Food service industry now largest private sector employer in Texas
AUSTIN (KXAN) --- The Texas food service industry employees more people now than ever before.
The sector just passed the health care industry as the largest private employer in the state, according to the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA).
"We employ about 1.5 million Texans, so that's about 11% of the workforce," said Executive Director for the Central South Region of the Texas Restaurant Association, Madison Gessner.
Gessner said Austin alone employs about 132,000 people in the food service and hospitality industry.
Across the state, the industry is pulling in billions of dollars.
"We just passed $107 billion in sales and revenue to the state. That really puts us at the forefront of being a power player."
Madison Gessner, Texas Restaurant Association
Between 2022 and 2023, the state added more than 2,000 restaurants with nearly 57,000 restaurants open across Texas, according to a Texas Restaurant Association analysis of National Restaurant Association and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
However, the TRA said the industry is still experiencing labor shortages.
"48% of Texas restaurants say that they have enough employees to meet demand."
Madison Gessner, Texas Restaurant Association
The childcare challenge
One of the challenges facing the workforce is reliable childcare.
"Affordability is definitely an issue," Gessner said. "Nontraditional-hour care is care that's outside of your normal eight to five. Many hospitality and food service jobs do not take place just between eight and five."
It's a real issue for Texas Chili Parlor waitress and mother of two Janelle Bouillot.
"Two biggest hurdles with childcare are the hours are not conducive to the service industry and the cost of childcare."
Janelle Bouillot, Mother and waitress
Ultimately, she had to adjust her schedule and work three doubles a week.
"I work almost from open to close three times a week. Basically about 12-hour shifts, if not a little bit more, depending on how busy we are," Bouillot said. "So that I can be around the kids more and spend more time with them also while making enough to survive."
Bouillot said childcare establishments are not open late enough for foodservice industry employees. That means she and others must turn to private caregivers.
"You run into a whole host of problems because they're not being background checked."
Janelle Bouillot, Mother and waitress
A survey to help support
The Austin chapter of the Texas Restaurant Association put out a survey to get feedback on childcare needs for employees in the foodservice industry.
"Knowing that we are the largest private sector employee in this state, it's very exciting for us to kind of take the lead in this space with our partners to really see how we can support our operators and childcare is one of those needs," Gessner said.
Gessner said the survey was open for about 45 days and just closed. She said they are collecting and analyzing the data to then create a pilot program for nontraditional-hour care.
Bouillot said she answered that questionnaire in hopes of moving her field towards better conditions for working parents.
"I'd love to see what they do," Bouillot said.
The TRA said it plans on creating this pilot program in the next three months or so.