Amitabh Sharma, Features Coordinator

HIGH SPEED, blazing and fast are daily buzzwords. From cars to food, everything is taking the superhighway. Grabbing a quick bite has become a necessity owing to work and other pressures of life.

Aside from the ingredients, ever thought how much it takes to churn up that meal from start to finish in less than 10 minutes?

It's a blend of personalities and skills, states Tina Myers Matalon, marketing manager, Restaurants of Jamaica Limited, operators of KFC and Pizza Hut.

Critical components

Like any other business, she says, "The operations of a fast-food restaurant business are made of several critical components - from adequate staffing to maintenance, marketing, finance, human resources to internal auditing."

According to her, opportunities abound at various levels as the food industry is always evolving and expanding.

"There is never a full capacity," she adds.

On the restaurant side, she explains, there are three levels of management - team leaders, shift supervisors, general manager, area coaches and operations manager, who ensure the smooth running of the operations.

She identifies marketing as the fastest growing area of expertise within the food industry, using her own company as an example.

"With our two brands, there is lot of work to do," she says.

Joan Lewinson, human resource and developmental manager, Restaurants of Jamaica, gives an idea of what it is like working beyond the kitchen. She says that there are so many functions that customers do not see, but which are vital.

"People with air-conditioning and refrigeration certification, and those who have certification in repairing industrial type cooking equipment are the critical backbone to the business," she explains.

A person in this role carry out checks to all the equipment and ensure everything is running in prime condition in the restaurants. Senior technicians are on call, depending on the need.

"They work after the restaurant closes or before it opens.You see, we cannot afford a non-functional fryer or deep freezer, for example," Lewinson adds.

Lookout for riders

According to Lewinson, delivering is also an area that requires manpower.

"We are on a constant lookout for riders to deliver pizzas. Anyone who has a motorcycle can apply for the job. One can choose to work full time or on a part-time basis. All riders should have a valid driver's licence and a food handler's permit which is issued by the Ministry of Health.

"There is a minimum standing test which comprises basic mathematics and English.

"When you are delivering a product and collecting money, you should be able to add and subtract," Lewinson outlines.

She says that, on average, an employee can earn between $3,000 to $4,500 from working a three-day week.

"The number of deliveries are higher as the weekend approaches, and the earnings go up as well," she quips.

Part-timers

There are also opportunities for part-timers to fill in the slot when regular employees are off or are going back to school. Many of the part-timers work Fridays and Saturdays and another day in the week, if they can, says the human-resources manager.

For this slot, one must have completed grade 11 of high school, they do not necessarily have to have CXC passes. The part-time employees also have the option of full-time employment.

All employees undergo training at the restaurant for four days.

"They get hands-on experience on working as a cashier, tending (serving customers) and cooking. Employees work in shifts - morning, afternoon and evening. There are two days off in a week, it can be any two days," Lewinson says.

Hands-on experience is key, Matalon emphasises, dismissing the perception that the hospitality industry is high paying and glamorous. "A lot of hard work goes into the job, you need poise and dedication," she says.

"To be in this industry, you need to be, courteous and customer-friendly. Additionally, one must be sharp, good at multitasking and continue to add new value to the organisation," she advises.

amitabh.sharma@gleanerjm.com