A Restaurant Employer's Mental Health Investment Saves $7.5M

How one leading restaurant employer saved nearly $7.5M by investing in mental health

When it comes to mental health, the restaurant and retail industry is considered one of the most challenging. Employees often face unpredictable schedules, long shifts, low pay, and difficult customers. These challenges contribute to increased stress, higher rates of substance use, and constant turnover.

That’s why a leading employer in the restaurant industry with nearly 200,000 employees partnered with CuraLinc to address mental health and wellbeing proactively. Rather than seeing mental health as just a benefit, they recognized it as key to ensuring employees could consistently deliver outstanding service—even under pressure.

Access the full case study to learn how investing in CuraLinc’s EAP protected more than $7.5 million and created a healthier, more productive workforce.

Download the ROI case study

An ROI model that's backed by research and built for action

CuraLinc's ROI model was developed from over 166,000 real-world cases and validated in a peer-reviewed study. It shows how meaningful mental health support drives return across five key areas:

Healthcare savings from avoided outpatient mental health claims
Clinical recovery for high-risk mental health conditions and alcohol use
Restored work time by addressing absenteeism and presenteeism
Retention of employees at risk of turnover
Organizational value through crisis support, training, and management consultation

Whether you’re trying to make the case for investment, compare vendor performance, or align leadership around mental health strategy, the model gives you both the data and the rationale.

Download the study

What restaurant and retail leaders are up against

Restaurant and retail employers continue to struggle with an ongoing mental health crisis among employees, fueled by the unique stressors of these industries—from emotional labor to demanding hours and the increasing pressure to maintain customer satisfaction.

These realities demonstrate that traditional EAPs just don’t work. Leaders need proactive, stigma-free solutions that fit the intensity and unpredictability of restaurant and retail environments.

Burnout

In April 2024, a study revealed that 47% of U.S. restaurant managers reported feeling burned out, with nearly 70% noting their teams had expressed the same.

Prevalent mental health conditions

According to Culinary Hospitality Outreach Wellness, 63% of hospitality workers report experiencing depression, while 84% feel job-related stress. In addition, 17% of food services workers have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder.

Lack of access and awareness

54% of frontline managers say their company doesn’t currently offer workers training around mental health and wellbeing.

A mental health and wellbeing program built for educators

Most mental health programs weren’t created for the unpredictable environments found in K-12 schools and higher education. Faculty and staff are stretched thin, concerned about stigma, and often lack the bandwidth to navigate complicated systems or wait weeks for care.

CuraLinc’s model is different. We deliver personalized, human-centered mental health care designed to meet the unique needs of the field of education.

Access

Fast, flexible access to care—including immediate support from licensed clinicians and multiple ways to engage in therapy or coaching: in-person, virtual, text-based, or group. On average, participants connect to care in just 2.1 days.

Navigation

CuraLinc’s platform and Care Advocates work in tandem to guide every care journey as needs evolve. And because our matches are personal and precise, 97% of participants stay with their first provider.

Outcomes

In a peer-reviewed study of education industry employees, CuraLinc’s EAP helped 88% recover from depression risk, 86% resolve productivity issues, and, on average, restore 38 hours of productive work time per month.