FSR April 2023

Behind the Scenes BY AMANDA BALTAZAR

On the Road to Recovery Indigo Road Hospitality founder Steve Palmer co-launched Ben’s Friends, a support group to help restaurant industry workers who struggle with substance abuse and addiction. “ We want to remove the shame of addiction; it’s a disease, not a moral character flaw.”

THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY is rife with people struggling with addic tion and substance abuse. According to a report from the American Addiction Centers, almost 12 percent of foodservice workers reported binge drinking during the last month when they were surveyed, and 19 percent reported using illicit drugs. Steve Palmer had been concerned about substance abuse and addiction in the hospitality industry for many years when he established Ben’s Friends in 2016, following the suicide of his friend and colleague Ben Murray. Palmer is the founder of The Indigo Road Hospital ity Group in Charleston, South Carolina, which encompasses 20 restaurants. But he’s most proud of Ben’s Friends, which he established with his friend and fellow hospitality veteran, Mickey Bakst. The two were both in recovery—Bakst since 1982 and Palmer since 2001—and realized it was time to take action. Ben’s Friends started as a support meeting for people in the hospitality industry who struggled with addiction or substance abuse. Over time, the orga nization—which is now a 501(c)(3) non profit—has grown to 25 cities and con tinues to expand.

BEN’S FRIENDS HOSTS 21 ZOOM MEETINGS PER WEEK FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN’T ATTEND PHYSICAL MEETINGS, PLUS A NATIONAL ZOOM MEETING EVERY DAY AT 1 p . m .

How did you establish Ben’s Friends?

How do you get the word out about Ben’s Friends?

It was very grassroots. Mickey and I said ‘Let’s just start a meeting.’ We thought at that point it would be a little Charles ton thing, and reached out to the local food critic and asked her to write a quick blurb to get the word out. It wasn’t any more complicated than that. For years, Mickey and I were the lone sober guys, and we said we wished we could do something for the indus try, and we’d both say we were too busy. But when Ben Murray commit ted suicide and nobody even knew he was struggling, it went from thinking about doing something to ‘we have to do something.’

The website is bensfriendshope.com. People find out about it because of con versations like this. Mental health has just not been a conversation we’ve had, but in the past five years it’s been great to see that conversation shift. Anthony Bourdain (who died on June 8, 2018) was really the catalyst for change in this industry. He was so beloved by so many people, especially chefs, so when he committed suicide it shone a spotlight on the industry and the need to take care of each other. I was not ashamed of my recovery, but Ben’s death has meant I’ve been much more public about it. We wanted to be

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APRIL 2023 59

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