Business & Tech

Hire Me: Putting His Experience on the Table

Longtime restaurant manager Kevin Craig is looking for another management position.

Kevin G. Craig of Stony Brook has been working in the restaurant industry since the age of 19, when he started as a dishwasher at what was then called The Dining Car in Setauket.

The environment appealed to him, he said, because he was never interested in a traditional 9-to-5 work setting. So Craig spent years going to college and working his way up, eventually holding several high-level food service management positions over the course of his 30-year career.

Now, the veteran restaurant manager has found himself out of work for about a year. He said he has remained positive despite the challenges.

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"I really didn’t think it would be this difficult, being out of work for a year, especially in something you’ve spent so many years doing," he said. "... But you keep the faith. You keep plugging. You definitely have to have a positive outlook."

When he was younger, Craig said, he considered opening his own restaurant or pursuing franchising opportunities. But the right pieces were never in place.

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"Definitely, a general manager’s position shouldn't be out of reach for me," he said.

According to Bruce Grindy, the National Restaurant Association's chief economist, "job growth in the restaurant industry continues to impress." Private sector employment data shows the U.S. restaurant industry has added at least 20,000 jobs per month for the past seven months. 

"I think the climate overall for hiring is still a little bit tight, but restaurants are always looking for good managers," said Steve Haweeli, president of WordHampton Public Relations Inc., which represents 45 restaurants on Long Island.

Haweeli said networking is an important tool in a restaurant industry job search, and recommended that a job seeker spend time at the kinds of restaurants he'd like to work at, getting to know the staff and the management.

"This gentleman should continue to look because management is at a premium," Haweeli said. "A really good manager is hard to find. ... Eventually, he’s going to make a match."

Resume Highlights

  • Has managed restaurants including The Village Way and Papa Joe's Restaurant in Port Jefferson and Fuddruckers in Westbury.
  • Has worked in the catering industry supervising off-premise catering for The Main Ingredient in East Setauket.
  • Skills include staff hiring, scheduling, and training; cash handling; event setup and breakdown; managing inventory; menu planning; and more.

Education

  • AAS in Hotel and Restaurant Management, Paul Smith's College, 1981.

Contact


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