Portion of Older Managers at Restaurants Is Rising

According to a story by Karen Robinson-Jacobs in The Dallas Morning News, although restaurant management has been mostly a young man's game becaue of its long hours, steamy kitchens, and ache-inducing physical demands, "more managers are hawking hamburgers and hash well into their golden years, pulled by sweetened industry incentives and a desire to stay active-–maybe nine-hours-on-your-feet active."

A People Report analysis of data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that, between 2000 and 2005, the number of restaurant managers ages 25 to 44 dipped from 55% to 54%, while the number of 45- to 64-year-old managers grew from 28% to 33%.

Restaurant companies looking to maintain the skill level found in its veterans are focusing on keeping them on board, said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president for research with the National Restaurant Association.

"It makes sense – particularly at larger companies that have human resource functions that are planning out long term – that when they look ahead, they obviously are going to work harder at retaining those individuals," said Mr. Riehle, mentioning more 401(k) and profit-sharing plans as deal enhancers.

"Unless you have the skill set, customer counts can suffer."

Source: "A little aging helps" Dallas Morning News (March 18, 2006)