Letter to commend Monster.com on TV commercial depicting restaurant jobs responsibly

Mr. William M. Pastore
President and Chief Executive Officer
Monster Worldwide, Inc.
622 Third Avenue, 39th Floor
New York, NY 10017

Dear Mr. Pastore:

I am writing to commend Monster Worldwide, Inc., for a current Monster.com television commercial. Part of the “Monster works for me” advertising campaign, the ad depicts a chef/restaurant operator speaking about his passion for the restaurant-and-hospitality industry and how important great employees are, for a year or a career.

The nation's 935,000 restaurants and their 12.8 million employees play an essential role in Americans’ lives, and the National Restaurant Association works aggressively to advance and promote the restaurant-and-foodservice industry as the cornerstone of the nation’s economy, career and employment opportunities, and community involvement. The restaurant industry is one of the nation’s largest private-sector employers, and almost half of all Americans have worked in the restaurant industry at some point in their lives. In addition, more than three in 10 got their first job in our industry.

However, you would be surprised by some of the negative and inaccurate portrayals of restaurants and their employees that I have seen, including those in product advertisements for unrelated industries and in the media. That is why I wanted to take the time to commend Monster. It is refreshing to see restaurant jobs depicted in the favorable light they deserve, and for what they really represent—opportunity, and a path to the American Dream of owning one's own business.

Thank you for your responsible presentation of our industry!

Sincerely,

Steven C. Anderson, CAE, IOM
President and Chief Executive Officer
National Restaurant Association