State Considers Restaurant Rehab for Ex-Cons

Is that friendly server who just recited the evening's specials an ex-con? Quite possibly, and maybe even more frequently so if the New York State Restaurant Association has anything to do with it. The trade association is rallying behind a newly proposed bill sponsored in the State legislature by Assemblyman Jeffrion Aubry of Queens.

According to Crain's, current laws only allow businesses to "hire convicted felons who have either received an official pardon or been specifically approved by the New York State Liquor Authority." The proposed legislation would eliminate that requirement and make it much easier for restaurants, hotels and sports arenas to hire previously convicted felons.

Rick Sampson, chief executive of the Restaurant Association, believes that the proposed bill would be beneficial on several fronts. Not only would it help fill the current restaurant labor shortage, but it would also meet a more humanitarian need as well; Sampson said, “We feel it’s helping some men and women who have served their debt to society to support themselves.” Let's just hope the ex-cons aren't the ones who have stolen diners' identities from their credit cards.

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By Laren Spirer in Food on May 28, 2008 12:57 PM

Comments [rss]

sonyactivision

Per Se hired a few of 'em and to be honest, I've never had better pruno with my lobster gelee.

sbl

there's a restaurant in SF by the embarcadero (at least, there was a few years ago) employing only people just released from prison as a part of their reintroduction into society (and to also provide these people with skills). The place was decently tasty and relatively inexpensive, as I recall.

jaycjay

"Is there seriously a restaurant labor shortage in this economy with a recession looming and so many people strapped for cash?"

Nope, not an actual shortage as in restaurant jobs going unfilled. In fact, I know several people with experience who are looking for service jobs in restaurants in the city... from the perspective of the Restaurant Association, increasing the supply of workers until it's well above the level of demand is a way to keep labor costs under control.

matukonyc

The law was originally intended to discourage organized crime in the restaurant industry, and is sadly outdated.

lanciano

Is there seriously a restaurant labor shortage in this economy with a recession looming and so many people strapped for cash?

giraffo

There's a restaurant in Baltimore called The Dogwood that does just this.

From their website:

The Dogwood restaurant is a training school for the Dogwood Gourmet Institute, a cutting edge, scholarship-only, culinary and hospitality institute for those recovering from addiction, homelessness, and incarceration. Imagine a university with classes taught by leading chefs and industry professionals attached to a real-world, award-winning restaurant. Imagine the restaurant business: chaos, brutally hard work, creative joy . . . theater . . . partnered with the quiet energy of the classroom, where students learn the theories, history, and technique behind great cooking and sincere hospitality.

That’s the Dogwood Gourmet Institute.

We are a husband and wife team, Bridget and Galen Sampson, who founded the Institute with the dream of providing the equivalent of an expensive culinary arts degree—for free. The restaurant provides real-world training for the school’s apprentices as they work to change their lives.

The food there is amazing (almost all of it is locally grown/raised) and the service is wonderful. I think other restaurateurs would do well to follow in the footsteps of the Sampsons (I wonder if they're related to the guy in NY...)