UTC attracts diverse workforce

EAST COUNTY — When he heard of plans for The Mall at University Town Center last year, Matt Shapiro’s mind instantly jumped to job creation.

A local veterans employment representative for CareerSource Suncoast, Shapiro’s title means exactly what it says; he finds work for unemployed former-military men and women.

As part of an initiative set by the career resource a few months ago, Shapiro interviewed hiring managers and other business representatives from the estimated 96 UTC retail and restaurant businesses, such as Macy’s and The Cheesecake Factory.

During his research on whether UTC is a good fit for veteran employees, he unearthed trends on what the mall’s new workforce looks like. The mall’s employees are typically local residents or individuals who moved from other cities within the state.

Their demographics are as diverse — in age and race — as the stores within the mall.

“The two most common types of mall workers are transfers from other locations here in Sarasota and Manatee County, or people coming in from other cities in Florida,” Shapiro said. “People moving from out of state to work at the mall are largely the minority, I’d say. But, where people come from is indicative of the position they want. Young kids like customer service, transferring managers can come from other cities or states.”

Local high school students and recent graduates, such as Jonah Davis, are applying for customer service and other entry-level positions. Davis, 19, has been excited about the mall opening for more than its close proximity to his house.

“The mall really means more opportunities,” Davis said.

The jobs Shapiro helped veterans find and for which they applied, were mostly sales associate-type positions.

While looking for servers, bartenders, chefs and other staffed employees to fill its UTC location, The Cheesecake Factory’s management team noticed similar trends in its search for workers.

Representatives of the national chain, which launched in the 1940s as a small cheesecake shop in Detroit, set up a temporary hiring center the first week of September, located off Cooper Creek Boulevard.

Jeff Culhane, executive chef of The Cheesecake Factory, along with other members of the restaurant’s UTC location, received 3,000 applications and hired about 238 employees.

Culhane, who transferred from Orlando because of a promotion and to launch the new location, has noticed a large percentage of local students, especially from Manatee Technical Institute, as well as individuals who recently moved to the area, applying for jobs.

“It seems like a lot of people I talked to just moved here, within the last few weeks even,” Culhane said. “I can’t say that it was specifically to work for the mall, but they came here to apply for jobs shortly after they moved here. We’ve seen a lot of new-to-the-area people coming in, just like myself.”

Moving to the area and working at the mall was also a commonality among the managerial staff members of The Cheesecake Factory. They represent Shapiro’s minority of out-of-state workers.

Multiple members of The Cheesecake Factory’s team at UTC have transferred from cities more than a 30-mile radius away, said Jennifer Harron, lead trainer and classroom facilitator.

Harron, who moved from Buford, Ga., to work for the local branch, settled with an apartment off State Road 64 in East County.

The Cheesecake Factory’s Senior Manager Vito Manarin rents an apartment near downtown Sarasota. Harron expects the new workforce she has helped hire are also finding apartments located near the mall.

“Sarasota is in the stages of a growth spurt,” Harron said. “It’s exciting to be a part of that growth.”

Mall Remarks
Jeff Culhane, executive chef at The Cheesecake Factory
Culhane transferred to Sarasota from Orlando to work at The Mall at University Town Center.
Before I moved here, I thought Sarasota was mostly an older crowd, but, I’m seeing it’s a mix, every age group is here. I’m excited to learn about the area.”

Jonah Davis, applicant
Davis, 19, applied for a dishwasher position at The Cheesecake Factory. A graduate of Riverview High School, Davis is a local resident and wanted a job close to his home that provided more opportunities than the stores and restaurants currently open in the area.

"The mall really means more opportunities, I’m most excited for all the people the mall is going to bring here.”

Vito Manarin, senior manager of The Cheesecake Factory
Manarin transferred to UTC’s Cheesecake Factory from Naples. He currently rents an apartment near downtown Sarasota and has been with the restaurant for 11 years.

"It’s a new area with new opportunities.”

Jennifer Harron, lead trainer and classroom facilitator at The Cheesecake Factory
Harron moved from Buford, Ga., to work for the restaurant’s Sarasota location. A Florida native, she was excited for an opportunity in an area with which she wasn’t familiar when she lived in the state previously. She rents an apartment off State Road 64.

"It’s exciting to be a part of such growth.”

Contact Amanda Sebastiano at [email protected].