NYCRW Restaurants That Are Hiring

The summer edition of the semi-annual NYC Restaurant Week event has officially kicked off. New Yorkers can enjoy lunch and dinner deals beginning July 25th through August 19th at more than 350 restaurants across the five boroughs. Here are some participating dining establishments that you may want to check out, and are also looking to hire hospitality talent:

VANDAL

VANDAL, TAO Group’s latest concept in NYC beautifully blends the ideas of street art and street food beautifully into one setting. Have a look around–take in and appreciate the fantastic, one-of-a-kind graffiti murals. Afterwards, feast on an eclectic menu full of fusion-style small plates, specially curated by Chef Chris Santos and his team for Restaurant Week. You will not regret dining at one of the hottest restaurants in NYC right now, and especially at a fraction of the usual price.

VANDAL is looking to hire a Cocktail/Bottle Service Waitress and Maitre D’ at the moment. View job details and submit your application here.

BLUE FIN

You will not be disappointed with Blue Fin and its “simple flavors, great execution and pristine ingredients”, as reviewed by NYC.com. It is one of several BR Guest Hospitality’s dining brands, with seafood being its main focus. At Blue Fin, freshly caught fish and shellfish is paired with the season’s best produce to create dishes like lemongrass steamed mussels and oven roasted salmon. If seafood is your thing, be sure to make a reservation for Blue Fin today!

Blue Fin is currently seeking FOH and BOH staff to join their team. Click here to see all job opportunities, including Food Runner and Pantry Cook roles

SARABETH'S

Sarabeth’s, a classic NYC institution, has been an active participant of Restaurant Week for several seasons now. Yet, it continues to impress diners year after year. Visit any one of Sarabeth’s five locations across Manhattan for delicious modern, new-American foods. The BBQ baby back ribs and crispy crab stuffed zucchini are highlights of their special summer menu. Brunch is another must when making a visit to Sarabeth’s, so do take advantage of the $29 Saturday two-course prix fixe.

Want to join the Sarabeth’s team? Consider being a part of Sarabeth’s' Upper West Side location’s FOH crew as a Host/Hostess.

JUNOON

Chef Vikas Khanna, a Michelin-star chef-restaurant owner, opened Junoon in late 2009, and has since served some of the best Indian food in NYC. Due to its huge success, Khanna opened a second location overseas in Dubai. For Restaurant Week, Junoon is offering classic, yet modern, takes of traditional Southeast Asian flavors such as murgh tikka mirza hasnu, a tandoor grilled chicken appetizer. There are plenty of Indian restaurants in NYC, however, none can compare to Chef Khanna’s caliber and attention to cooking amazing food.

Learn more and apply to Junoon’s openings for Line Cooks, Food Runners, Bartenders and more.

5 Steps to Successfully Onboard Restaurant Employees

Now that you have completed the task of finding and interviewing the right candidate for your restaurant, the next step is onboarding. Studies show that when employees properly onboard staff, it leads to higher satisfaction levels, decreases turnover and high retention rates. Not only do you want to remain compliant, you want to keep potential hires happy and make them feel valued.

Here is a checklist of must-do’s when onboarding your new staff:

#1: Send hires onboarding papers

At Harri, we make this step super simple for you and your employees. Send new hirees offer letters and necessary onboarding documents online. You save both time and money with digital onboarding. (And think about, you probably do not want to deal with piles of paperwork anyway.) In addition, you will be 100% compliant to labor laws. You do not need to stress about putting together an onboarding package because everything is already pre-loaded onto Harri. All you have to do is select whichever forms are needed, and send it over to them digitally.

#2: Plan out an onboarding first day

On the new hires’ first day, they will not know their way around yet, so do give them a tour around the restaurant. After, sit them down once more to review what their jobs’ responsibilities and duties are. They probably will feel like a lot is being thrown at them and it seems daunting. Don’t scare them away on the first day already. Set aside some time during their shift to do an icebreaker session with the rest of the team during mealtime. Provide a welcoming atmosphere for them so that they can get more comfortable with everybody.

#3: Run a trail and stage training

Run a trail (or stog) on the servers, chefs and others during the onboarding period. Remember – It is illegal to stage a candidate unless their onboarding paperwork in 100% complete. Monitor how their work ethic is like during their shifts and how they interact with the rest of the team. Keep note of these things so that at the end of their trial, you can make an informed final decision to hire or not hire the candidate.

#4: Assign mentors to new hires

Before you assign one of your current staff to mentor a new hire, make sure to ask them if they would be willing to take on the position. If they agree so, encourage them to help out their mentees get settled in and get them up to speed with the workings of the restaurant. The new hires can also shadow and learn from their mentors during this time.

#5: Provide feedback on performance

Schedule a meeting at the end of the first shift to go over the new hires’ performance. Things to review include their general performance, attendance, attitude, cooperativeness with the team, amongst other job specific-related details. Do not forget about your staff’s approvals as well. It is important to hear their comments too, since they will be working with the new hires as a team.

5 Ways the Restaurant Workforce is Changing

#1: Driving middle class job growth

The restaurant industry was a driving force behind the nation’s recovery from the Great Recession. Not only are restaurants leaders in total job growth, they’re also adding middle class jobs at a stronger rate than the overall economy. During the Great Recession, that rate was four times more than the overall economy.

