More than serendipity on a recent Monday afternoon brought together the powerhouse culinary figures of chefs Mike Lata, Jason Stanhope, Jacques Larson, Daniel Heinze, Kevin Johnson and others at a lunch at Brasserie La Banque.
They joined to celebrate and support 10 years of Ben’s Friends, now a multi-city coalition of food and beverage people committed to their sobriety.
Co-founded in 2016 by the then-general manager of Charleston Grill Mickey Bakst and Indigo Road Hospitality Group founder Steve Palmer, Ben’s Friends still has a simple mission: to help those in the food and beverage community who are struggling with addiction. It is named in honor of Indigo Road employee Ben Murray who took his life because of his addiction that same year.
With more than 70 years of combined sobriety between them, here’s how Bakst and Palmer found a shared purpose in Ben’s Friends and, in turn, have given purpose to so many others.
“Ben’s Friends is a community, not a program, of people who don’t just share an addiction but share their passion for the food and beverage industry,” Bakst said.
A decade ago, Alcoholics Anonymous meetings had groups that focused on a single industry. For example, there are AA meetings for professionals like police officers, veterans and emergency responders. But there were no exclusive meetings for food and beverage professionals.
That irony is stark given the constant exposure to alcohol and the high levels of drug use in the industry.
“Ben’s Friends has given me the most meaningful sense of purpose and fulfillment,” Palmer said. “From watching people in the industry who I love go from the darkest place in their life to hopeful and joyful, I just feel so grateful to have the privilege of being of service to the industry.”
What started as a weekly meeting at Charleston’s Mercantile & Mash has ballooned into a global cause. Ben’s Friends currently has chapters in 29 cities in the United States and there are 17 Zoom meetings weekly.
One force behind the growth? Ben’s Friends partnered with OpenTable, the online restaurant reservation system giant. By financially supporting lunches like the recent one here in Charleston, OpenTable allowed Ben’s Friends to reach a wider audience.
In addition to Charleston, cities like Nashville and New Orleans have hosted lunches with local chefs and restaurant owners. The lunches are to educate restaurateurs on how to help their employees. There are plans to do future lunches in Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Cleveland, Houston and New York City, where chapters already exist.
“The work Ben’s Friends is doing to combat addiction and substance abuse is so important,” said Amy Wei, chief operating officer at OpenTable. “We’re proud to play a role in expanding awareness and resources for staff who need it most — and who work tirelessly to bring joy to our tables.”
Expanding Ben’s Friends
Bakst spoke earlier this year at Noma’s MAD Symposium in Denmark. MAD is a global nonprofit based in Copenhagen, founded by René Redzepi of Noma, the three-Michelin-star restaurant that has been named the best restaurant in the world five times by Restaurant magazine.
According to MAD’s website, its mission is “to prepare the next generation of food industry professionals with the knowledge, tools and inspiration they need to make their businesses thrive, their industry fair, and the world’s food systems truly sustainable.”
Bakst presented to more than 700 restaurateurs from around the world at the Symposium, garnering a standing ovation and bringing Ben’s Friends to new audiences. This global reach was already in action as Zoom meetings attendees come from the United Kingdom, Kuala Lumpur, Norway, Canada, Spain and Germany.
And where does the organization go from here? According to Bakst, the goal for Ben’s Friends is long-term stability and to continue to be an industry-focused self-help group for those struggling with addiction.
“The next chapter is bigger growth,” said Bakst. “The next chapter is more cities. The next chapter is more people saved. The next chapter is Ben’s Friends becoming known throughout the industry. And we’re moving on that.”
The weekly Charleston meeting of Ben’s Friends takes place at 11 a.m. Sundays at The Cedar Room above Mercantile & Mash at 701 East Bay St. More: bensfriendshope.com
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