Former restaurant employees give medical marijuana industry the green light

KANSAS CITY, Mon. – Just as many restaurants struggle to fill jobsIn another industry, former food service employees are lining up to work for them – and they switch from cooking on pots in a restaurant to making pot edibles.

“I think the pandemic has really made a lot of people stop, slow down and think about what to do with their lives,” Lathrop said.

Clovr, a cannabis-infused product manufacturer, has hired several employees who were previously laid off or wanted a career change from the restaurant industry.

“I worked in the restaurant industry as a manager and ran a restaurant,” said Chantel Lathrop. “We’re closed for COVID-19 so I was able to say, ‘You know what do I want to do with it now?'”

Lathrop thrives in the kitchen, so her skills have carried over well to working in the rubbery kitchen at Clovr.

“Do the flavors, measure everything right, so we’re really paying attention to our dosing because that’s our top priority,” Lathrop said.

Other employees 41 Action News spoke to said the industry is attractive as Missouri’s medical marijuana industry continues to grow.

“When the opportunity arose, I came running,” said Shane Hallock, Clovr employee.

Jordan Gibson, who helps make drinks at Clovr, had similar thoughts.

“It’s a booming industry with growth and opportunity,” said Gibson. “So it’s just something that interests me.”

They see a change in how their former employees view their careers.

“I see a lot of chefs, cocktail waiters, a lot of restaurant people coming here and I think it’s a quality of life issue and it just doesn’t work that much for so little,” Hallock said.

Clovr employee Will Findley said several friends have also left the hospitality industry.

“We’ve talked a lot about the improved quality of life since we left the restaurant business,” said Findley.

Bill Teel of the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association told 41 Action News that while there is pressure to raise wages, it’s not that easy.

“If restaurants have to pay more, prices will go up,” said Teel. “They have to bill customers more, and that’s how supply and demand work. The restaurant has to make a profit or they won’t stay in business.”

Teel said the potential to rise in the restaurant industry is unmatched elsewhere.

“The restaurant industry is truly an industry of opportunity,” he said, “and more than any other industry, it gives people the opportunity to start at the bottom and work their way through to management and ownership.”

It’s a business recipe some former restaurant workers want to change.

“Give them better services, give them better wages, make sure their lessons match whatever extracurricular or educational needs they have in their lives,” Lathrop said.

These lives changed forever during the pandemic and they don’t look back.

“That kind of camaraderie feels really invigorating for a lot of us,” Findley said.

Lathrop is also looking to a new career.

“I’m just excited about the future and everyone who comes into this industry and has a passion that they can use,” said Lathrop.

To learn more about Missouri’s medical marijuana industry, visit the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website.