#2: Turnover creeps up

The bad news: Restaurant turnover is trending up. The good news: Current turnover is relatively low, compared to record highs before the economic downturn.

#3: Recruiting challenges

The competition for employees intensifies as the economy improves. More than one in four operators say they have difficult-to-fill job openings. The biggest challenge? Finding applicants for back-of-the-house.

#4: Diverse opportunities

Restaurants provide unparalleled opportunities for people of all backgrounds to own their own businesses. The number of women-owned restaurant businesses is growing at a faster rate than the overall economy, as is the number of Hispanic-, African-American-, and Asian-owned operations.

#5: There’s money in the banana stand. And jobs, apparently.

Coffee, doughnut and ice cream shops are fueling more than commuters and snack attacks. The snack-and-nonalcoholic-beverage-bar segment is had the industry's highest job growth last year.

(via National Restaurant Association)

How to Write the Perfect Thank You Note

The job interview isn't over once you leave the meeting room. There is still one more step to the process, the thank you note.

#1: Salute with your interviewer's name.

Start off the note with "Dear Mr./Mrs." and include your interviewer's name. When you greet with their name, it shows that it is more personalized and you put thought into writing, rather than reusing a generic template. Also, indicate the date you met and position you applied for, to help refresh their memory. Your hiring manager might be conducting multiple interviews.

#2: Express your gratitude.

A thank you note/email would not be one if you do not include "Thank you". Write that you appreciated the time they took out to meet, speak and consider you for the position.

#3: Confirm that you are interested.

Let the hiring manager know that you are still interested in the position. State how you are excited to work for the company, and how you look forward to learning and growing with them. HR professionals like to hear enthusiasm from potential candidates when applying to jobs.

#4: Promote yourself.

Write a little promotional blurb about yourself. Briefly discuss your strengths and skills, and how they would be valuable to the team. You may also want to talk about your previous experience in the hospitality industry. Basically, provide further support on why you are qualified and the best candidate for the position. 

#5: Remember to follow up.

Sum up by writing thank you once more, and suggesting to keep in contact. Mention how you can be reached again via email or phone, if your hiring manager has any further questions. If you do not hear back from him/her in about a week or so, send a friendly a reminder email.

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2016 Restaurant Industry Challenges Continue

The National Restaurant Association projects that restaurants in 2016 will post sales of $782.7 billion and employ 14.4 million people in more than 1 million locations. Released today, the 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast reveals that the U.S. restaurant industry will remain the nation’s second-largest private sector employer, providing career opportunities for 1in 10 working Americans.

“Though the overall economy is trending in the right direction, the operating environment isn’t without challenges going into 2016,” said Hudson Riehle, Senior Vice President of Research for the National Restaurant Association. “With overall tightening in some labor markets, we’re seeing recruitment and retention making a comeback as a top challenge for restaurant operators.”

Top restaurant industry trends for 2016 include:

• Not all smooth sailing. Restaurant operators will face a number of headwinds in the 2016 business environment. From legislative and regulatory pressures and moderate economic growth, to labor cost increases and cybersecurity, both new and old issues will challenge profit margins and muddle operating procedures.
• Labor pool is getting shallower. Recruitment and retention of employees will re-emerge as a top challenge for restaurant operators, as a tighter national labor market means greater competition with other industries for employees. Workforce demographics are shifting to include a greater proportion of older workers while the younger labor pool is shrinking.
• Everybody’s business. The restaurant industry has always been one where people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to achieve the American dream of owning one’s own business. The restaurant industry is home to a growing number of women-owned and minority-owned businesses, where many current owners started their restaurant careers at entry level. Eating-and-drinking-place firms owned by women and minorities continue to grow at a faster rate than the overall industry.
• Moderate sales growth. The restaurant industry will see its seventh consecutive year of real sales growth in 2016. Substantial regional variations will continue, reflecting local business conditions. The long-term trend of quickservice sales growth outpacing tableservice sales growth will also maintain its momentum, along with strong growth of snack and nonalcoholic beverage bars.
• Technology growing pains. The availability of technology options is starting to move from novelty to expectation among many consumers. In the race to be tech-forward, new systems are popping up in more places as guests say they want to use them. However, two in five consumers say that technology makes restaurant visits and ordering more complicated, indicating that perhaps not all these new systems are as user-friendly as they could be. Restaurants will be focusing on closing that divide in the year ahead.
• Mobile payment gaining acceptance. Few technologies are advancing faster than payment platforms. Security and convenience are converging in mobile payment systems, with a number of wallet apps and devices entering the market. Although a majority of consumers remain on the fence about paying for meals via smartphone, a growing number say they would use – or are already using – that option when available, and the trend is expected to keep its trajectory through 2016.
• American foodie 2.0. The typical restaurant guest today is not the same as the typical restaurant guest 20 years ago. Having essentially grown up in restaurants, younger generations have a very sophisticated world-view when it comes to food. Restaurant operators say guests have higher expectations of their dining experience and pay more attention to everything from diet-specific food, to sustainability, to food sourcing and production than even just two years ago. Operators will carefully balance how to cater to these precise tastes without becoming too niche or alienating more mature guests. 

For more information on the 2016 Restaurant Industry Forecast, including graphics and video, visit Restaurant.org/Forecast.

(via National Restaurant Association)