NvRA Welcomes Its Newest Corporate Sponsor –

Patrice & Associates Hospitality Recruiting announced this week a corporate sponsorship for 2010-2011 with the Nevada Restaurant Association (NvRA) to help carry out its mission to promote, protect and educate Nevada’s restaurant industry.

As the nation’s leading recruiter for the hospitality industry, Patrice & Associates can provide qualified, pre-screened candidates to assist restaurateurs with filling key management openings. Their new Nevada franchise will offer NvRA members benefits like a 90- day replacement guarantee, free ads on recruiting web sites, qualified management resumes for review, competitive rates, and much more!

Founded in 1989, Patrice & Associates has been a staffing partner with major brands in the hospitality industry longer than any of its competitors. Twenty years after opening its doors, Patrice & Associates is proud to represent many prominent restaurants, casinos, and hotels.

Stella Hernandez is the new franchisee in Las Vegas and is anxious to become a staffing partner with clients in Las Vegas as well as help hospitality managers find jobs. Visit Stella’s Website!

Chris and his family just moved to Denver which is a perfect example of how you can do this business from anywhere!

-Pierre Baker, hired as a Restaurant Manager for the Atlanta Airport

“I would like to let everyone know about my experience with Chris Flourney at Patrice & Associates. Chris was an excellent recruiter. He was always very professional, he always followed up, and even when he did not have answers for me yet, he stayed in contact.

In my particular experience, there was some relocation involved and he remembered all the dates and all the interview schedules for my trip. It paid off and I landed my job. Chris even called my first day of training to check in and see how I liked it.

Not only would I refer Patrice & Associates to friends and family, I already have, and Chris is now doing a great job for them. Much thanks for all his hard work!”

- Alan Patrick, hired as a General Manager for Bruegger’s Bagels

“Chris did a wonderful job keeping me “in the loop” in this entire endeavor.  He worked very hard to get me an interview with Bruegger’s Bagels in the Michigan market and was always very eager to talk to me and assuage any concerns that I had.

His communication is top-notch and he has a very pleasant personality.  I have recommended his services to a friend and former employee of mine!

Thank you for your efforts Chris, and please feel free to contact me if I can do anything for you!

 DUNKIRK, Md. – February, 2010 – The first female Captain to navigate the waters of America’s famed Chesapeake Bay is throwing the sinking U.S. job market a life raft.

With more than 600 management positions to fill at national restaurant, hotel and casino chains, and thousands of jobs to be created through the growth of her franchise business, Patrice Rice is doing her part to right the ship. Rice, the acclaimed author of How to Interview and founder of Patrice & Associates, a leading nationwide network of hospitality industry recruiters, is giving Americans hope amid a bleak job market.

“Unlike other sectors, the sheer volume of the U.S. hospitality industry continues to create exciting employment and new business ownership opportunities,” said Rice, who started Patrice & Associates two decades ago following her success with Chesapeake Cruising, a charter boat company she launched and grew to a fleet of 26 vessels. “Restaurants alone employ 12 million people in this country and, remarkably, the number of foodservice managers is expected to increase 11 percent from 2005 to 2015. There are tremendous job advancement possibilities and career options available.”

Patrice & Associates’ work in the restaurant industry is a prime example of the strength of the hospitality segment. With three quarters of the U.S. population eating out at least once a week and a quarter at least every two or three days, restaurants provide a stable ground from which Patrice & Associates is building its presence across the country. Several well-known national brands have hired the search firm to find top talent for their management positions, allowing company personnel to focus on operating their stores.

Since launching the Patrice & Associates franchise opportunity nearly a year ago, the company has struck deals with 30 individuals who have opened their own Patrice & Associates franchise. In the midst of the worst job market since the Great Depression, these offices are filling positions for more than 100 national hospitality companies. With momentum behind her business, Rice projects opening franchise offices in each of the 50 states to provide the company’s clients with the personal service that has built Patrice & Associates into an industry leader. 

“There are several factors driving the growth of our franchise. First and foremost, our clients trust us to present them with the best candidates possible for their openings,” added Rice. “In addition, our franchise opportunity features a proven business model which has carried the company to the top of the heap among hospitality search firms.”

Patrice & Associates provides extensive support for its franchisees, who are referred to as Regional Recruiting Managers. The company sources new clients and conducts all billing and collections efforts on behalf of its franchise system. As a result, the Regional Recruiting Managers are better able to provide the right guidance to their clients and to place the best possible candidates for each opening. The franchise opportunity is ideal for first-time business owners, given the existing client base, low ramp-up time and extensive training.

“We are in a unique position to positively impact hundreds upon hundreds of lives,” said Rice. “It’s tough out there right now for businesses and for professionals. The job search process can be a stressful, daunting task. We ease the burden for job seekers – in the end helping their families and beyond.”

 About Patrice & Associates

Patrice & Associates is one of the nation’s largest privately held search firms specializing in the hospitality industry. With 20 years of operations behind it, Patrice & Associates began franchising in December 2008 and today has 30 offices open.

LARKSPUR, Colo. – For many years, America’s campgrounds and RV parks were simply designated areas where people could pitch their tents or park their RVs for the night. The better ones had clean restrooms and showers and a perhaps a swimming pool and a small playground and a camp store, but not much more than that.
It’s a different story today.

Privately owned campgrounds and RV parks are increasingly moving into the accommodations business with luxury cabins, park models and yurts with clean linens and daily maid service.  Many are also moving into the entertainment business, offering their guests a growing array of activities and special events, from weekend scavenger hunts and arts and crafts classes to Karaoke contests and live entertainment with professional entertainers.

But while the private park industry’s twin thrusts into the accommodations and entertainment businesses are proving to be very successful, these initiatives have also created a need for more and better trained park managers and support staff.

