Official: Arizona to lead nation in restaurant jobs

PHOENIX — Arizona will soon be leading the nation in restaurant job growth, an official said.

“Over the next decade, we’re going to lead the nation in job growth to the tune of just under 16 percent in the food service industry,” Arizona Restaurant Association President Steve Chucri told News/Talk 92.3 KTAR’s Rob & Karie on Wednesday.

Arizona currently boasts 265,000 food service workers and Chucri only expects that number to grown.

Why? Arizona, once known for only having Mexican food, is expanding its palate.

“Even in the past decade, the diversity of the food and the culinary options for consumers here in our state has really gone from zero to 60,” he said.

More chefs are coming to Arizona because of the low minimum wage and food costs and young populace. Some may have owned land and waited for the economy to recover. With all the positives comes more unique restaurants.

“It’s brought in a different style of chef,” Chucri said, adding that newer chefs are combining both the kitchen and business operations under one umbrella.

A lot of those chefs are beginning to focus on the “fast-casual” dining experience, one where patrons order their food at a counter and have it brought to them, similar to Pei Wei. Chucri said the fast-casual restaurant scene is booming.

“My prediction is that the fast casual segment is going to be the fastest-growing, not only in Arizona, but it’s likely going to take a national presence in the fastest growth,” he said.

In 2012, Arizona saw about $11 billion in sales at restaurants.

“That’s just people going and buying a coffee at Starbucks, that’s people going and having drinks at happy hour, that’s going and buying a $5 footlong at Subway,” Chucri said.

His agency hopes the increase in restaurants also causes more Arizonans to frequent their favorite places.