A new Facebook group aims to provide a resource for out-of-work restaurant employees seeking job opportunities in the industry.

Milwaukee Food Service Jobs was established by George Blomgren, a recruiting manager who says he created the group to fill a need for industry employees.

"My friend Jenny Hochschild, former Café Manager at The Hudson Business Lounge reached out to me about a month ago asking if I knew of any service industry jobs," he says. "And I realized that there was a real need for people to have a place to go to search for open positions."

So he and Hochschild created the group in an effort to bring people together to share opportunities and connect employers with potential employees.

Blomgren, who specializes in recruiting jobs for food and beverage manufacturers, says the manufacturing industry has remained fairly strong during the pandemic, but that he’s seen an increasing number of folks reaching out about jobs in the food service industry.

"It’s a cause that hits really close to my heart," he says. "I’m passionate about food and the Milwaukee food scene. And desperate times call for desperate measures. I’ve watched the impact on the food service industry and I saw this as a way to connect people with open positions to others who are looking for work."

Blomgren says he has no interest in profiting from the group. "I'd just love to do what I can to help," he says, noting that he'd love to see the group grow into a resource that helps both restaurants and employees.

The group is open to restaurant owners who wish to post jobs, as well as service industry employees (both front and back of house) looking for positions.