The National Restaurant Association is predicting that eating and drinking places will add 381,800 jobs between June and August. This is a 4.1-percent increase from the industry’s employment levels in March. These statistics could indicate that things are looking better for the restaurant industry.

The expected growth in summer restaurant jobs is contrary to what The U.S. Travel Association projected earlier this year, that there would be 322 million domestic “leisure person-trips” in June, July and August, a 2.2-percent decrease from last summer.

The NRA’s projection for employment growth this summer is the same as last summer’s growth of 4.1 percent and slightly less than the summer job growth of 4.8 percent in 2007, before the economic downturn began.

While many of these positions may be available for service positions in the industry, it’s also an indicator of a promising future for individuals seeking restaurant executive positions. Contact us to get connected with a restaurant recruiter near you.

Patrice and Associates loves to hear back from former candidates who worked with our recruiters. In this entry, David Currier shares his success finding a career in the hospitality and restaurant industry after working with a Patrice and Associates recruiter. Visit our Flickr page, if you would like to see testimonials from other former Patrice and Associates candidates.

“Early this year I was looking for a new position in the restaurant and hospitality industry. I needed to leave my current position to be able to take care of my Mom who had become ill with her second bout of Cancer.

The prospect of finding a new position in my field was very intimidating. With the current state of the economy, I guess you could say I picked the worst time to change jobs and living areas. Still, I needed to come home to be with family for at least a three month stretch, which turned out to be five.

I sent out my resume to well over a hundred companies and recruiters, knowing that it would take a few months to find the right position. My credentials are actually quite good, however, it really is a very tough market out there.

I received many phone calls, and I interviewed with several companies. You know how difficult and nerve racking the entire interview/job hunt process can be, I actually made it to interview number five and having been flown to two different cities to meet with different executives of a national restaurant company.

Meanwhile, my Mom’s health at the time took a turn for the worse and I decided to put more of my efforts into my family.

As some of you have experienced, when you first send out that resume it seems like you getting calls every day and things are really moving forward. Then they taper off. Then you are struggling to remember who you sent resumes to and who you can network with.

To my surprise, after the other recruiters stopped calling–after I had become distracted with other things, and after assuming that I would be in for the long haul in looking for a serious position equivalent to my credentials, I received a call from Leigh Shapliegh at Patrice and Associates. Leigh was professional, fun to talk to, had a good take on the industry and gave me the impression that she was working for me.

This was just the beginning. It actually took another month and a half to find the right position. But unlike the other recruiters I had dealt with, Leigh stayed in touch, and I always felt like she was there working on getting me a position.

The company that I decided to go with is a very close match for my skill set. Leigh offered excellent advice and gave me details of how the process was going.

As we worked on interviews, coached me, encouraged me, and I really felt like she was walking in the door with me. Believe me, having that extra boost of confidence is sometimes the difference between getting that job or walking out empty handed.

I honestly can’t begin to tell you how much I appreciate what Leigh and the folks at Patrice and Associates have done for me. Start to finish–a great performance on all aspects!

Sincerely,
David Currier”

To be the next Patrice and Associates success story, contact us here.

Above photo: David is pictured with his mother two weeks ago. He says that “she’s looking great and having been able to spend time with her is priceless.”

Patrice & Associates has partnered with VetFran and other organizations specializing in offering a business opportunity to veterans at a reduced rate. In upcoming months, we will be participating in military career fairs and offering seminars on “Be Your Own Boss.” Please come see us!

VetFran – Supporting the Cause
Growing steadily in popularity, the VetFran Program is supported by nearly 300 of the International Franchise Association’s 1,300 plus member franchise systems and has enabled more than 1,000 veterans to acquire franchises. In cooperation with the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs, with which the International Franchise Association has signed an official Memorandum of Understanding to jointly promote the program, VetFran also enjoys the support of the U.S. Small Business Administration and the Veterans Corporation.

To participate in the program, the participating IFA member-companies agree to help qualified veterans acquire franchise businesses by providing financial incentives not otherwise available to other franchise investors. You will get the “best deal” as a veteran. Information about each company and its “best deal” is available here.

VetBiz.gov
The VetBiz.gov Assistance Program Pages (APP) is a National Electronic Clearing house of business-related help services. Veterans can obtain a wealth of information on critical small business topics, including startup, finance, training, procurement and business development.

This business resource directory further aids veterans by identifying business assistance programs on local, state and Federal levels. Also included are private and support sector organizations that offer support to veteran entrepreneurs. APP is available free of charge 24/7 worldwide.

Recently, Patrice and Associates signed on Counter Burger, a California-based restaurant that specializes in custom-built burgers. Counter Burger has more than 20 locations, and plenty Counter Burgers are coming soon at locations across the country.

Counter Burger is not your typical burger joint, it has contemporary, industrial décor, new music, beer, wine, cocktails and an innovative burger-building experience. Building a Counter Burger is quite an exciting process, and involves five steps—choosing what kind of burger, cheese, toppings, sauce then bun. The menu is full of tasty, unique burger toppings—from dill pickle chips to grilled pineapple! We’re thrilled to start recruiting for Counter Burger.