​This section of our website is dedicated to our public advocacy work raising awareness of mental health issues in the hospitality industry.  Please click on one of the below articles or podcasts to stay up-to-date on our work.

​We thank all publications and podcast hosts for allowing us to spread our message.  

2023

11/23 - LA Times: Highlighting Mental Health Issues in the Restaurant Industry.

In a very eye-opening article, the LA Times lists
Restaurant After Hours as one of the nonprofits helping hospitality workers struggling with mental health issues.
​ Article - click here.

10/23 - Business Insider: 4 Ways To Build a Healthy Kitchen Culture.

Founder, Zia Sheikh, joins other advocates across the US
speaking about how we can make changes towards more sustainable kitchen environments. Article - click here.

9/23 - Hospitality Bites Podcast: Restaurant After Hours.

Founder, Zia Sheikh, and Marketing Manager, Taylor
Bauer, join Colleen Silk to talk about the organization's history, the free resources we provide, and more. Podcast Link - click here.

8/23 - Food & Wine: Pro Guide to Mental Health & Sobriety Resources.

Food & Wine Magazine lists Restaurant After Hours
amongst many other resources for hospitality workers looking for support with their mental health. Article - click here.

8/23 - Craft Serving: Free Resources for Restaurant Workers.

Craft Serving lists Restaurant After Hours amongst many
free resources for restaurant workers looking for support with their mental health. Article - click here.

5/23 - Bar & Restaurant News: The Service Industry Gets Serious About Mental Health.

Our Outreach Coordinator, Kiri Lester-Hodges, talks
about industry stressors with representatives of other non-profit
organizations helping hospitality workers with their mental health.
Article - click here.​

2/23 - Well & Good: Get To Know the Food Industry Trailblazers

We are so proud of our Director of Mental Health Operations, Julie D'Amico, who was named as a 2023 Changemaker in the hospitality industry by Well & Good! Get to know Julie, our shared goals, and the other amazing Changemakers who are doing so much for our industry. Article - click here.

2022

12/22 - Shepherd Express: Restaurant After Hours Offers Mental Wellness Resources for Service Industry Workers.

Writer Sheila Julson does an in-depth interview with Outreach Coordinator Kiri Lester-Hodges, who talks about common problems service industry workers face, and the resources that can help them. Article - click here.
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10/22 - Well & Good: It's Time to Say 'No, Chef' to Toxic Work Environments in Kitchens.

An extraordinary article written by Writer Maki Yazawa raising awareness on the toxic work environments in kitchens. Hear from RAH team members Julie D'Amico and Taylor Bauer as they express their thoughts on the subject. Article - click here.

10/22 - Food & Wine: Pro Guide to Mental Health and Sobriety Resources.

We are so humbled to have our organization included in this extensive list of resources for hospitality workers by Kat Kinsman, whose work paved the way for orgs like ours to exist. Article - click here.

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9/22 - Restaurant Business Online: Zia Sheikh's Second Chance At Life.

Thank you to Reyna Estrada for showcasing our Founder's story in Restaurant Business Online! Zia always hopes his personal story can help others. Article - click here.

8/22 - The Times-Tribune: 'Love, Charlie' Screening to Benefit Hospitality Workers.

We are so excited that Bar Pazzo of Scranton, PA is hosting a viewing of "Love, Charlie" to benefit Restaurant After Hours! Article - click here.
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7/22 - Huffington Post: Substance-Use Lifestyle of Chefs: How Does One Escape?​

Our Founder Zia Sheikh speaks with writer Garin Pirnia who highlights his personal story from how he started 
cooking to founding Restaurant After Hours. Article - click here

7/22 - Eater: For Restaurant Workers Who Have Experienced Abuse, Support Groups Can Help.

We are thrilled to have our work highlighted on Eater, from description of our organization to the many different resources we provide. Article - click here.

5/22 - Mental Health Action Day 2022

Restaurant After Hours is joining MTV and 1600 other nonprofits, brands, and government agencies for the second annual Mental Health Action Day, which is Thursday, May 19th.  Take a look at all of our partners and read about all the efforts.  Website - click here.

