How Healthcare Woes Forced One of New York’s Top Restaurants to Close

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CHIEF INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Now, being a small business owner in the post-pandemic era is not easy, but it’s even more challenging if you are also living with a disability. And that’s the story of sommelier Yannick Benjamin, who at the end of 2024 poured wine for the last time at his celebrated New York restaurant, Contento. Benjamin highlights in an opinion piece for The New York Times how inflation and unaffordable private health insurance were largely to blame for the restaurant closure. And he speaks to Michel Martin about the many hospitality workers across the U.S. facing a similar plight.

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MICHEL MARTIN, CONTRIBUTOR: Thanks, Christiane. Yannick Benjamin, thank you so much for speaking with us.

YANNICK BENJAMIN, FOUNDER, WINE ON WHEELS AND SOMMELIER: Thank you for having me.

MARTIN: Well, tell me about the restaurant, Contento. I’ve just heard — for people who perhaps don’t follow these things, it’s a restaurant. It was in East Harlem. It was twice named one of New York City’s 100 best restaurants by The New York Times. And that is certainly saying something because I think, as everyone knows, New York is one of the world’s great cities and restaurants are a big part of the cultural life there. You earned a Michelin Guide Somalia Award. That’s quite an achievement. So, tell me about Contento. What did you have in mind when you opened it?

BENJAMIN: Well, just to give a little background, I’ve been doing this since I was 13 years old. My entire family, they’re all French immigrants. They came here for a better life and they all worked in hospitality. They all worked in restaurants. And of course, I decided to follow in their footsteps. I mean, they weren’t too excited about that because, you know, like every immigrant’s dream, they want their kids to be in an office with air conditioning and all that fun stuff. And so, I pursued that path. Of course, they were very supportive. Unfortunately, at the age of 25 years old, I was in a car accident that left me paralyzed from the waist down. So, obviously trying to transition from a non-disabled person working in hospitality to a person now using a wheelchair full-time in an industry where there’s steps, there’s, you know, hot oil, fire, sharp knives, space is really tight was going to be very challenging and there were going to be a lot of obstacles, but I decided to stay on that path because I was so passionate about this industry and I’m still passionate. And so, I continue to pursue it. And so, finally, when I had this opportunity, and I found this location in East Harlem on 88 East 2011 Street to open up this small little restaurant and we can make it accessible, you know, not just for the public, but for people like myself to work there, it was really an exciting venture. And so, for me, what Contento represented was the persistence of continuing on. No matter what obstacles you face, the resiliency, right, and also a place that was inclusive for other people with disabilities, that they can come in there and be treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve.

MARTIN: So, you had — it wasn’t just about the deliciousness of the offerings, but also about the story.

BENJAMIN: 100 percent, it was about the story. You know, and I think that’s what food is about and I think that’s what wine is all about. And that’s what we were trying to convey as a team at Contendo.

MARTIN: So, how did things start to go wrong? I mean, I’m assuming that the COVID pandemic, you know, had something to do with it.

BENJAMIN: For sure. And then, of course, we were ready to open and we had made the announcement we were going to open sometime in the spring of 2020. Sure enough, New York City was shut down mid-March. And so, here we were, we had this restaurant that was pretty much complete and ready to go. And so, we just held off, held off, held off because we knew that if we would open, eventually we might be shut down again, and that would be the nail to the coffin. And so, we didn’t open our doors until June 10, 2021. So, throughout that whole time, we still had to pay rent. We still had to pay insurance. There were still some bills that had to be paid, even though we were not officially open. So, that was already the first obstacle that we were facing, right? And then, all these rules and regulations, because we were still in the midst of the pandemic, were constantly changing. So, it was definitely very challenging. And trying to get people to come to work at the restaurants was also very complicated.

MARTIN: But you did it.

BENJAMIN: We did.

MARTIN: And then, you were a hit.

BENJAMIN: We were hit, yes. And we were — it was quite incredible. I never would have imagined that we would have got all the press that we received. It was just unbelievable. I was so grateful for it.

MARTIN: Well, I think here’s where it gets kind of sort of tricky, is that you — in your piece for The New York Times, you point to a number of factors that led to your having to close the restaurant. One was inflation. But the other thing that you highlight in your piece is health insurance.

BENJAMIN: Yes.

MARTIN: Is how many people who work in hospitality actually have to work a second job in order to get the health insurance that allows them to work in hospitality. So, would you talk a little bit about that and why that’s such a big issue?

