CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – As Clarksville continues its rapid growth and development, the local hospitality industry is seeing a sudden increase in the need for employees to fill the gaps.
“With the continued growth of Clarksville, we should continue to see a trend of new restaurants and hotels in the area,” said Tim Self, an assistant professor of hospitality management at Austin Peay State University. “People enjoy going out to try different restaurants and enjoy good food. … Typically, people must travel to Nashville to access a diverse restaurant scene. Hopefully, we will enjoy that here in Clarksville.”
900 new jobs coming downtown
Clarksville is seeing a boom of new projects downtown such as Shelby’s Trio, the F&M Bank Arena and Riverview Square.
Here’s what they have planned for hiring, according to each business:
- F&M Bank Arena (with Ford Ice Center): 200 to 300-plus employees.
- Shelby’s Trio: 157 new employees hired, with several vacancies still to fill.
- Riverview Square: About 370 jobs for retail and food service, plus about 82 new hotel jobs.
That adds up to over 900 new hospitality jobs in downtown Clarksville.
“People seek out new and authentic experiences, and downtown Clarksville is in a position to offer people that, with the ability to walk from a game of hockey, APSU basketball game, or concert at F&M Bank Arena to several unique restaurants and shops downtown,” Self said.
That doesn’t even include the planned Millan Center, or the planned hotel and convention center near Exit 8.
What is hospitality?
The hospitality industry is comprised of four subsectors:
- Entertainment and recreation
- Food and beverage
- Lodging
- Travel and tourism
The goal of the industry is to provide customers and guests with a positive and rewarding experience, Self said. Whether that positive experience stems from a satisfying meal or a peaceful night of sleep while away from home, it is paramount to make sure each individual guest is taken care of.
Working in the hospitality industry offers a myriad of benefits when it comes to developing life skill sets.
“I think any time you work with the public you pick up a lot of life skills. Like how to treat other people,” Self said. “I think it teaches humility and to be able to think on your feet … you get that thicker skin.”
Working in the hospitality industry can improve communication skills, make travel easier and more cost-affordable, and help you advance more quickly in career fields. It also opens networking opportunities, encourages proactivity, provides a diverse experience, and can offer the opportunity to earn tips, bonuses and commission, according to an article by Indeed.com.
Self told Clarksville Now he had extensive experience working in the restaurant and hotel industry, most notably working at Radisson Hotels in Shanghai, China, before jumping into sales and recruiting, and then into academia.
“I learned how to work with people, how to anticipate need, and how to handle pressure,” Self said.
APSU’s hospitality program
In the fall of 2022, APSU’s hospitality program became one of the few in the state connected to a College of Business. The concentration consists of six courses that deal with the principles of hospitality management, restaurant management, lodging management, marketing and tourism. APSU’s College of Business wanted to make sure there was a pool of local talent to pull from to lead the hospitality industry. That’s why the college launched a new hospitality management concentration as part of its Bachelor of Science in Management program.
“When I was in high school, I started off busing tables. That’s what’s nice about hospitality. It gives students in high school an opportunity to get their first taste or experience working,” Self said. “Some people find out pretty quickly, ‘Oh, I’m not interested in this,’ and they can find other opportunities, but you gain some experience, you’ve got something on your resume.”
Self said hospitality is bigger than just restaurants and hotels. While it provides high schoolers the opportunity to work while they are in school, it also gives these students more opportunities for activities to do with their friends and family when they’re not in school.
“I think the more of those options that are there make people feel more connected to their community.”