There’s Benefits, And Then There’s These Benefits…

“When I was working my way through the industry in my 20s and 30s, I was very rarely offered healthcare,” says Andrew Watts, proprietor of Cordelia and Rosy (which the restaurant styles as rosy) in Cleveland. “If healthcare was offered at all, it was only for management, carriers changed every year, it was hard to navigate, and it seemed very much an afterthought of something they had to do, not wanted to do. I had to beg for it far too often.” 

Watts is not alone. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, just 36 percent of service workers in the U.S. have access to employer-sponsored healthcare. Now, at his restaurant, Watts has prioritized “providing inclusive, all-encompassing care,” including by offering physical and mental health insurance to staff, hosting annual healthcare education sessions and partnering with local businesses on everything from spa visits to tattoo days.