Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
Unemployment in Ashvegas is at around 3 percent, which pretty much means anybody who wants a job has a job. Still, new businesses continue to desperately look for new employees as our area grows. So we went looking around to see what jobs might be available.
First up is an intriguing new restaurant that’s preparing to open. It’s called the Fiddlin’ Pig, and it’s located on Tunnel Road where Joe’s Crab Shack used to be. The Fiddlin’ Pig is updating a concept that was one of Ashvegas’ most popular – and only – downtown destination spots some 20 years ago: Bill Stanley’s Blue Grass and Barbecue.
Bill Stanley is now a Buncombe County commissioner. But back in the day, he was a football coach and entrepeneur and had the brilliant idea of serving up great barbecue and inviting in local bluegrass bands. He set up picnic tables with red checkered table coverings, and had a big dance floor. Marc Pruett was in the band. It was a big time. Until a Hep A outbreak tied to some of his coleslaw scared everybody away. He had to close his business.
So here’s the want ad for the new place:
New Restaurant Now Hiring
Asheville’s newest, most exciting restaurant is now taking applications for Team Members. The Fiddlin’ Pig, located at 28 Tunnel Road (next to Outback Steakhouse) is a family oriented, locally owned barbeque restaurant that will feature the South’s best homestyle barbeque and live bluegrass music performed nightly by the area’s best and most notable bluegrass and country musicians. Positions available: * Kitchen Manager * Host/Hostess * Bartenders * Dishwashers * Bus/Stewards * Line Cooks and * Food Servers. The Fiddlin’ Pig hours will be: 11:30am-10:30pm, Sunday-Thursday and Friday-Saturday, 11:30am-11pm. For details regarding available positions, please contact Dwight Ehrlichman at [email protected] or by fax: 505-2197. The Fiddlin’ Pig promises to be one of Asheville’s most enjoyable and fast-paced restaurant environments for motivated, mature and loyal employees. Owned and operated by Asheville natives, the management is interested in local talent to make the restaurant a unique dining and entertainment experience for local and out-of-town guests. Apply today and become a part of the opening act for what will be the best employment opportunity in Asheville.
Should be interesting to see if they can pull it off. Tunnel Road, as a retaurant destination, seems to be declining. There’s a lot of traffic. It’s mostly all boring chain restaurants. Guess we’ll wait and see.
Here’s one other cool job listing we saw. You can get paid to work on the Biltmore Estate, trimming trees.
Arborist
Join our team and become a member of the Biltmore Estate family by applying for the Arborist position in our Forestry division. Enjoy the chance to work in a unique historic setting with a rich arboricultural tradition being the home of the first school of forestry in the United States. This position requires a high school diploma (or GED) and at least 2 years of formal arboricultural experience. Biltmore offers a competitive compensation package including health insurance; 401(k) plan; paid vacation, holiday, and sick leave; and other benefits. For more information about this position and how to apply, please visit the employment section of our web site www.biltmore.com or call us at (828) 225-6122.
One of the interesting cultural points about Bill Stanley’s was that WWNC broadcast live from the restaurant, I believe on every Saturday night. I wonder if the Fiddlin’ Pig has made any overtures to local media about that sort of thing.
Of course, there was a very different media market back in the day, and WWNC was coming off a period when it had the highest market infiltration in the U.S. Their old-time and bluegrass format was #1 in listenership in the nation at one point.