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A national support group to help people in the hospitality industry who struggle with drugs and alcohol is expanding to Ann Arbor.
The Ann Arbor chapter of Ben’s Friends will host its first meeting from 10-11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 17 at Echelon Kitchen and Bar, a new high-end restaurant that opened earlier this year at 200 South Main St.
Meetings will be held at the same time and location every week.
“The chapter welcomes anyone who has found, or is struggling to find, sobriety while working in the food and beverage industry,” the group says in a statement.
A 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Ben’s Friends was founded in 2016 by Charleston, South Carolina-based restaurateurs Steve Palmer and Mickey Bakst, who is also from metro Detroit. It was named in honor of Ben Murray, their chef friend who died in 2016 after struggling with alcoholism and depression. It now has more than 20 chapters in 17 states.
Ben’s Friends launched a Detroit chapter in 2021, which meets at 10 a.m. on Mondays at Freya (2929 E. Grand Blvd., Detroit).
In addition to in-person meetings, it also offers video call meetings on its website bensfriendshope.com.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration, restaurant and hotel workers have the highest rates of substance abuse in the entire U.S. workforce, driven by factors including long hours, high stress, low wages, culture, and availability of alcohol at the workplace.
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Lee DeVito
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