After just two days of interviewing, the soon-to-open Caney Fork restaurant is on the verge of filling its 200-employee roster.
“We weren”t expecting the onslaught,” said Jeramy Oubre, general manager of the new restaurant, of the hundreds of applicants to flood the store since it announced applications were being accepted.
The overall number of applicants hadn”t been tallied Wednesday as four company interviewers, including Oubre, spoke with as many individuals as possible.
About 300 applications were filed online just hours after an advertisement was posted, Oubre said. More showed up at the restaurant, which is housed in the former Santa Fe Cattle Co. building on 18th Avenue North.
The restaurant”s parking lot was filled nearly to capacity Wednesday afternoon during the second of two two-hour interview sessions. Inside, more than 50 individuals sat at tables filling out applications.
“As soon as they saw a car here in the parking lot they started showing up,” said Barry Reid, information technology director for Caney Fork.
Applications will be kept on file after the restaurant is fully staffed. Oubre says it”s difficult to turn applicants away “considering how many people need jobs.”
“We”d love to hire everyone. But then they can only work one hour per week,” said Reid.
The Caney Fork is scheduled to open Feb. 8.
Marc Barhonovich, owner of the original Caney Fork in Nashville and former co-owner of Santa Fe Cattle Co., renegotiated the lease on eight former Santa Fe restaurants after the company went bankrupt and changed ownership. Tupelo will be next to see a Caney Fork move in, followed by Leeds, Ala.
The interior of the Columbus restaurant has been redecorated and the exterior will follow. Four flat-screen televisions hang in the dining area, but the televisions were taken out of the men”s bathroom.
Oubre and Reid say the company is excited to become a part of Columbus. It has already joined the Columbus-Lowndes Development Link.
“We”re glad to be here to serve Columbus,” said Oubre.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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