5/22 - The Giving Kitchen:  Mind Matters

Founder Zia Sheikh goes live with The Giving Kitchen to talk about substance misuse, recovery, and his own path to sobriety.  Video - click here.
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3/22 - Orlando Sentinel/MSN:
Documentary Explores the Life of Legendary Chef Charlie Trotter.

We are so humbled and proud to be named the beneficiary of "Love, Charlie", a thought-provoking documentary showcasing many aspects of the mental health of chefs, as told through the story of Chef Charlie Trotter.   Article - click here.
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2/22 - Mental Health Webinar for
​HopDoddy Staff

HopDoddy restaurant group invites our Founder Zia Sheikh and mental health advocate Serah Morrissey to share their stories and educate the HopDoddy management team about how best they can take care of their staff and one another.  Video - click here.


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1/22 - Plate Online: Five Ways Restaurant Workers Can Build Mental Resilience

Board member Erin Reifsnyder and Director of Mental Health Operations Julie D'Amico contribute to this informative and powerful article as part of Plate Online's Restaurant Mental Health Toolkit (entire toolkit can be found in our Downloads section.)  Article - click here.

2021​

12/21 - James Beard Foundation: 
​Mental Health Check-In

Hassel Aviles, Executive Director of Not 9 to 5, chats with our Founder Zia Sheikh, during a final year-end mental health check-in for James Beard Foundation.  *Note - Clubhouse link no longer available.

10/21 - James Beard Awards 2021
​

Honoring Restaurant Workers Community Foundation at the James Beard Awards, our Founder Zia Sheikh joins the RWCF team to talk about the mental health challenges many hospitality workers faced this past year.  Video Clip - click here.

10/21 - FoodTank:  22 Organizations Supporting Mental Health

​We are so humbled and proud to be included alongside all these great and hard-working organizations supporting mental health of hospitality workers.  Article - click here

10/21 - Plate Online: How Hospitality Workers Identify and Manage Stress.​

Julie D'Amico, our Director of Mental Health Operations, lends her
expertise about how hospitality workers can identify and manage
stress.  Article - click here.

9/21 - Bar & Restaurant: It's Too Much. We're Exhausted. Maybe This Will Help.

We are thankful Bar & Restaurant included Restaurant After Hours as a resource at the end of their very important mental health article describing the issues hospitality workers are currently facing. Article - click here.
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8/21 - The Cuisine Press (Japan)​

We reached Japan! Food writer Kuni Yasutake shared our work with Japanese readers whom shared a significantly favorable response! We are excited and thrilled that our organization provided them a starting point for important discussions! For those interested in a translated transcript, please reach out. Article - click here.

5/21 - Best Served Podcast: Mental Health Mise En Place - Workplaces Worth Working​

Founder Zia Sheikh joins Chefs Jensen Cummings and Patrick Mulvaney to talk about how to improve mental health in the restaurant industry on a day-to-day level. Youtube - click here.

5/21 - Best Served Podcast Blog: Return on Assets, Not Investment​

Founder Zia Sheikh shares his thoughts about why we should stop using the term ROI in relations to restaurant workers and people. Article - click here.

5/21 - Mental Health Action Day​

We were thrilled to partner with Mtv and hundreds of other non-profits, government agencies, and advocates for the first ever Mental Health Action Day. Website - click here.

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5/21 - The Giving Kitchen: Mind Matters​

During Mental Health Awareness Month, our Founder Zia Sheikh did a seminar titled "Introduction to Mental Health First Aid" for Giving Kitchen. He also was included on a panel titled "Substance Abuse in the Industry" alongside Andrew Zimmern, Steve Palmer, and Patrick Mulvaney. Website - click here.

5/21 - CHART: The Silent Side Effect

Our Founder Zia Sheikh acted as Keynote Speaker for CHART, who hosted a regional training forum and panel discussion on the subject of mental health in the hospitality industry.Article - click here.

4/21 - Fine Dining Lovers: Free Advice for Chefs, Check Out These Resources.

Fine Dining Lovers highlights our organization and the resources that can be found on our extensive Resources page. Article - click here.


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3/21 - On The Menu Podcast

Erin Reifsnyder talks with Ann and Peter Haigh of On The Menu Podcast about the mental health challenges our industry faces, her role within Restaurant After Hours, and the support group program she helped create. Podcast - click here (Episode March 14, 2021).