BENJAMIN: Well, how it really impacted me personally, you know, for the first two years of the opening of Contento, I was there quite a bit. But eventually, I had to make the decision that I needed a job to provide me with adequate healthcare. Now, keep in mind, I’m a person living with spinal cord injury, right? So, it’s not just the fact that I’m not walking, but I need to pay for wheelchair equipment. I need to pay for durable medical equipment. There’s certain prescription drugs that I need. That’s really important. So, I — you know, I think that when I took on that full-time job so I can get adequate and respectable healthcare, it took away from my attention of Contento, right? And I do think that contributed to the — not — to the slowdown of people going there because a lot of people were going to Contento restaurant to come see me. Well, I was no longer really there. I was heavily involved with the restaurant behind the scenes, but, you know, without — I’m going to try to say this in the most humble way, I certainly was the face of the restaurant in many ways, but if I’m not there, it kind of defeats the purpose of people wanting to come visit us, right? But I had no choice that I needed healthcare. Now, I do believe that if there was some kind of universal healthcare plan, I would still be there. I would do — I would be able to give 100 percent and be able to contribute, and maybe we would still be open. I’m not saying for sure, but I definitely believe it would have increased our chances. So, the healthcare system that’s provided for hospitality workers and that safety net is really broken. And I’m a perfect example of that.

MARTIN: In your piece, you pointed out that only 40 percent of full-time hospitality workers have health insurance compared to 87 percent in the private sector. What does that look like? In a restaurant like Contento, what did that look like? So, were most of the people working other jobs in order to get health insurance or is it that people outside of that 40 percent includes people who work at the big chains like an Applebee’s or Starbucks?

BENJAMIN: I would probably venture to say that the people that are receiving healthcare in hospitality establishments are probably working for bigger companies or restaurants that have a substantial or immense amount of financial backing behind them. As far as Contento goes, most people that worked there had second jobs that provided them those resources. We as a restaurant were not able to do so.

MARTIN: That must have been hard. Here you are as a person who understood on a very personal level the importance of access to healthcare on a consistent basis. I’m just thinking that must have been hard for you.

BENJAMIN: I’ll be very honest with you, it’s the one thing that I’m not going to miss about Contento because it was the one thing that I struggled with on an everyday basis. As someone who really believes in healthcare, that I myself, as someone who was part of Contento that I was not able to provide adequate and respectable healthcare to these individuals that were just unbelievable, greatest human beings, and not being able to provide that was something that was hard for me to like, put my head to sleep and I struggled with that. And the reality of it is that most people are going without it. Even with the Affordable Care Act, it’s quite an expense to pay into it. The deductibles can be quite high. The copayments can be quite high. It’s not exactly the solution to the problem. It’s a good step in the right direction. But listen, I don’t know why healthcare is so taboo in this country. I think that if we had adequate healthcare for all people, you would see anxieties reduce. And I also believe that you would see more of an entrepreneurial spirit. I often think that people are more conservative with the decisions that they make because there’s not that safety net to be able to do so. Yes. And so, having to have healthcare I think should be a priority for all of us. And I just find it shocking that in this last election, no one really brought it up. It was not a topic of conversation. I mean, we have 62 million Americans that identifies having a disability, right? And I’m sure the number is even higher. That’s quite big. That means one in four Americans. And so, why are we just kind of constantly sweeping this under the rug?

MARTIN: One of the things that you say is in this business, people might gravitate towards a big, you know, corporate enterprise, no shade here, but like a Starbucks.

BENJAMIN: Yes.

MARTIN: Because they offer benefits, but that this person might be talented in another area of hospitality, who might have an opportunity to open a neighborhood restaurant or an eatery or some other aspect of the business, but they can’t because they can’t afford to go without health insurance. Have you seen that? Have you seen people sort of forgoing sort of more creative opportunities because they had to take a job with benefits?

BENJAMIN: I see it all the time. I mean, I see it all the time. I see people that have very close relationships with their primary physician, with their gynecologist, with their urologist, right? And then, they get offered a job that’s this great opportunity, right? And then, they do their research about the insurance that they might be offered, but their primary physician, their gynecologist or urologist, whatever it is, is now no longer a network because they’re being offered a different private health plan. And so, just that in itself is a problem. Yes. And so, people, again, are making decisions that are limited, that are limiting their potential. And this is all — a lot of it has to do with healthcare. I think that we’re missing out on so much talents out here. And it’s not just about people in hospitality, it’s not just about people that are cooks or waiters or sommeliers or bartenders, but I’m talking about people that are freelance writers, I’m talking about people that are singers and dancers and artists. I mean, I grew up in New York. I grew up in hell’s kitchen in the ’80s and it was a hotbed for people to come into that neighborhood, right. They can afford rent, they can pursue their craft, get a job part-time, and they had enough money to pay and provide for themselves to really pursue that craft and their passion. And we’ve completely lost that. And it’s a real pity. And I really do believe that we can get back to that point. But we’ve allowed greed and ignorance to consume us.

