New Maru Sushi & Grill brings 30 full-time, part-time positions to Grand Rapids

Up to 30 new full- and part-time restaurant jobs are on the menu in Grand Rapids' East Hills with the opening of Maru Sushi & Grill, a sushi and Japanese steakhouse under construction at 925 Cherry St. SE.

The 2,500-square-foot restaurant will have a menu similar to its Okemos counterpart, says owner Robert Song, 37. Song says he plans to hire wait staff, bartenders and bar staff, kitchen workers, hosts and hostesses beginning this month to have time to train all staff before the proposed Aug.-Sept. opening.

Song says he intends to hire more full-time staff than part-time, a departure from many restaurant hiring practices, because he says it's too difficult for part-time workers to make a living. Having more full-time positions also promotes employee loyalty, he says, and it helps the restaurant to operate as a cohesive team once proven workers are in place.

"I worked as a restaurant manager for 12 years," Song says. "I decided to open my business because I thought I could do the workplace better than how I was treated. I thought my potential was overlooked. It's about taking care of the people and the money will follow; that will make my company steady, strong, yet progressive."

The restaurant, nestled between Brewery Vivant and Lamb, will seat some 105 guests inside and outside.

To inquire about available jobs, click here.

Source: Robert Song, Maru Sushi & Grill
Writer: Deborah Johnson Wood, Development News Editor

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