Now Hiring. 80% Need Not Apply.

You've probably heard of the 80/20 rule. The idea that 20% of people do 80% of the work. The same is true in many restaurants. In addition, it is often 20% of restaurant employees that consistently deliver exceptional service. At Tobacco Road Sports Café we don't want the odds that our guests get exceptional service to be one in five or even worse. Every guest at Tobacco Road will receive exceptional service and we will only hire exceptional people. So, if any of the following characterizes your work ethic or is something that you've done in the past—DON'T APPLY. Trust me, you won't last long. We don't mean to sound harsh, we just don't want to waste our time or yours.

These examples apply to servers, since they have the most significant interaction with our guests. As a server, have you ever:
1. Stood at the hostess stand and complained that you aren't getting "good tables" (i.e. your tables have too many kids, too many non-drinkers or people sharing entrees)?
2. Not run food for a fellow server because why should you—you won't make any money off of their tables…?
3. Made a mistake with one of your tables but since they didn't bring it up, you didn't either. After all, why get a manager involved?

These are just a few examples of bad server habits that won't be acceptable at Tobacco Road. If these apply to you because you've spent years in the restaurant business and these bad habits are the norm in many restaurants—but you are willing to unlearn these habits and take your service to the next level, let us know. If you have no restaurant experience but a good attitude and a great work ethic, don't hesitate to apply. Mistakes happen. We understand that and will work with you. Not putting our guests first is not an accident; it is a conscious decision and won't be tolerated. This applies to all of our guests, not just those sitting at your tables. Are you part of the elite 20%? Click here to apply. We are hiring for server, hostess, busser and kitchen staff positions.

Origin of Our Service Philosophy
Why are we so focused on delivering the highest quality of service possible? Because of our experiences as employees and, of course, as guests in restaurants. My brothers and I worked in restaurants ranging from casual to upscale. Unfortunately, exceptional service is usually associated with upscale dining. As the price per person goes down, so do the service levels. There really aren't any good reasons why you shouldn't be able to get a good meal at a reasonable price with excellent service. Creating a culture of customer-focused service doesn't cost anything. At Tobacco Road it is our goal to deliver the type of service that is usually only found at expensive restaurants—but without the pretentiousness.

I hope you'll help us reach this goal by letting us know how we can improve and allowing us to correct our mistakes.

Partnership with 99.9 "The Fan"

We've had minor setbacks that will most likely mean a late October or early November opening date. We will keep everyone posted and put photos up here when construction reaches a point where we can give everyone a "sneak peek" at Tobacco Road.

Last week we officially announced a partnership between Tobacco Road Sports Cafe and 99.9 "The Fan" (view the full press release here). "The Fan" will have its own remote broadcast studio in Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, where they will host their pre-game shows for NFL, college football, NCAA basketball and other events. Tobacco Road Sports Cafe will be a "home away from home" for 99.9--as we hope to also be for sports fans that want to go out and watch the game while surrounded by other fans (and of course while enjoying delicious food and excellent service). We are proud to be the only area restaurant that will be home to live sports radio and hope that this partnership will deliver an even greater level of excitement and enjoyment for our guests.

We'd like to emphasize that Tobacco Road Sports Cafe will be a restaurant that also offers a dining option catering to avid sports fans. The broadcast studio will be located in the bar, where tables are situated for easy viewing of the 107” television screen and surrounding flat screens. The bar will also have eight recliners that have their own 42” TV screens. For a quieter dining experience guests can enjoy their meal in the main dining room or reserve Tobacco Road’s private dining room for special events.

More info coming soon as we start hiring and training the Tobacco Road Sports Cafe staff.