The restaurant industry in the United States is a very significant economical segment that creates hundreds of thousands of opportunities for work for the population. In terms of its jobs, the sector is diverse, ranging from eating joints. Such as fast foods, restaurant, takeaways, cafes, bistros, teashops, pubs. And bars to quality eateries such as restaurants, brasseries and cafeteria forms.
Moreover, this paper aims at assessing the current state in the restaurant industry and discuss on the kinds of employment available. And the factors that determines employment in the given industry.
Restaurants of the US Eatery Segment:
It may come as a surprise to many people, but the restaurant industry in the United States is one of the biggest revenue generators. In fact, it contributes more than $ 900 billion to its annual revenues, making it one of the biggest in the United States. This vast size means that there is a highly diverse number of jobs available to workers seeking a new career or change in profession.
In the last few years, growth has been tremendous with establishments emerging frequently in the city, suburban regions and rural areas. Some of the other challenges that are seen over time include economic fluctuations, such as a down economy and or its contemporary – COVID-19 that has affected the restaurant segment, however, should not be viewed as a vulnerability because the sector is dynamic and derives from any changes by embracing new trends that are caused by customer demands.
Job positions that people get in the restaurant business:
The restaurant industry provide much of employment prospect and the field ranges from the lower most position right from forklift driver to the topmost position like the Chief Executive Officer. Regardless of the level of vocational experience, there are positions that one can work at; be it as a beginner or a senior specialist. Below are the most common types of jobs available in the restaurant industry:
- Front-of-House Jobs:
Frequently, front-line positions are considered as jobs that require engagement with the clients. These jobs demand outstanding interpersonal communication, friendly personality, and people who can comfortably work under pressure. Common front-of-house jobs include:
Waitstaff/Servers: Orders, food orders, drinks and even good customer relations are handled by servers. They are central to experience when eating at restaurants.
Hosts/Hostesses: Guest relations clerks welcome the customers, take orders, and control the appointments, as well as serve the customers. They work closely with customers, both directly and indirectly, and therefore should be friendly.
Bartenders: Bar Tender : Professionals in charge of mixing alcoholic and Non Alcoholic Beverages for consumption. The drink offered in the bar must be well known and prepared by him or she has to make the customers enjoy their time at the bar.
Cashiers: Employees who work at the cash register are required to process, accept payments and contribute to the orderly processing of customers.
- Back-of-House Jobs:
Back of house functions are those that takes place in the kitchen and storeroom out of guests’ view. Such are the jobs necessary for the functioning of the restaurant as well as for delivering food as fast as possible. Common back-of-house jobs include:
Chefs/Cooks: Preparation of foods to be offered in the restaurant is a responsibility of chefs and cooks. They have to possess certain cooking skills and at the same time they should be able to meet the challenges of working in a pace environment.
Dishwashers: Dishwashers wash dishes, cutleries and utensils found in the kitchen. They make sure the kitchen is clean most of the items that are supposed to be put on display are prepared for serving.
Kitchen Assistants: Kitchen assistant are helpers of Chefs, responsible for preparation of food, cleanliness and general preparation of meal.
Food Prep Workers: The pre-preparation individual prepares the food by cutting, slicing and further preparing food to be cooked.
- Supervisor and Management jobs:
There are often various managerial positions in the field of restaurant business, the main task of which is to timely coordinate the work and maintain order inside the restaurant. Of course, these roles entail good leadership skills, administrative skills, and proven experience in the field. Common management jobs include:
Restaurant Managers: A restaurant manager is in charge of overseeing the general running of the restaurant through matters relating to employees, policies and finances, customers etc. One thing they do is to guarantee that productivity and business affairs are excellent and successful.
Kitchen Managers: Kitchen managers are charged with the responsibilities of supervising employees in the kitchen, being in charge of inventories and overseeing the quality and hygiene of foods.
Shift Supervisors: A shift sup returns to provide supervision to a team of servers, cook or any other members during the specific shift. It makes sure that customers are full of satisfaction and that the restaurant runs effectively.
General Managers: The general managers are also accountable for overseeing the entire restaurant, from the hiring and training of employees; to managing the financial aspects of the restaurants, up to the replication of established policies from the company.
- Specialty and Other Roles:
Besides the general accounts payable and receivable positions described above, there are a handful of speciality positions. Such positions are sometimes paid better and usually provide better employment advancement than non-technical positions. Some of these jobs include:
Pastry Chefs: Bakers have specialized in making pastries and other baked products as well as cakes. They are masters in making exclusive creандitions, cakes and sweet pastries that are creatively and delicately served in fine dining restaurant and classy bakeries.
Sommelier: A sommelier is a wine taster and wine waiter, whose specific role includes establishing wine lists, advising clients of proper wine and food combinations and guaranteeing that they have the best wine time.
Restaurant Consultants: Based on the information outlined above, consultants help restaurant owners enhance the business and its processes, menu, and catering services.
Food and Beverage Directors: These are responsible of managing the overall food and operation which includes the menu, training of staff and purchasing especially in the large companies.
As previously mentioned there is a large employers’ pool of restaurants and allied businesses, yet the employment status in this industry is predetermined by a number of factors. Some of these factors include:
Economic Conditions:
Total condition of the economy has a great bearing on employment in the restaurants. For the spending aspect, the pattern of consumers’ expenditure shows that during phases of economic growth, spending on eating out also increases taking with it employment opportunities. On the other hand , during depressions or downs, then individuals are more economical and they eat out less and therefore, less employment is created.
Seasonality:
A common trend for every restaurant is the fluctuation during the seasons of the year. Certain restaurants may attract more customers during the summer, about the holidays or on celebrations, meaning the places open more employment opportunities during vacation season. On the other hand, the off-peak periods may face a slack season reducing hiring chances rates.
Endogenous Factors That Initiated the Pandemics and Other External Events:
By the example of the COVID-19 pandemic, one can compare how external factors can affect the total employment of the restaurant business. As a result of minimalist consumer traffic coupled with the forced restrictions of operations, many restaurant either shut down or operated for fewer hours resulting into loss of employment. Though, the industry has recovered as the COVID restrictions have been lifted and people became more confident about their spending.
Technological Advancements:
The employment consequences of introducing technology in the restaurant business are also observed. New technologies like automation, online food orders and self check-in kiosks have revolutionized restaurants’ business model. Even though these innovations opened new positions in technology and digital marketing fields, it limits other face to face occupations.
Job Outlook for the Restaurant Industry:
The BLS data suggest that job openings in restaurant and food services are set to rise by approximately 10% within 2022-2032, which is even better than in various other sectors. This growth has been realised due to continued rise in the number of consumers demanding eating out services, especially from the Quick Service Restaurant, casual dining outlets, and delivery companies.
Thanks to delivery apps and Raven’s love for the new experience, restaurants will assuredly have job openings for many years.
Conclusion:
There is employment abundance that the restaurant industry of the United States provides to its clients in different positions. From waiting staff to cooks, from baristas to waiter, from pastry makers to wine stewards the market has a place for every type of worker. While ever changing factors such as the smear recession, seasonality or other related factors can cause changes within jobs market, there is significant fundamental growth projected for the restaurant business in the near future.
Given the nature of the restaurant business, it is possible to find numerous jobs whether you are interested in a fresh job in the industry or if you have advanced to seek for better job positions in any restaurant business. It is possible to become happily employed in one of the most exciting and vital fields in the United States if you persist in updating your knowledge and building your qualification.
