Advocating for Hospitality Industry Mental Health and Wellbeing

On this episode, Kate and Rachel sit down with Steve Palmer, the Founder of Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which has a portfolio of over 30 restaurants and independent hotels, and the co-founder of Ben’s Friends, a non-profit organization offering support to hospitality industry workers struggling with substance abuse.

If you are reading this, chances are you have worked or currently do work within the hospitality industry and care about workers’ mental health and wellbeing. People choose careers in hospitality for many reasons — from the excitement of every day being different to a passion for food and beverage and the chance to work for a notable brand and provide exceptional service to diners every night. With all of the positives that come with working in hospitality, those in the industry know that there can often be some industry norms present that have a more negative aspect, specifically exposure to drugs and alcohol.

The consequences of these challenges can be catastrophic or fatal and impact the mental health, physical health, and general well-being of those struggling. Over the past decade, there has been significant progress in prioritizing behind-the-scenes restaurant cultures for employees, improving benefits for hospitality industry workers, and providing resources to support those struggling with mental health or substance abuse.

On the latest episode of Tripleseat’s podcast Two Chicks, Three Seats, Kate and I sit down with Steve Palmer, the founder of Charleston-based Indigo Road Hospitality Group, which has a portfolio of over 30 restaurants and independent hotels nationwide, and the co-founder of Ben’s Friends, a non-profit organization led by sober F&B people offering support to hospitality industry workers struggling with substance abuse. Steve is also the best-selling author of his book Say Grace: How the Restaurant Business Saved My Life, published in 2019.

Throughout the conversation, we discuss Steve’s career in the industry that coincides with his sobriety journey, building an employee-first culture at Indigo Road Hospitality Group while sober, advocating for mental health in the industry, tips for restaurant management to improve their own cultures, and more. Learn more about how to support Ben’s Friends here.

Check out episode 89 on Spotify, Apple, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.