Derek Waddell, chairman of Restaurant Holdings Limited (RHL), is confident that the T&T economy is solid and once their Burger King franchise remains competitive they will do well in the market.
"This new restaurant expresses confidence, in that even though the economy may not be growing it does not mean that this is not a solid economy. Our issue is that it is a very competitive space that we are in, in terms of the quick service industry. We have to be less concerned about whether people are eating in the quick service industry and more about which brand they are eating from. Burger King is the second largest burger franchise in the world," he told the T&T Guardian on Tuesday following the official opening of the country's 14th Burger King restaurant at Massy Stores, Churchill Roosevelt Highway, Macoya.
Waddell admitted, however, that the restaurant chain was being affected by a shortage of labour.
"We are affected as any other business in T&T in that with an unemployment rate of three per cent, that is equivalent to full employment," he said.
"We have a situation where we constantly have the need for people and we employ 250 people right now. Think of the crew of 40 people required to open a store like this. There are different shifts and we open seven days a week."
He said Burger King had to do more to attract employees in a competitive market and "become an employer of choice so the people who are looking for jobs will decide that they want to work for Burger King before anyone else."
Waddell added: "We believe that opportunities for a career are better at Burger King. We have a higher ratio of management, so an employee can get ahead quicker."
He said he wanted to see young people get into the labour market at a younger age.
"There are a lot of people out there at those younger ages who can work. They do not need to work full time, it can be part time," he said.
