by William Crum
Ice carving was one of the attractions this past weekend as the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association celebrated its centennial anniversary on Saturday at the Sheraton Kansas City Crown Center Hotel in Kansas City, Mo.
Persons from around the nation, including local chefs, participated in the ice carving event.
More than 500 persons attended this gala affair celebrating the centennial. Restaurant owners were asked about Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., and talked about future growth, the good labor force and work ethic here.
New officers were announced for the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association. James Eddy from Popeye’s Louisiana Kitchen was named the new president of the GKCRA.
“The restaurant industry has changed in the many years I’ve been in it,” he said. “It offers a lot of opportunity for those who want to work. We are currently looking at Wyandotte County for restaurants in the future. We have a lot to offer for-persons who want to work. This is how I started off. As a young child I washed dishes, eventually I bought a franchise.”
People in the service industry are in high demand and it offers a lot of opportunity, he said. Mainly because of the fast-paced society, people want to come to a restaurant to relax and unwind, he added.
“My father was in the restaurant industry and so was my grandfather,” he said.
Dave Brown, with KC Hopps Ltd., was the GKCRA president in 2015.
He has worked for multiple locally based concept restaurants in the Kansas City area.
Brown became acquainted with the restaurant industry while he owned a nightclub and has managerial experience with several independent bars. He worked for Applebee’s International and held major roles in training and beverage departments. In 2004 he joined Houlihan’s as a vice president of operations support and regional operations director.
Brown joined North Star restaurants in 2014, which operates Jose Peppers and Cactus Grill restaurants and currently is employed by KC Hopps Ltd.
“I agree with James Eddy, this industry offers a lot for those who want to work,” he said. “I too started from the bottom and worked my way to the top and like James, I’m really impressed with what Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan., are doing. I too am looking at future locations, especially in Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan.”
He said a program called Pro Start, endorsed by the restaurant association, teaches young people to be restaurateurs in the future.
“This program teaches not only culinary arts, but the management skills as well,” he said.
Kansas City Kansas Community College’s culinary program currently has a program like this, he said.
“These young people are the future of our industry, they are the new owners and franchisors of future restaurants that will soon come about,” Brown said. “We have found that the young people who go through this program are highly trained. They must have a passion for food and a passion for learning.”
“They’re great employees that have a passion for the industry and they’re highly successful,” he said.
People who work hard can make a very good living in the restaurant field, he said, adding that the restaurant field is a major industry in the United States today.
