Careers in the Restaurant Business

NOT ALL CAREERS ARE DISTANT abstractions. Careers in law or medicine are worthy goals, for example, but there are many years of school between you and your first successful case or complex surgery. Some careers can be started right now - like many of those in the restaurant industry. More than five million people work in the restaurant business in the United States, making the prepared foods business one of the largest employers in the country. The restaurant business offers an incredibly wide array of employment opportunities, from servers and bussers, to managers and consultants. That's not even counting the cooks who prepare the food or the chefs who lead them. Careers in cooking are covered in another Careers Report. The restaurant business is also bursting with opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to start their own business. About 40 percent of all restaurant managers are self-employed. That is an unusually large percentage of self-employed managers in a single industry. Only in the restaurant business are almost half of the industry's leaders working for themselves. If you want to run your own business and you want to get started right now, the restaurant business may be for you. This is a great time to get into the restaurant business. As more people eat more of their meals away from home, a trend that has been increasing for years, the demand for capable restaurant professionals continues to grow.