Spring Break
Prof founds club for future restaurateurs
By: Ashley Dias
Issue date: 7/27/05 Section: News
Thanks to the Restaurant and Hospitality Management Club, a new organization at Texas A&M, many students interested in the restaurant industry have the chance to get their feet in the door of companies through networking opportunities.
The restaurant club was founded by John Siebert, a Texas A&M professor of agricultural economics. Siebert said he decided to create the group after seeing the success of linking students with business representatives from the restaurant field during his AGED 340 course.
"We'd have people visit class from all different areas of the food business," Siebert said. "It allowed me to find students who viewed the restaurant industry as important."
Martha Gukeisen, office associate and secondary adviser for the organization, said the group was founded at the beginning of the spring semester and attained official status in April.
"We had two meetings before we were official," Gukeisen said. "The response of the students was very enthusiastic. We've been impressed with the caliber of the students."
Siebert said the group's constitution for membership requires students be interested in restaurant management or culinary arts.
Siebert said students seeking general manager positions at restaurants can come out of college making up to $80,000 because the demand for those positions is so high, driven by the fact that dining out is so popular.
"(Dining out) is a form of entertainment," Siebert said.
Gukeisen said the organization has about 30 members and is always seeking new members.
"The important thing is to find good students," Siebert said. "The students that spend time in the club will get benefits."
Siebert said the group usually meets at a restaurant and has a guest speaker from the industry each meeting, and that restaurant groups such as Johnny Carino's, SYSCO and Pappas Restaurants sponsor the restaurant club.
Beth Stephens, recruiting director for Pappas Restaurants, said she recruits on many campuses and that A&M was the only university without a restaurant-industry specific organization.
"Now with this club, I kind of have a target market," Stephens said. "I can zone in on specific students."
Stephens said Pappas Restaurants has hired many of students from the organization since January, and those students can expect stable careers and growing opportunities in the food industry.
Students looking to start their own restaurant can expect a quick return on their investment, Siebert said.
"The restaurant industry is not that hard, it just takes a lot of management," Siebert said. "It has the ability to pay for itself a lot quicker."
The restaurant club was founded by John Siebert, a Texas A&M professor of agricultural economics. Siebert said he decided to create the group after seeing the success of linking students with business representatives from the restaurant field during his AGED 340 course.
"We'd have people visit class from all different areas of the food business," Siebert said. "It allowed me to find students who viewed the restaurant industry as important."
Martha Gukeisen, office associate and secondary adviser for the organization, said the group was founded at the beginning of the spring semester and attained official status in April.
"We had two meetings before we were official," Gukeisen said. "The response of the students was very enthusiastic. We've been impressed with the caliber of the students."
Siebert said the group's constitution for membership requires students be interested in restaurant management or culinary arts.
Siebert said students seeking general manager positions at restaurants can come out of college making up to $80,000 because the demand for those positions is so high, driven by the fact that dining out is so popular.
"(Dining out) is a form of entertainment," Siebert said.
Gukeisen said the organization has about 30 members and is always seeking new members.
"The important thing is to find good students," Siebert said. "The students that spend time in the club will get benefits."
Siebert said the group usually meets at a restaurant and has a guest speaker from the industry each meeting, and that restaurant groups such as Johnny Carino's, SYSCO and Pappas Restaurants sponsor the restaurant club.
Beth Stephens, recruiting director for Pappas Restaurants, said she recruits on many campuses and that A&M was the only university without a restaurant-industry specific organization.
"Now with this club, I kind of have a target market," Stephens said. "I can zone in on specific students."
Stephens said Pappas Restaurants has hired many of students from the organization since January, and those students can expect stable careers and growing opportunities in the food industry.
Students looking to start their own restaurant can expect a quick return on their investment, Siebert said.
"The restaurant industry is not that hard, it just takes a lot of management," Siebert said. "It has the ability to pay for itself a lot quicker."
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