Though he had been out of the spotlight for over 20 years, the foodservice industry recently lost its first true influencer—long before the term “influencer” became popular—with the passing of Stephen G. Michaelides this month. From 1971 to 2003, Stephen served as the witty provocateur of the pen as editor and associate publisher of Restaurant Hospitality magazine. With wickedly clever headlines such as “Where Have All the Women Gone? “ “The Color Black,” “What a Friend We Have in Cheeses,” “Have You Any Periwinkle Blue?,” and “Stations of the Crass,” his monthly editorials and feature stories famously challenged the industry’s norms, highlighting issues such as the lack of female leadership and diversity in foodservice. Michaelides engaged with industry giants like Julia Child, Tom Margatai, Roger Verge, and many others, while also inspiring emerging talents such as Wolfgang Puck, Emeril Lagasse, Thomas Keller, and Michael Symon. In addition to his editorial work, Stephen served on the advisory boards of UNLV’s College of Hotel Administration, Sullivan University’s Center for Hospitality Studies, Kendall College’s Culinary Arts School, and the Culinary Institute of America, helping students embrace the passion and possibilities of a career in foodservice. Before focusing on the hospitality industry, Stephen studied under Philip Roth at the Writer’s Workshop in Iowa, and his short story “Calling a Canary Polly” was published in the February 1967 issue of Glamour magazine. He was informed that it was only the second piece of fiction ever included in the magazine; the first was by Richard Burton.…
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