“It’s a constant struggle for our members to find the managers and support staff who have the training and experience they need to know how to deliver a top notch guest experience,” said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds.

The challenge is compounded by the fact that an entire generation of private park owners who started their campgrounds and RV parks in the 1960s and 70s are now retiring and selling their parks to new owners.  “Much of the hospitality industry does not even know that hospitality, entertainment and management job opportunities exist in the private park sector, which is why we’re trying to get the word out,” Profaizer said.

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds has created a national job listings section on its member’s only website and the association regularly fields calls from job seekers looking for career opportunities in what the association calls “the outdoor hospitality business.”  The national association has also developed a fast track park management training program, The National School of RV Park & Campground Management, which is offered at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia. Registration information is available at www.campgroundschool.com.

The national association has also begun to develop park management and guest service training programs through local universities, the first of which is now being offered through Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff as part of the university’s accredited Parks and Recreation Management Program.  For more information, call 303.681.0401 and visit the association’s newly revised website at www.GoCampingAmerica.com.

Sizzler Restaurants.- one of my husband’s all time favorites! We were on vacation last year in Utah. Derek went to Sizzler’s website to see if there were any restaurants along our route. He was so excited when he found one that he planned our trip the next day around the Sizzler restaurant! Umm ummm .. he loves that Malibu Chicken!  Years ago I had to learn how to make it which wasn’t difficult. Frozen chicken patty, thin slice of ham, swiss cheese and the “special sauce” which was mayonnaise and mustard mixed together. He had Malibu Chicken at least 2 nights a week for dinner. So this story about Sizzler coming alive is very exciting for Derek.  This article says they are converting Blockbuster Video stores – we have an empty Blockbuster store in our town … just wait til Derek hears!

Nations Restaurant News reports today that our industry is definitely on the rise. Two recent surveys forecast a slightly sunnier picture for the year ahead among both consumers and franchise business leaders, providing a glimpse of clearer skies for the restaurant industry. 

Click here for in-depth analysis.

This Nation has just gone through a tough economic time, only surpassed by 1929. I found myself jobless for the first time in 25 years. The people at Patrice and Associates, specifically Stella Hernandez and Bernice Gregorieff, pushed me to remain positive because they knew they’d find me a great job with a wonderful company. They stayed diligent with communication and perseverance and met their goal. Only later did I find out that I was Stella’s First Placement as a recruiter with Patrice & Associates.  I want to thank them now and know that if I have any needs in the future or have any friends looking for a job I will tell them “stop worrying and call Stella and Bernice at P&A.”

Thank You again…..

With Gratitude,

Stefan Cytanovic

A few Examples:

You have a new job order? If it’s workable, recruit for it—make a submission happen—market someone in NOW!

 Your client expresses interest in a candidate you present? He wants to phone interview at the end of the week? Influence him to do it NOW! Tonight, not tomorrow or the end of the week! Once a client expresses an interest in a candidate—even at the beginning of the process—you have an obligation to protect your client’s interest—time is your enemy!

You have a hot, marketable candidate identified and he/she has agreed to send a resume in a few days or next week? Type it yourself and submit it NOW!

 Your client wants to make an offer? Your candidate receives the offer and wants to “think about it for a week or two”, or even a few days? The candidate should be prepped to accept NOW. All questions should be answered and he should just be waiting for the offer to be extened.

A note about the quest for immediacy: Don’t allow it to harm the closure of a deal either. There may be times when some people, when pressed for decisions, would rather make the wrong decision rather than a timely one. A candidate may decide not to interview or to decline an offer because they feel pressured for time. It’s amazing how many candidates would rather not take action at all if they feel uncomfortable with the timing of that action. 

 The place to start in developing the Instinct of Immediacy is to force yourself to ask one question regarding every action and activity you have on your desk right now—whether it’s how you’re planning and executing or how your deals are running—”How can I make this happen NOW?” Examine how you can bring proactivity to every element of your business.

It’s easy to be lulled into a trance by a challenging marketplace. You stare out there at all the objections and your eyes glaze over. And that’s exactly what your competition wants you to do. They want your blood to run nice and slowwwww, they want you to put off what you could do today. They want you to sit at your desk listening to the ocean waves. WRONG!! This is one of those instincts that can be developed that, over the long haul in our business, will bring more and more benefit as time goes on. It will save you deals, it will give you business, it will separate you from the mediocres. And the best thing about it is that you can start doing it NOW!!

In dozens of states, Gary couldn’t light up before tucking into his meat-lover’s pizza, as he did at this Restaurant & Bar this week. But in North Carolina, the nation’s leading tobacco producer, limits on indoor smoking have lagged behind those in much of the country.

That changes Saturday, when smoking in restaurants and bars is banned in the state that is home to two major tobacco companies and where the golden leaf helped build Duke and Wake Forest universities. 

“There’s smokers and there’s nonsmokers. We’ve gotten along in the past,” Richards, 52, said this week during a pre-meal smoke at the restaurant inside a former tobacco warehouse. “Why can’t I come in here and have my beer and a couple of slices of pizza and a cigarette?”

The dangers of secondhand smoke to employee health and complaints from patrons about the smell finally won out when the Legislature approved the ban in 2009 after years of failures.

“This law doesn’t tell anybody they shouldn’t smoke,” said state Rep. Hugh Holliman, a lung cancer survivor whose sister died of lung cancer. He led the charge for the legislation. “It’s saying nonsmokers should have the same right to breathe clean air.”

North Carolina is a relative latecomer to tobacco prohibitions in public places. North Carolina is at least the 29th state to ban smoking in restaurants and 24th for bars, according to the American Lung Association.

The new prohibitions represent a dramatic turn for a state that produces nearly half of the nation’s tobacco.