Finance Minister at a Casual Restaurant? ... US Economic Chief's 'Food Diplomacy'

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen Often Appears at Local Restaurants
Unlike Other Officials Who Hide Their Daily Lives, She Uses Meals
In April, Gained Attention for Eating Local Chinese Cuisine and Craft Beer
"Not for Diplomatic Purposes, but It Has an Effect"

Janet Yellen, the head of the U.S. economy and Secretary of the Treasury, attracts attention by appearing at popular restaurants not only across the United States but also during her overseas trips. In September 2022, she was photographed stopping by a rural BBQ restaurant near Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and in September last year, she was spotted eating fried chicken, cornbread, and mac and cheese at a small restaurant in Savannah, Georgia. In November last year, before meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, she made headlines by stopping alone at In-N-Out on the way to San Francisco airport, wearing a trench coat and ordering a cheeseburger.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen visiting the In-N-Out burger chain alone last November and ordering a cheeseburger (Photo source=SNS)

Yellen’s love for popular eateries is not limited to the U.S. In November last year, while on a business trip to Mexico City, she ate tacos at the taco specialty restaurant Taqueria Gabriel. During her visit to Guangzhou, China, in April, she made headlines again by eating shrimp dumplings, Hongmi Changfen, and stir-fried wood ear mushrooms at the Michelin dim sum restaurant Taotaoju. A month later, in May, she visited a Persian restaurant in Frankfurt, Germany, and a photo of her with the restaurant owner was posted on social media.

It is rare for a key U.S. economic official who has served as Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers, Chair of the Federal Reserve, and now Treasury Secretary to appear so casually at popular restaurants. Usually, top officials present themselves in a polished manner at meetings or official briefings rather than at public eateries.

When dining at public restaurants, she enjoys removing all partitions and mingling with other customers inside the restaurant. After finishing her meal, she rarely refuses requests from restaurant owners or staff for photos. This is why photos of Secretary Yellen with ordinary people in front of restaurants frequently appear on social media. This moment makes the Treasury Secretary, who might otherwise be expected to speak only in stiff economic terms like inflation or interest rates, feel approachable. The expressions of people in the photos also soften noticeably.

US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen (left in the photo) posing for a photo with the restaurant owner after visiting a restaurant in Frankfurt, Germany. Photo source: SNS

In a recent interview released by The New York Times (NYT), Secretary Yellen said about enjoying meals at public restaurants, "It’s not done with any diplomacy in mind," but added, "Nevertheless, it seems to have that effect." She explained that such meals help her communicate with other officials and greatly aid in understanding local economies.

Yellen’s restaurant visits drew the most attention during her six-day visit to China in April this year. Reports showed her confidently ordering Chinese dishes in Guangzhou and Beijing, attracting the attention of the Chinese public. She visited the Sichuan cuisine specialty restaurant Laochuanban in Beijing and ordered 12 dishes including shrimp dishes. She also drank an India Pale Ale (IPA) called "Feichuan" at a craft beer bar in Sanlitun and reportedly said it was "excellent."

On April 8th, Janet Yellen, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury (right in the photo), who was visiting Beijing, China, is drinking craft beer together with Nicholas Burns, U.S. Ambassador to China. [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Chinese media praised her, saying "her chopstick skills have improved compared to before." Some called her a "perfect practitioner of culinary diplomacy," evaluating that Secretary Yellen is conducting proper "food diplomacy." The American political media Foreign Policy described this culinary diplomacy in 2022 as "soft diplomacy that raises national awareness and goodwill through interest in food, thereby gaining economic and commercial benefits."

Yellen reportedly told the NYT, "The reaction to dining in China was tremendous. People use chopsticks in Washington, New York, and California too," and laughed heartily. Now 77 years old, she enjoys visiting restaurants and often searches for food menus and reads reviews on her own mobile phone.

For Secretary Yellen, the head of the U.S. economy, visiting restaurants goes beyond just eating. In an interview with Bloomberg News in April, she expressed that interacting with people in the U.S. and around the world is part of her job, and visiting local restaurants is the best way to do so. She said, "I like getting to know people and tasting local food through informal occasions like talking with the owner of a popular restaurant in Pittsburgh, tasting cheese curds in Milwaukee, and visiting a popular izakaya with my team in Tokyo, Japan."

At the same time, she said this process greatly helps officials who make policies to communicate their thoughts to the public and promote them. She said, "Usually, I look at statistics to understand what is happening economically, but hearing and sharing the experiences of the public is very helpful." She added that she has many conversations at restaurants even with people who are not Democratic supporters, saying, "You can form much closer relationships than sitting across the table at a meeting."