More than 20 women-owned Milwaukee restaurants to come together for Live Out Loud dinner

In celebration of International Women’s Day on March 8, a group of local women-owned businesses is coming together to lift up and amplify women entrepreneurs and their supporters.

The event, called Live Out Loud, takes place March 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Denizen MKE, 4227 W. Vliet St.

Dinner at the event includes a grazing table, passed appetizers and food to sample from more than 20 women-led food and drink establishments across the Milwaukee area.

Food and drinks at the event will be provided by Modern Maki, Flour Girl & Flame, Denizen MKE, Charcuter-Me, Tots on the Street, Outwoken Tea, Delicious Bites, Frannie’s Market, Cocina Filipina, Honeypie Cafe, Style Pop Cafe, Sweetly Baked, Buddah Luv, Joy Ice Cream Social, Little Village Play Cafe, Batter and Mac, Ready to Roll, Seven Swans Creperie, BB Cakes, Full Circle Healing Farm, Vegan Soul MKE and Solful Kitchen.

Valeri Lucks, Live Out Loud dinner co-host and owner of Milwaukee restaurants Honeypie, SmallPie, Palomino and Comet Cafe, said Milwaukee should be proud and even more encouraging of its women-led restaurants.

"I think we are lucky in Milwaukee. This city being a bit more accessible to small-business ownership than a bigger city like Chicago, we see a lot of women-led small businesses everywhere," she said. "Guests don't always realize who is behind the curtains running their favorite joints, so we want to take a moment to share. We want to celebrate them."

Aside from gathering around dishes and drinks, guests will have the chance to pose for pictures in a photo booth by Enclave Light and Sound, bring home a custom “booty portrait” from RADillustrates, listen to music spun by DJ Livid, take in a drag show and participate in a raffle.

Live Out Loud also will feature guest speakers including Stephanie Melnick of Melnick & Melnick law firm and the She Stands Tall organization, Lori Fredrich of OnMilwaukee and speakers from VISIT Milwaukee.

The event is organized by the Milwaukee chapter of Let’s Talk Womxn, an action-led movement and collaboration of women restauranteurs across 15 U.S. cities. It aims to build combined economic power among women-owned businesses and encourages women in the food and drink landscape to join its cause.

"The restaurant world is special, yet this industry has a long, ugly history of being terrible for women to work in and build a career in," Lucks said. "This industry loses talented women all the time to punishing schedules, harassment, poor leadership, inflexibility and lack of benefits. The more we connect women leading in the industry to support each other in addressing the industry's problems, the more we can make it a better place for all the people working in it and the more we can keep the talent we need."

Tickets for the Live Out Loud dinner are $60 per person and can be purchased on Eventbrite. The event includes a full cash bar and free parking at the venue.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: A Milwaukee dinner will celebrate and support women entrepreneurs