As career paths go, the restaurant industry historically has been seen as the bridge to nowhere. While the facts don’t support this premise, the perception remains fixed in the minds of far too many Americans.
Changing perceptions is easier said than done, especially when the media, late-night comedians, movies and politicians regularly reinforce the “burger flipper” stereotype.
As part of its ambitious five-year plan, the National Restaurant Association and its reconfigured Educational Foundation are taking direct aim at the public’s negative opinions about foodservice careers.
“I don’t think America has begun to realize the power of a job or a career path in our industry,” says NRA chairman Michael Kaufman. “We have wrestled with this over the years, and it is time that we break through and assert our rightful place as a powerful engine of the American economy.”
Well said, but a tall order to be sure.
The NRA certainly has the talking points to drive the message: $558 billion in annual sales, 945,000 locations and more than 13 million employees. The association even commissioned a six-minute video that promotes the foodservice industry like nothing that has come before it. I’ve now seen this spectacular short film five times, and each time I watch it I can’t help but hope it finds an audience outside of the industry.
That’s the daunting challenge the NRA faces, but there are some encouraging signs.
First and foremost, restaurateurs must be shown to be the cornerstone of their communities. Let’s face it, the American public is becoming a nation of foodies, whether they’re watching the Food Network, taking a cooking class at a neighborhood eatery or trying out the newest restaurant on the scene.
But in order to translate that love affair into an understanding of what the foodservice industry offers in the way of rewarding careers, much work has yet to be done.
The restaurant industry must take a hatchet to that stubbornly damaging burger flipper stereotype. That’s really the crux of the matter. But how can that be accomplished, you ask?
By engaging in face-to-face combat with anyone or anything that attempts to perpetuate the myth.
I’m sure many of you have seen the lame
Attacks like this shouldn’t go unchallenged by the industry, and I was pleased to find the NRA’s president and chief executive, Dawn Sweeney, indeed had written a letter challenging this commercial.
An effort must be made by the entire industry to say enough is enough with these stereotypes. A central database should be developed that easily can be accessed by industry members who can then respond logically and systematically to these attacks, whether they be in the form of commercials, speeches, movies, books or alleged comic monologues. If these attacks are confronted one at a time, they will begin to diminish.
One of the best ways to succeed in this endeavor is to convince your state restaurant association to work with the NRA to help confront them.
Restaurateurs also should recognize that the present economy presents an opportunity to position the foodservice industry as an important part of the solution. This is the perfect time to remind the American public that the industry is one of the premier job creators in the nation.
Designating a celebrity spokesman wouldn’t hurt either. There are scores of celebrities who own restaurants, including Robert De Niro, Ashton Kutcher, Clint Eastwood and Magic Johnson. Some, such as media magnate Ted Turner, even own chains. Why not solicit one as a friend of the industry and arrange for them to appear on talk shows? Surely, Turner could get himself booked on CNN’s “Larry King Live” to talk about the industry.
But there also are other ways to help the foodservice image. One surefire method is to attract great employees while they are young and getting the word out to high school students through the NRA’s ProStart program is a great way to accomplish that.
Mary Adolf, executive vice president of products and services for NRA Solutions and the head of ProStart, says the program can help provide a solid foundation.
“But it really has to come through the industry and its member organizations,” she says. “Each individual operator has to create an environment that attracts and retains a great workforce.”
Whatever action restaurateurs might take, the NRA’s Sweeney says the time is right to build on the industry’s foundation.
“As an industry that has a presence in every community in the country and serves more than 130 million consumers daily, we touch more Americans’ lives than many industries could ever hope to reach,” she says. “Yet, there is still a powerful opportunity to further strengthen the restaurant industry’s image, particularly among opinion leaders.”
This clearly is one of the most important tasks the NRA and NRAEF can address. Meanwhile, organizations like the Multicultural Foodservice & Hospitality Alliance—which, under the direction of founder Gerry Fernandez, attracts America’s youth through its Showcase of the Stars—can help to make a difference.
I also think it would be a good idea to create a publicity campaign focusing on those restaurant operators across the nation who have started at the bottom and worked their way up to millionaire status. They’re certainly not hard to find. Each state could feature an operator, promoting his or her unique story and how the restaurant industry has allowed that person to realize the American dream.
In essence, the industry needs to do for itself what it does for its customers every day: serve up a great presentation that brings people back time and time again.
