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Ben’s Friends Co-Founder To Speak at TRN Zoom Networking Meeting Friday October 14th

By October 8, 2022No Comments

Ben’s Friends Co-Founder To Speak at TRN  Zoom Networking Meeting Friday October 14th

Drug and alcohol abuse a major problem within the foodservice industry

 Ben’s Friends is a support group for members of the food and beverage industry.

 

Boca Raton October 7, 2022 – Ben’s Friends co-founder Mickey Bakst is scheduled to speak to a joint group meeting of the Today’s Restaurant News Networking Group on Friday October 14th at 10 AM on Zoom

 

Founded in 2016, the mission of Ben’s Friends is to offer hope, fellowship, and a path forward to anyone who struggles with substance abuse or addiction. By coming together, starting a dialogue, and acknowledging that substance abuse cannot be overcome by isolation and willpower alone, Ben’s Friends hopes to write a new chapter in the lives of food and beverage professionals across the country.

 

In 1982 Mickey Bakst lost his first restaurant to alcohol and drug addiction, and it was also in that year that he found sobriety after a long and painful struggle. For the next 40 years, Mickey watched countless peers lose their lives or destroy their careers due to their addictions. And for 40 years, he asked himself, “What can I do to make a difference?”

 

After witnessing the death of yet another industry professional in 2016, Mickey and fellow restaurateur, Steve Palmer, founded Ben’s Friends, a support group for members of the food and beverage industry battling substance abuse and addiction. The mission of Ben’s Friends is to offer hope, fellowship, and a path forward to anyone who struggles with substance abuse and addiction.

The organization is named in honor of Ben Murray, a chef who took his own life in 2016 after a long struggle with alcoholism. Now with decades of sobriety under his belt, Mickey believes that there are countless members of the restaurant industry in need of support facing the widespread effects of alcohol and drugs. Through Ben’s Friends it is his hope to help as many as possible.

As Ben’s Friends Executive Director, Mickey has dedicated himself to the organization and focuses on spreading the word about Ben’s Friends to existing and emerging chapters across the country.

 

 

Ben’s Friends is a community of chefs, bartenders, line cooks, servers, sommeliers, host and hostesses, GMs and owners who have found or are seeking sobriety. Our mission is to offer community, hope and a path forward for those struggling with substance abuse and addiction. At our core, we are hospitality workers who have found connection, and the tools to seek and maintain sobriety while managing our careers and lives in a sane and purposeful way.

 

Today’s Restaurant’s Networking groups are comprised of member companies who supply a product or service to the restaurant industry around the world. Meetings are held every Friday morning at 9 AM or 11 AM and only one company per category is permitted, fostering a feeling of friendship and growing each other’s business is the main goals.

Restaurant owners, managers, chefs, bartenders and wait staff are encouraged to attend to meet the members and to share ideas on how to solve any problems they may be encountering during this extremely difficult time for the industry.

Vendors and restaurants wishing to attend please visit https://trnusa.com/network-group/   and check the restaurant member box. There is no charge for this special event.

*Ben’s Friends can be reached at https://www.bensfriendshope.com/about

**To read more industry news visit Today’s Restaurant News at www.trnusa.com

***Have you applied for your ERTC refund yet? Why not? TRN will help you through the process, just visit https://trnusa.com/apply-for-your-erc-recovery-funds-now/ and one of our associates will contact you.  No up-front fees required.