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2/21 - Grubstreet: A new way to help restaurant workers' mental health.

Writer Chris Crowley highlights the details of Restaurant After Hours' new virtual support group program.  Article - click here.
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2020

12/20 - Grubstreet: All of this is kind of killing me right now.

Board Member Erin Reifsnyder speaks with Chris Crowley at Grubstreet regarding the crushing mental and physical toll restaurant workers are facing working during the pandemic.  Article - click here.

12/20 - Perri Peltz Show on Sirius XM Radio​
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Our founder Zia Sheikh sat down with Perri Peltz and Matt O'Neill to discuss Restaurant After Hours and how hospitality workers are currently navigating the COVID-19 crisis.  Download - click here.
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10/20 - Restaurant Workers Community Foundation: How to take your own mental health temperature.

Our founder Zia Sheikh wrote a letter to fellow hospitality employees outlining how to take their own mental health temperature for Restaurant Workers Community Foundation's October newsletter.  Article - click here.

10/20 - Heated: 10 ways restaurant staff can protect their mental health through the pandemic.​

Journalist Andrea Strong thinks it's time we talk more candidly about Covid coping.  Here she writes about ten different ways restaurant staff can do so.  Article - click here.
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9/20 - 86'd: Straight Dialogue with Restaurant Leaders​

In the "Recipes for Recovery" series, Founder Zia Sheikh speaks with Adam Stafford about how his personal mental health journey led him to found Restaurant After Hours, and how he has maintained his sobriety for almost two years.  Podcast - click here.

6/20 - Plate Online: Chefs find a way to create space for grief and loss in their restaurants.

Food writer Caroline Hatchett sheds light on a topic very seldom talked about in restaurants.  With constant change happening due to COVID-19, how do we create space for grief and loss when speaking to our staff?  Article - click here.  ​

6/20 - Horizon Beverage: COVID-19 Resources for Hospitality Professionals.

Horizon Beverage included us on their very thorough list of COVID-19 resources for hospitality professionals. Article - click here.



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5/20 - A Balanced Glass: Five bright stars for these dark times.​

Incredibly humbled to be included with such great company.  Fellow hospitality nonprofit A Balanced Glass recognizes the efforts the team at Restaurant After Hours put into our approachable and easy-to-navigate resources page.  Article - click here.

3/20 - Los Angeles Times: Resources for restaurants and workers affected by the coronavirus crisis.

In the wake of COVID-19's tremendous effect on the US restaurant industry, the LA Times listed Restaurant After Hours as a prime mental health resource for restaurant workers.  Article - click here.
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2/20 - The Washington Post: Apps have turned restaurant work into a gig-economy hustle.​

Proud to have our work featured in The Washington Post.  The story highlights the ins and outs of freelance work, mental health of hospitality workers, and the overall work our founder has been doing since launch.  Article - click here.
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Restaurant Workers Community Foundation: 2019 - 2022 Grant Recipient

Proud to be recognized and honored with three general operating grants by Restaurant Workers Community Foundation in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022.  We are humbled to be included with such great company.  2019 Article - click here.

2019
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11/19 - StarChefs International Chef's Congress: Self-care, mental health, and moving forward.

On Monday, October 28th, 2019, Zia Sheikh moderated a business panel titled "Self-Care, Mental Health & Moving Forward" at 2019's StarChefs' ICC.


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8/19 - Pared Pro-File: Zia Sheikh and Restaurant After Hours
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To help amplify the organization's message, Zia Sheikh has been working with apps such as Pared, Flex, and Instawork in and around the NYC area to meet other industry professionals and speak to managers about how to build better kitchen cultures.  Here, Pared writes about his progress on their blog. Article - click here. ​

4/19 - Why Food? on Heritage Radio Network
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In April 2019 Zia Sheikh sat down with Ethan Frisch of Why Food? podcast on Heritage Radio Network.  Him and Ethan speak about kitchen culture and the changes we need to begin to make.  Podcast - click here.

2/19 - StarChefs: Zia's Story: Addiction and Mental Health in Hospitality

When Restaurant After Hours was launched the industry noticed.  Here, Zia Sheikh opens up to Erin Lettera of StarChefs about his mental health journey and how he founded Restaurant After Hours.  Article - click here.