YOU TOO COULD HAVE A HOME IN THE FOOD SERVICE INDUSTRY

"I've known what it is to be hungry, but I always went right to a restaurant." - Ring Lardner

February 16, 2004

WE TALK ALOT ABOUT DINING, but rarely do we talk about the industry itself. Having recently attended three major events of the Colorado Restaurant Association (CRA), I thought I would share with you some info about them and the umbrella organization, the National Restaurant Association (NRA).

We all know that both organizations represent their constituents, restaurants and other food service companies, before their respective state legislatures and Congress. They are lobbyists. An undeserved bad name for very important people. One of the jobs of a lobbyist is to support legislation that helps their clients and to oppose legislation that might be harmful. Just like all lobbyists do.

But they do lots more. So much more. As an aside, I think lobbyists are extremely important. They do the job that our legislators don't have the time or the staff to do. If they are good, they will present both sides of an issue. Sure, they're going to try and sell their side of the issue, but hopefully a wise legislator will get all the facts. And if both sides of the issue have lobbyists, guess what? Yeah, the legislator will have the tools to make an educated, informed decision. I didn't say they would, I just said they would have the tools to do so.

In Colorado Pete Meersman is the guy who runs the show, both the lobbying effort as well as the administration of the Association itself. Pete's been at CRA since Ought Six and is highly respected by most legislators. Not that his job is easy, but Pete is an effective communicator when the need arises. And of course Pete has an absolutely stupendous staff of 15 able and efficient folks who are out and about working for the industry and its members. Even those who do not belong get the benefit of the CRA and NRA cuz them folks are working for all the restaurants, hotels, and other food service establishments around the country.

At CRA, one of the primary focuses is education. Classes on health and safety are at the forefront of a huge array of programs that are available, with classes on everything from managing a restaurant to good hiring practices; from how to cook an egg to carving ice sculptures. They also provide information for people looking for jobs in the industry, with not only links to restaurants looking for workers to job expos where employers and potential employees can meet and talk about the tremendous opportunities in the food service industry. They provide tons of information, either directly on their web-sites or via Internet links, about everything you ever wanted to know about food and food service. Wanna know the latest in diets and fitness? Need a good place to eat in Westminster, preferably Italian? It's there, complete with maps, telephone numbers, etc. The National Restaurant Association can be found at www.restaurant.org. The Colorado Restaurant Association is at www.coloradorestaurant.com.

Colorado restaurants generate more than $7 billion in sales and nearly $400 million in state and local taxes while employing 162,000 workers in 9,500 establishments. Nationally, there are almost 900,000 restaurants employing over 12 million workers serving more than 70 billion meals and snacks, with sales of $440 billion. And that ain't hay. The only larger employer is the government.

My favorite "event" is the trade shows. Yes, it involves eating. So much in fact that after a few hours of gorging on every food imaginable, from the freshest veggies (tho I don't do many of those) to frozen pastries (I do lots of those), I turn to my two-quart jar of Tums. The NRA show is four days long and the Colorado show is two days. Man, do I feast! But I also see lots of new products on the market, everything from food items to cooking equipment to the latest in food safety.

These trade shows and expositions not only feature things to eat, but everything in the industry that is new to the market and available for sale to the restaurant operator is on display. And I mean everything: linens, napkins, tables, chairs, menus, cash registers, uniforms, safety shoes, dishes, knives, cleaning equipment, grills, refrigeration equipment, cooking equipment, colleges and universities offering restaurant arts programs (and graduates looking for jobs), and firms offering legal advice and architectural services. There are over 900 categories listed in the NRA show brochure. Even the IRS is at most of the shows, not to audit restaurants, but to offer information on things like tip reporting, payroll reporting, e-filing and other business services.

The NRA Show (the National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show), held annually each May in Chicago, attracts 70,000+ industry professionals from more than 90 countries. From large, international chains to the independent restaurants with big plans for growth, the audience here represents the entire scope of the restaurant's potential customer base - all under one roof, all looking for new solutions.

The CRA show (West Ex) held last month at the Merchandise Mart saw 11,000 persons visiting over 500 exhibitor booths. I ate way too much even tho I was there only four hours. There are lots of exciting new products (food and non-food) coming on the market, much of it available to restaurants only, but some of it will eventually show up in your supermarket. Some of the new stuff will find its way into this column in the weeks to come.

We all think about the lowest paying entry-level jobs at McDonald's or some other fast food operation, but we forget that some of the best paying jobs are in the same hospitality industry. I have dozens of clients who work their way thru college waiting tables and serving cocktails and made good money while having flexible hours. This includes reporting all their tips, yessirreebob! I also have several clients who are 60 plus years old and still working in the industry, one still waiting tables.

We don't realize that most managers, chefs and owners come from these very same ranks. Because we all have to start somewhere. The trade journals are full of stories about the new board chairman of XYZ Corporation who started his or her career washing dishes at the PDQ diner in Corning Iowa.

One of the events I recently attended was the Colorado Restaurant Association's Grand Banquet to Honor the 2004 Foodservice Hall of Fame inductees. These people in the industry were recognized by their peers for not only having long careers in the industry, but had made "significant contributions to their communities" and for their "personal commitment to enhance the image of professional foodservice". The five inductees, all of whom are leaders in their communities as well as important to their own businesses, included the following:

Jim and Bob Fredregill - La Renaissance Restaurant, Pueblo. Readers of this column will have no problem recognizing these names. I have written about La Renaissance many times over the years, and still believe that La Renaissance is the best in all of Colorado and has been for thirty years. But I didn't talk all about what Jim and Bob do for the Pueblo community. And that's an awful lot.

Johnny Hsu - Imperial Chinese Seafood Restaurant & The Palace, Denver. If you've never dined at Imperial, you don't know or like Chinese food. Imperial is an institution that was at the top of the dining list for the past 20 years. But you don't know that Johnny is involved in many community organizations.

Wayne Lapp - Aurora Summit, Aurora. Long before Morton's and Capital Grille and all the other prime steak houses there were only two, and both on the East Side. First came what is now Emil-Lene's on Smith Road and then there was the Summit. Prices were high but the quality was stupendous and worth every dime (or dollar), and the Summit is still going strong. Shucks, would all those other steakeries shown up if the Summit wasn't doing a booming business all along? But if Wayne isn't watching the Nuggets, he's involved in his community.

Dick Robinson - Robinson Dairies, Denver. What do you say about the man who does everything for everyone? While still running the business that bears his family name (along with his significantly younger brother Eddie), Dick Robinson is on the board of directors of dang near every charitable and philanthropic organization in town. And then some. If it's educational, non-profit, a hospital or a cultural organization, Dick is there. And he even sells some milk...and some ice cream. Yo!

Folks, if you or someone you know is looking, not just for a job, but a career, have him look at the hospitality industry. They even have positions for college graduates!

Cya.