Twenty Years of Terroir: A Personal Reflection
Written by Arlene Stein, Founder Terroir Symposium
Twenty years ago, I had an idea: to create an event that would celebrate the people who work in the hospitality industry. At the time, I was the General Manager of a hip downtown Toronto restaurant called Milano on King Street West. In those days, restaurant work was not seen as a serious career path. It was considered temporary work on the way to “something better”—acting, music, maybe a law degree. People worked in hospitality to pay the bills, not to build a life.
In the kitchen, the work was gruelling. On the floor, if you were a decent server in the early ‘90s, you could pull in $70–$80,000 a year in tips, which, of course, you spent as quickly as you made it on shots of tequila (and other retirement-burning endeavours). Meanwhile, as a career manager, I was often the lowest-paid person on staff. My role didn’t earn me much respect—my mother would ask, “What are you going to do with your life?” and friends would ask, “Do you still like that job?” I missed so many major milestones, family get-togethers, weddings, birthdays, including Thursday nights watching Friends like everyone else, because I’d spend it behind the bar serving whiskey sours.
But I loved my work. I thrived in the high-energy environment, surrounded by people, food, and drink. Being a “foodie”—a new term coined for people who actually enjoyed good food—was becoming a trend, and slowly, the culture began to shift.The turning point came in the late ‘90s with the rise of the Food Network. Suddenly, loud, charismatic chefs were beamed into everyone’s living rooms. But the real game-changer was Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain. His no-holds-barred look at the raw, chaotic, and often debauched life inside restaurant kitchens revealed a world previously hidden. It gave restaurant workers a sense of validation, and made us - the cool kids.
A few years later, while working as a catering director at a larger institution, I saw an opportunity. Why not bring the industry together—front and back of house—to celebrate what we do, recognize its value, and build pride in our work? People love to eat. Why shouldn’t the people who make the magic happen have value, and honour the work that makes that possible? So, I convinced six of my closest colleagues—Voula Halliday, Laurel Keenan, Stephanie Kern, Malcolm Jolley, Dick Snyder, and Jessie Kittleson— to help me plan a gathering that would celebrate our industry and create a collective space for growth.
On March 3, 2007, we held our first Terroir Symposium. Jamie Kennedy—then Toronto’s top celebrity chef—agreed to be our keynote speaker, which was a huge win. When the doors opened and 107 people walked in, I was mortified. I had no idea what I’d done and if this wouldn't be a complete failure. But people loved it—and they kept coming, and the numbers kept growing. That was nearly 20 years ago.
Last year, a colleague asked me how Terroir has changed. I thought about it and said: the industry has evolved immensely—how we consume content, who holds influence, how we've grown. But Terroir?
Terroir has stayed the same. Our mission has always been to gather our community and celebrate our industry. And that will never change.
SAVE THE DATE TO HELP US CELEBRATE 20 YEARS - MAY 29-31, 2026