MARTIN: So, here’s where I have to ask a hard question. There are those who might say, that’s a shame, but eating out in nice restaurants is not a priority for the country. So, what would you say to that?

BENJAMIN: Well, I would say that I would respect that and I can understand where that’s coming from. You know, we are honestly an amenity in many ways, right? I’m not here to say that we need to have three Michelin stars and we’re going to make the world a better place without a doubt. I fully understand that aspect. But are we going to say that we don’t need Broadway shows? I think all of these aspects, they bring joy to our lives, right? So, why eliminate them? I think they make the world a better place. Do I think they are a priority? I don’t know. But here’s what I will say to this, that we know that the restaurant industry is one of the few industries that gives people a second chance, right? People that are convicted criminals, who are reformed will come out and who are looking for a second chance, restaurant business generally gives that to them. Yes. People that are undocumented, that are desperately trying to feed their families, usually that’s a place where they can provide that. Now, whether you agree with that or not, it’s a place of second chances. And that’s the beauty of the restaurant business.

MARTIN: One of the things you talked about in your piece is the idea of — well, I think many people will remember that. During the pandemic, there were a number of subsidies offered to businesses to help keep them afloat, right? One of your ideas is that the restaurant industry could have subsidies similar to the CARES Act funding for airlines when they were in so much trouble after the 9/11 attacks. What would that look like and how would that work?

BENJAMIN: That’s a great question and it’s a complicated one. But just to kind of simplify my answer to you, I think, you know, what if we just all got together. You know, all the big chain restaurants, right, and created one big unified association, right? So, when someone does get severely injured, right, that there’s something waiting for them and we can support them, and then having one big umbrella where we all have the same in network health insurance, you know, just something where we’re all supporting each other. In my article, I mentioned Starbucks, Applebee’s, all these big, they’re important. They have value to themselves, right? And I think that these bigger companies can really have a big positive impact if we can incorporate some of these small mom and pop restaurants. And I think that one hand helps the other at the end of the day and I think vice versa. And so, I think that just trying to create a one solid association is really the best way forward.

MARTIN: So, if you don’t mind my asking, what was that last day like?

BENJAMIN: I think it wasn’t so much the last day. I mean, I think it was more, you know, coming to the realization and having to say, I’m — we’ve got to close. This is just not going to happen. I think the hardest part of having to make this decision was that there were people who really believed in me, who supported me, who became investors and their friends, and having to reach out to them and say, I’m sorry, but, you know, we tried our best, but we have to close the restaurants. And then, having to make that announcement via social media. And then seeing people face to face. And no one does it on purpose, but they — you know, they — I’m really sorry. I — you know, that’s sort of, I feel sorry for you kind of look.

MARTIN: Yes.

BENJAMIN: And you know, that’s hard. I mean, there’s a lot of — you know, it’s kind of humbling to go through that experience, but it is what it is. And I tell people that, please don’t feel sorry for me. I was really given a gift. I felt the emotion of what it was like to have a great restaurant. I feel like we had a great impact. I think we showed the world that people with disabilities can be part of the hospitality industry, but we also show that if you build something special and inclusive, that people with disabilities will come to your establishment. I mean, listen, the population — the 62 million Americans, they have over a billion dollars of spending power, you know, let’s not forget that, right? So, I think, in many ways, we did put that as an important topic and I hope that other hospitality establishments will continue that conversation.

MARTIN: So, what’s next for you?

BENJAMIN: Oh, that’s a great question. I have two beautiful dogs. I want to play with them more. I want to have more moments of stillness with my wife. I want to do a lot more writing. I’m currently writing a book with a good friend of mine, Emily Saladino, and to talk about my experiences of hospitality and what it’s like to be a person with a disability and navigating hospitality. And that’s it. I mean, really, I just — you know, I have a great job right now. I’ve been part of the same place for well over 12 years on and off, and I love it. I mean, listen, I’m going to be honest with you, I’m so grateful. And even when I reached out to all my investors to let them know that I was closing the restaurant, everybody like was so kind. I mean, even me talking to you about this, I’m so emotional. I mean, I got — I am the luckiest human being on Earth despite all of this. And I can be in much worse situations. I realized that I had tons of privilege, but I’m grateful for every moment. So, I’m going to tell you right now more moments of stillness.

MARTIN: Yannick Benjamin, thank you so much for talking with us.

BENJAMIN: Thank you so much.