by J. C. Wells, Somerset, KY 42503
In reading the article on October 14 about Reno's Roadhouse closing, I was surprised to note that, among the legitimate reasons that CEO Eric Fitzer cited for the failure of the business (e.g., the sluggish economy, the increase in the federal minimum wage), he also back-handed his workers and the community which supported his business for the last three years.
While it may be true that 4-year-college-towns offer a large pool of potential workers for casual dining restaurants, I find it hard to believe that there is a "lack of quality help" among potential workers in Pulaski County.
When employees morph into "girls gone wild" when the boss is not around, that is, in my managerial experience in another industry, usually a result of a combination of factors including inadequate training of employees, inability to motivate and foster a team spirit among employees, insufficient communication of expectations to employees, and failure to hold employees accountable for not meeting expectations. It's not so much a reflection on the workers as it is a reflection on the management style.
Sure, there are some people in any area who are just not good employees, but I would submit that the majority of potential workers have at least a reasonable work ethic and can be trained, fostered, and developed into good employees. The rare ones that can't are fired and replaced.
As for many in the community still being "resistant to alcohol sales" and not "embracing his restaurant", that's just a reality of the market in which Mr. Fitzer finds himself. Business is competitive: If the market does not buy your product, either change your product or find a new market, but don't expect people's preferences to change. It is evident that at least some of the other restaurants in the Burnside area have found a niche and are successfully filling it.
If Mr. Fitzer does decide to re-group and open another restaurant in Burnside after his unflattering words about the local workforce and the community, I fear he may find the applicant pool much smaller and the customer base even further eroded.
J. C. Wells
Somerset, KY 42503
