women in hospitality suffer in silence through periods, perimenopause, miscarriage, pregnancy, and more—because there are few resources, little support, and no conversations. [un]hospitable breaks the silence.”
why does this matter
- 80% of restaurant workers are women at some point in their careers.
- 1 in 4 women experience miscarriage — but few workplaces are prepared torespond with compassion.
- 71% of women say they’ve had to work through extreme period pain without time off.
- 1 in 10 women have endometriosis, yet diagnosis takes an average of 7–10 years.
- Less than 15% of independent restaurants have structured maternal health policies.
- 68% of women in hospitality say mental health worsened post-COVID.
- Only 27% feel comfortable disclosing reproductive health issues at work.
- 58% of the hospitality workforce is made up of women
My Story
Background in Hospitality
I’m Colleen Silk, a hospitality strategist and storyteller with nearly 20 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. As the founder of Hospitality Bites Media, I focus on mental well-being, inclusivity, and systemic change within our industry.
I launched the Hospitality Bites podcast to foster honest conversations with industry leaders, sharing stories that normalize struggles and celebrate victories.
Honored as the 2025 Gold Hospitality Hero Influencer Ambassador of the Year by The Burnt Chef Project, I am dedicated to promoting mental health in our field. As a wife, mother, and lifelong hospitality professional, I strive to create a compassionate and sustainable industry for everyone.
My Bread Pudding Moment
In May 2023, I was standing behind the bar when panic hit like a truck crashing through the service window. I was miscarrying—on the clock, in a full bar, with a busy dining room and coworkers everywhere. There was nowhere to hide.
All I could manage to say was, “No, no, please stop.”
I was fortunate to be working alongside an incredible chef, mother, and business owner who immediately recognized what was happening. Without words, she hugged me and sent me home.
The next morning, there was bread pudding at my door. That small act of care—the warmth and thoughtfulness behind it—was indescribable. It reminded me that compassion in hospitality is rare but life-changing.
That day changed my life. It also made me reflect on the realities many women in hospitality face: miscarrying while working, returning to labor-intensive jobs weeks after giving birth, pumping in storage rooms, or balancing childcare while prepping in the kitchen.
These experiences are far from isolated—they highlight the physical, emotional, and mental challenges women endure silently in this industry.
This is why I tell stories. This is why I created a special project dedicated to women in hospitality: to break the silence, share real experiences, and spark change.
This Film Matters
People are already talking. Be part of the conversation.
" These things need to come to awareness because it's not a thing that most men would probably understand that women have to deal with in these sorts of operations. And so I think a little bit of training and a little bit of awareness is going to go a long way. " Erik Haviland, Producer and Founder of FUZE
