For restaurant owners who want to better support their teams but may not have the resources of a large company, what are some practical ways they can build a stronger mental health support system?

It's important to start by acknowledging that most restaurant owners are already doing a tremendous amount to take care of their people, often with very limited resources. The reality is that independent restaurants and their owners often carry an enormous burden.

A stronger mental health support system doesn't necessarily require a big budget. It can start with small, consistent things: checking in with your team, creating an environment where people feel comfortable saying they are struggling or need to take care of personal issues, making sure managers know what resources are available and giving team members some flexibility when life gets difficult.

There are also organizations like Southern Smoke that can help fill some of those gaps. Operators don't have to create every resource themselves. Knowing where to send someone for mental health support, emergency financial assistance, food assistance or other community resources can be incredibly valuable.

And I think it starts with remembering that asking for help is part of taking care of your team, too. Restaurant owners are already doing so much. Sometimes the most helpful thing we can do is connect them, and their team members, to people and organizations that can share some of that load.

Southern Smoke has provided more than $16.5 million in emergency relief to F&B workers. What are some of the most common crises restaurant workers are facing today, and what do you wish more operators understood about the financial pressures their employees may be experiencing?

What we see through emergency relief is that there usually isn’t any one thing that puts someone in crisis. It’s often a series of things that happen at the same time. A medical emergency or diagnosis, an accident, a death in the family, a natural disaster, a car problem, a housing issue or an unexpected change in household income can become overwhelming very quickly when someone doesn’t have savings or a financial safety net to fall back on.

Today, the most common assistance we’re providing through our Emergency Relief Fund is for essential living expenses, like rent and mortgage, or utilities, and auto and transportation, with medical and health-related crises being the top cause. These are expenses that most of us have to manage, but for someone working in F&B, an unexpected bill or even a short interruption in income can significantly impact their ability to keep up with everyday costs.

Most owners/operators are aware of their people’s lives and care deeply about them. What can be difficult is knowing what someone may be carrying outside of work or how serious their circumstances may be. An employee can show up, do their job, and seem completely fine while privately experiencing significant financial stress or other life challenges. Operators don’t have to solve those challenges, but knowing what resources are available and where to send someone for help can make a meaningful difference.

Through your program Behind You, Southern Smoke provides no-cost mental health services to industry workers. How can restaurant leaders encourage employees to actually use mental health resources without making them feel stigmatized or as though seeking help is a sign of weakness?

I think most restaurant leaders already understand the importance of taking care of their people. The challenge is sometimes making mental health support feel like a normal part of that care, rather than something reserved for when someone is really struggling.

One of the most supportive things a leader can do is talk about mental health the same way they talk about physical health. If someone needs to see a doctor, we don't generally see that as a sign of weakness or question their ability to do their job. Mental health deserves that same understanding.

It also helps to make resources easy to access and understand. With Behind You, for example, there is no cost to the worker, and the program is designed specifically for people working in the food and beverage industry. Removing those barriers can make it easier for someone to take that first step. Leaders can also help by talking about the parts of a program that might actually resonate with their team. Sometimes it’s as simple as explaining that this is a place to talk to someone, without judgment, about whatever they may be going through.

And leaders should remind themselves that they are not the mental health experts. It’s okay not to have all the answers. Their role is to create space for the conversation, make resources available, and let employees know that using them is okay. You can’t make someone seek help, but you can make sure they know the door is open and that there’s no judgment when they walk through it.

You’ve seen firsthand how vulnerable restaurant workers can be when something goes wrong. What does a truly resilient restaurant team look like, and what can owners do today to build that resilience before a crisis happens?

I think resilience is really about being able to respond with informed action and planning when something goes wrong.

Many industry leaders are already doing pieces of this really well. Restaurants are built on relationships, and that can be one of their greatest strengths. When people know each other, trust each other, understand their roles and feel like their team will show up for them, they’re better equipped to navigate difficult moments together.

Some of the most practical things operators can do are having good communication and best practices, and creating a true “playbook” for what to do when something unexpected happens. That can include making sure people know who to go to when they need help, cross-training where possible and making resources available before they’re needed. It can also be as simple as knowing your team well enough to recognize when someone may not be themselves.

Ultimately, resilience isn’t about expecting owners or managers to have all the answers. It’s about building a network of support so that when something happens, you’re not starting from zero. The operator knows where to turn, the employee knows where to turn, and everyone has a little more capacity to weather the difficult moments together.

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