With active chapters throughout the world, Les Dames d'Escoffier works to enhance the professional lives of women in the food, fine beverage and hospitality industries. Its purpose is to provide support to individual chapters and a system for communication and networking. It is responsible for the formation of new chapters. The membership, composed of individual chapters, is highly diversified, reflecting the multi faceted field of contemporary gastronomy.
Membership is by invitation only.
Upon being granted the original charter by Les Amis d'Escoffier, the first chapter of Les Dames d'Escoffier was founded in New York City in 1976. Since then, local chapters of Les Dames d'Escoffier have been established in major cities throughout the United States and abroad. The turn of the century marks a period of international expansion for the organization. Les Dames d'Escoffier International was formed in 1985 as the umbrella organization to unite the individual Les Dames chapters, to provide support, and to establish a world wide networking and communication system. Working committees are drawn from the board, the officers and the membership at large.