Welcome to In the Weeds, a new publication covering the business of independent restaurants.
Avoiding triggers has long been considered a first step in addiction recovery. But as with many aspects of addiction and recovery, it’s not that simple, Andry Rakotoniaina, a longtime mixologist and beverage manager, told me.
Andry recently became director of operations at Ben’s Friends, the support group for food and beverage industry workers struggling with substance abuse. I spoke with him about how recovery has evolved alongside the restaurant industry and why recovery doesn’t have to mean the end of a career in hospitality.
Also in this edition: a look at the industrial pop-up complex, a call for a mutual-review system for diners and restaurants, and how to project value in the context of fine dining.
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Andry Rakotoniaina
Andry Rakotoniaina has been in the hospitality industry since he was 15, starting in Western Kentucky, where he grew up, and later in Louisville. He helped lead beverage programs for years and developed a love for beer and bourbon. About eight years ago, Andry got sober and started the Louisville chapter of Ben’s Friends, the support group for members of the food and beverage industry struggling with substance abuse, and he is now the organization’s director of operations. The organization holds 24 in-person groups at restaurants around the country, as well as daily online groups.