14 JULY 2020
Stocking up on T-shirts, hats, and mugs is one of the best ways to both represent and support your
favorite restaurants. The back of this tee from Portland, Maine’s iconic bagel shop Rose Foods says
everything we want to say about the past couple of months. ($23 , rosefo o ds.me)MERCH FOR GOODTheListeners
As financial insecurity and uncertainty become
the norm for the foreseeable future, mental
health providers are offering hospitality workers
a much-needed lifeline.THE MASK MAKERS
Some of our favorite culi-
nary brands transformed
into “buy one, donate
one” mask production
facilities in order to pro-
tect civilians, chefs, and
hospital workers across
the country.TILIT
As New York City slowly
shuttered, cofounders
Jenny Goodman and
Alex McCrery supplied
their seamstresses with
machines and materi-
als to create an entirely
remote factory. “We
are keeping our team
employed and donating
masks to people who
need it, like chefs work-
ing on the front lines
through The LEE Initia-
tive,” says Goodman.
($18 , ti l itnyc.co m)HEDLEY & BENNETT
“I saw Curtis Stone’s
restaurant become a
grocery store overnight,”
says founder Ellen
Marie Bennett, who had
donated over 170,
masks as of press time.
“Seeing solution-oriented
mindsets, I felt I needed
to do something, too. I
did not think about all the
logistics; I told my team
we’re going to figure it
out because they need
us.” ($22, hedley
andbennett.com)GIR
Best known for their
colorful line of silicone
spatulas and spoons, GIR
(which stands for “get it
right”) launched a line of
reusable, medical-grade,
FDA- and LFBG-approved
silicone masks that can
be sanitized in the dish-
washer or microwave.
($3 0 , g i r.c o)BEN’S FRIENDS
When the pandemic hit, Ben’s Friends, one
of the restaurant industry’s largest substance
abuse support groups, added daily Zoom
meetings to their regular offerings. “It’s a
miracle, but people are getting sober during
this pandemic,” says cofounder Steve
Palmer. Meetings take place daily at 1 p.m.
Eastern time via bensfriendshope.comTHE LOVETT CENTER
Houston restaurateur Will Davis had first-
hand experience with the industry’s struggle
with mental illness. He cofounded The Lovett
Center, a mental health treatment center
offering free remote group therapy meetings
for hospitality workers. Those seeking
support can drop in at thelovettcenter.com.A BETTER LIFE THERAPY
Following the overdose of an employee soon
after the pandemic struck, Ellen Yin of the
High Street Hospitality Group joined forces
with Gia Vecchio of Foxglove Communica-
tions and A Better Life Therapy to offer free
mental health webinars for people in the
hospitality industry. They also created a
GoFundMe to fund pro bono, private therapy
sessions with a licensed professional for
anyone in the restaurant industry who needs
it. Learn more at abetterlifetherapy.com.For our continuously updated guide to recovery
and mental health resources for hospitality work-
ers, visit foodandwine.com/mentalhealthguide.PHOTOGRAPHY AND STYLING: VICTOR PROTASIO