In an industry with a culture of hustling, difficult hours, low hourly pay, and little-to-no health coverage, mental health challenges run rampant. But there are a few committed individuals and organizations that offer support and models of change to the hospitality industry and its workers. They’re tackling addiction support and destigmatizing the need for mental health counseling. In this episode, host Kiki Louya hears from Chef Brother Luck who shares his own struggles with mental illness at a time when his career was at its peak. Kristina Magro, co-founder of Support Staff sits down for a conversation about the work that needs to be done to empower industry professionals, from back of house to management, to make necessary changes for workers mental health.

Learn more about Brother Luck in this essay published through the James Beard Foundation. To explore the work that Kristina Magro and her team at Support Staff do, check out pleasehustleresponsibly.org.

You can explore additional resources mentioned below:

CHOW

Ben’s Friends

Heard

Restaurant After Hours

To learn more about RWCF’s work and donate to the cause, visit www.restaurantworkerscf.org.

Carlos Luciano created our episode artwork.

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