Toronto restaurateur Donna Dooher elected Chair of Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association

TORONTO, March 5, 2012 /CNW/ - Donna Dooher, the executive chef and co-owner of Mildred's Temple Kitchen in Toronto, was elected Chair of the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) for 2012 - 2013 at the association's annual meeting today.

A recognized leader in Canada's restaurant community, Donna is a celebrated chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, teacher and TV personality with a passion for bringing people to the table, and showcasing locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

As CRFA Chair, Donna leads a volunteer board of 30 restaurant industry leaders from across the country who are responsible for one of Canada's largest business groups.  CRFA's 30,000 members represent restaurants, bars, caterers, clubs and other foodservice establishments, as well as suppliers to the industry. The $63-billion restaurant industry is the fourth-largest employer in Canada, providing more than 1.1 million direct jobs.

"Like many Canadians, I worked part-time at a restaurant when I was a student, and that's when I knew I would build a career in this industry," says Dooher.  "Restaurants bring people together and help them through their busy days.  They create jobs and give back to their neighbourhoods.  Restaurants nourish our communities, and CRFA is working on many different fronts to ensure they continue to grow and prosper."

About Donna Dooher:
Donna started her first business, Avant-Goût catering, in Toronto in 1986, and opened Mildred Pierce Restaurant with her husband and business partner Kevin Gallagher in 1990.  In 1998 she founded The Cookworks Cooking Studio for hands-on cooking events and team building.  Her hit Food Network show The Cookworks grew out of this initiative and now airs in more than 60 countries. Donna was Food Editor for WISH magazine, and is the author of two acclaimed cookbooks:  Market to Table and Out to Brunch with Mildred Pierce.  She and Kevin opened Mildred's Temple Kitchen, a 120-seat restaurant with 40 employees, in Toronto's Liberty Village in 2010.

Donna volunteers for dozens of charitable causes every year, ranging from FoodShare's Recipe for Change, to Porridge for Parkinson's, to the Kitchen Sisters benefit for at-risk women.  She recently co-chaired a $20-million building campaign at George Brown College and has played a role in the federal government's Canada Brand promotions, showcasing Canadian food and agricultural products at the Vancouver Olympics and in Osaka, Japan.

NOTE TO EDITORS:  A high res photo of Donna Dooher is available at the following URL: http://crfa.ca/dooher/ 

MEDIA CONTACT:  Prasanthi Vasanthakumar, CRFA Communications, [phone] or [e-mail]