If you get two Nashville restaurateurs together in the same room, it won’t be long before they start talking about the issues of staffing in the hospitality industry here. And if one of them has a good trustworthy dishwasher, he or she won’t say a damned thing about it because that’s a true rara avis. There is little doubt that Nashville could use some help matching up talent with open positions in the restaurant biz.
Some readers might remember Tiffani Rozier from her work as a chef at Garden Brunch Cafe or her classes at the Grow Local Kitchen at the Nashville Farmers' Market. She moved out of town a few years ago, but she is coming back to town to try to help address the staffing issues in town. She has formed a new independent culinary recruiting company called Blades + Boards Recruiting aimed specifically at matching culinary talent with open positions in town. Rozier describes the mission of her company “to nurture a more inclusive and diverse pool of talent that is ready to meet new culinary challenges now and in the future.”
To kick off her new company, Rozier has planned an event at the Nashville Farmers’ Market downtown 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 17. The Blades + Boards Culinary Recruiting Fair is free to job seekers who need only to register at the event website then print their ticket or use the QR code with their smartphone day of the event. It would also be beneficial to go ahead and upload a résumé and photo to the Blades + Boards site to set up a talent profile.
For employers seeking talent, they can choose from three different booth packages, and members of the Nashville Originals and Citizen Kitchens get a special discount of 25% on all packages. Schools and nonprofits also have have a reduced price of $150. If you’re looking for a job in the hospitality industry right now and can’t find one, you’re either not trying very hard or you’re just not very good in the kitchen. Hopefully, Blades + Boards can help you move down the career path.
