Featured restaurant employers
Corbin and King We like to make our employees feel motivated and challenged p82
Ego Restaurants Now looking to accelerate its opening programme p88
Case study Inside info from the boss
Who Steve Rockey What Head of people Where Big Easy Restaurants, Bar.BQ and Lobstershack
What does hospitality offer a go-getter? The broadest career imaginable. I’m not sure there is another industry where you can start at the bottom, work your way to the top and at the same time move into different facets of the business. You could be a waiter and end up as HR director, for example.
Why is it more exciting than other industries? Well, for instance, to manage a restaurant you have to be a customer service expert, an accountant, an HR professional, know about supply chain and property management and be a marketeer. You have to manage up, down and sideways, and always being customer-facing.
How can young job-seekers progress? I’ve watched this happen so many times – people progress through hard work and dedication. Be curious and always ask why things are done the way they are. That way, you build your knowledge, which will set you apart from everyone else. If you want to move into a support role then tell someone, and make sure they know you are there and what you can do. Life moves fast in hospitality, so being on someone’s mind as business grows and expands means you are likely to get first refusal.
What’s on the menu? Your main headache is choosing your sector – fast food, casual dining or Michelin-starred? Independent, national or international chain? While some workers will hunger for the career structure offered by the big players such as Whitbread or the Restaurant Group, others will prefer the approach taken by owner-run establishments, such as the Trustcott Arms gastropub in Maida Vale, London.
What training is on offer? Any business worth its salt will provide you with all the detail you need to do your job. Larger businesses often team up with providers to certify their training and so you will gain recognised qualifications. You can side-step into a support role and gain professional qualifications. For instance, many companies will sponsor a general manager to take accounting exams, or a waitress to take a course with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development to enable a move into HR.
How far can you go up the ladder? With a great attitude, you can go as far as you want. At Big Easy, we serve around 1,000 people a day in one restaurant, so volume experience is critical, particularly for chefs. We work hard to develop our younger chefs so as they can handle the pressure that comes with the role.
Steve’s inside info on how to get noticed by Big Easy “We are looking for people who are curious about the business, their guests and each other. We want people to ensure our guests (and each other) have a really good time. A bit of free thinking always gets spotted and an attitude that nothing is impossible”
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