BRENTWOOD, Tenn. (WTVF) — As restaurants across middle Tennessee scramble to hire more people while the region rebounds from the pandemic, one Brentwood bar and grill is offering financial incentives to attract new employees.
Firebirds Wood Fired Grill lost about 20 percent of its staff due to the pandemic. General Manager Josh Kritner said he now needs to hire 15 to 25 new employees quickly to keep up with the boost in business. He said if the positions aren't filled soon, customers may need to be prepared for longer wait times.
"If we don’t get those employees, we will have to close down sections of the restaurant, and make smaller sections for our employees," said Kritner.
The restaurant is offering $200 signing bonuses to new employees and $200 referral bonuses to existing employees if they help bring in a new staff member. Kritner said new employees will get the extra money immediately, and there is no cap on how much current employees can take home. He said the restaurant will also pay all new employees for their training, and flexible schedules are available.
With restaurants all across the region competing to attract new employees, Kritner hoped the extra cash will pay off. The struggle to find new employees is just the latest challenge Firebirds, and other local restaurants have been forced to overcome due to the pandemic.
"People's habits changed," said Kritner. "People may have found a new job they loved during the shutdown."
Current employees like Veronica Sarria said Firebirds is a great place to work due to the family atmosphere and great staff, and she hoped people would consider applying for the open positions.
"You want to enjoy who you work with," said Sarria, a server at Firebirds. "They take care of you. They make sure you are feeling right and you accomplished what you needed to for the day. If you don't have any experience, they will make sure you are trained before they put you on the floor."
Prospective employees can apply for open positions in person at Firebirds at 700 Old Hickory Blvd, or online here.
