ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Are you hungry for success? The New Mexico Restaurant Association hopes so. They’ve launched a new campaign to get more New Mexicans working in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
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For the past year and a half, restaurants have been worried about getting customers in their doors. But the tables have turned, and businesses are now worried about finding enough workers. “We have great needs in the restaurant industry, we need thousands of people, pretty much every restaurant that you see has a sign outside that they’re looking for folks,” said Carol Wight, CEO, of the New Mexico Restaurant Association (NMRA). “So you can walk into any restaurant right now and get a job.”
The NMRA just introduced a new hiring campaign called “Hungry for Success?” The campaign focuses on promoting first jobs for those new to the workforce, people looking for second chances and a fresh start, as well as introducing other exciting opportunities that come with the industry.
“Every day is a different adventure and it is just full of joy, people are coming out to eat again, they want to be here and we want you here,” said Dolores Welk-Jack, the manager of Tomasita’s in Albuquerque.
Welk-Jack said her restaurant and countless others have had to limit hours and close sections of restaurants because of their short staff. She said this new hiring campaign is a welcome sight, especially with the federal enhanced benefits, which gave people on unemployment an extra $300 each week, ending this Saturday.
“It’s been a struggle because people won’t show up because they know they have the fallback of unemployment,” said Welk-Jack.
Both the state’s restaurant association and Welk-Jack don’t blame anyone for taking advantage of the enhanced benefits over the past year. But they said now is the time to take advantage of the countless opportunities in the food industry.
“If you showed up at a restaurant, you’d be in really great shape if you’re interested in a job. So, fill out the application, put it in, and I’m here to say that most restaurants would hire you on the spot,” said Wight.
The NMRA has dozens of job postings on its website. This Wednesday at 3 p.m., the NMRA is hosting a Zoom conversation with Workforce Solutions so the public can join in and ask questions. For more information, visit nmrestaurants.mcjobboard.net/jobs.
