Restaurant and food industry workers face unique challenges. A small group of local chefs, servers, managers and entrepreneurs came together for a story slam in Denver to share about their careers and experiences in the industry. We hear from Mario, a Memphis native who found himself abandoned and homeless in the streets of Denver but is now pursuing a dream to bring the magic of Memphis style BBQ to the people of Colorado. Then, a longtime food industry worker named Socks talks about how struggling with stress and addiction led her to rethink how she can continue to be part of the industry she loves. CHOW (Culinary Hospitality Outreach and Wellness), a nonprofit that offers mental health services to food industry workers, helped coordinate this episode. Recorded February 2023 at Rag + Bale in Denver.

We’re looking for people interested in sharing their stories onstage, and communities whose experiences and perspectives deserve more attention. Reach out to us: [email protected]

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My Story So Far is a Community Audio project of Colorado Public Radio’s Audio Innovations Studio — part of the NPR Network.

Host and producer: Luis Antonio Perez
Producer: Emily Williams
Editor: Jo Erickson
Mixing: Kibwe Cooper
Additional producers: Rebekah Romberg, Erin Jones
Theme music by Daniel Mescher; additional music courtesy Universal Production Music
Cover Art: Maria Juliana Pinzón
Executive producer: Brad Turner
Thanks also to Hart van Denburg, Jodi Gersh, Clara Shelton, Matt Herz, Pedro Lumbrano, Martin Skavish, Kim Nguyen, Rachel Estabrook, Carl Bilek, Ryan Warner, Cayla Montoya-Manzo and Brittany Werges.