World-renowned chef Ashish Alfred shares how focusing on mental health has helped his business

Lastly, we have the story of world-famous chef Ashish Alfred. He said prioritizing mental health is the secret to making his restaurant group successful.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many local businesses were unable to survive the strain of the virus and economy.

So it’s no secret that the coronavirus has taken a huge toll on Maryland’s restaurant industry and the mental health of its employees.

However, Alfred chose to do something about it.

Alfred Restaurant Group owns three dynamic restaurants in Baltimore.

“I became interested in cooking when I was in my early 20s, and we all know that restaurants had a reputation for bad manners back then,” Alfred said. “I fell into the pitfalls that many young chefs fall into, namely alcohol and drugs. It was only when I made some changes and decided to break out of that lifestyle that I was able to find success. .I thought it would be best to channel that into my business.”

Alfred said looking after the business and the mental health of its employees has kept the company afloat during the pandemic.

“We work in customer service, and it’s just a very stressful job,” Alfred said. “The pressure is high and it’s a very physical job. It can be very tiring. In this business, it takes a little bit of time to check in. Are we eating well? Are we taking care of ourselves? Are we doing what we need to do for ourselves?” Colleagues? ”

Alfred also shared advice for small business owners who are struggling.

“Keep going, especially for the business owners who were open before the pandemic and found ways to make it work,” Alfred said. “It gets better. The only bad thing is to quit. Once you quit, it’s over. As long as you keep putting one foot in front of the other, you’ll get better. Everything is cyclical. They didn’t think we were doing it.”

You can learn more about Ashish Alfred and his business in the attached video.

1. Before we get into your unique approach to surviving the pandemic… tell us your story. How did you get into the culinary industry?

nicky/sofa

2. One of your priorities for your company and your employees is mental health, and you credit that for keeping your company afloat during the pandemic. Please tell me how.

rick/sofa

3. Just before break, I saw you making a special mocktail. How does that tie into your mental health advocacy and fostering safe spaces for team members?

nicky/touch

4. Right away. Let’s talk about your restaurant and what’s next for Alfred Restaurant Group. You’ve also appeared on the all-time hit show “Bar Rescue.” Please tell me about it.