IHOP announced Thursday that they will be hosting a national recruiting day on May 19, with the goal of recruiting 10,000 new members. New positions are open for both full and part-time jobs across all 1,600 restaurants.

“With the country reopening and states lifting mandates, we see a restaurant renaissance on the horizon, and ensuring our restaurants are staffed and equipped is one of our top priorities,” Jay Johns, President at IHOP said in a statement.

McDonald’s restaurants across Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Eastern Tennessee, Southwest Virginia and Western Pennsylvania have announced a regional effort to hire more than 10,000 workers locally, according to Gant News.

“As small business owners, we’re proud to be able to provide jobs in our local communities,” Pennsylvania McDonald’s franchisee Roy Draper told Gant News. “McDonald’s is a people-first business, and our restaurants are a great place to gain life skills and grow both as an individual and professionally.”

Woburn, Mass.-based, 100+-unit Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub announced on March 29 that the regional chain would be hiring 1,000 team members across its restaurants in New England and upstate New York now through May 3, including front of the house, back of the house and managerial positions.

“Employees are like family here at the Ninety Nine, we appreciate all of their hard work, and are excited to have the opportunity to continue to build our team,” Charlie Noyes, president of Ninety Nine Restaurants said in a statement. “After an unprecedented year, we welcome area residents to apply for a job at their local Ninety Nine and enjoy working in a fast-paced and fun environment, while becoming a part of our family.”

The hiring spree was announced as restaurant guidelines ease and more states enter new COVID reopening phases safely, the restaurant chain confirmed in a press release.

South Florida-based fast-casual chain Pincho announced on April 5 that they are hiring at all eight Miami-Dade-area locations on an ongoing basis, including both full-time and part-time positions for general and assistant managers, cooks and cashiers.

“With a strong belief in the ‘team first’ mentality, Pincho team members receive awesome benefits including pay above minimum wage, healthcare, flexible vacation time, career growth opportunities, culinary training and of course, free food,” the company’s press release said.

Inspire Brands-owned Sonic Drive-In announced on March 31 that the drive-thru quick-service chain would be hiring 20,000 full and part-time employees nationwide (with flexible hours available), including car hops and multi-unit managers.

“The Sonic family continues to grow as thousands of new team members begin working for franchised and company-owned drive-ins across the country,” Eddie Saroch, chief operating officer for Sonic said in a statement. “Our fast-paced environment and unique brand culture make Sonic drive-Ins great places to work as we remain committed to the health and safety of team members and guests.”

Taco Bell announced Tuesday that the quick-service chain would be launching another national hiring spree with the goal of adding 5,000 new team members on April 21 during a nationwide hiring party at 2,000 locations with on-the-spot interviewing opportunities. Roles needed include kitchen workers, managers and store-level positions at all levels.

This year, due to COVID-19, the company will be taking specific precautions including offering drive-up interviews with six feet of distancing at select locations.

“It’s no secret that the labor market is tight, which is why we are thrilled to host our fourth round of hiring parties in partnership with our franchisees,” said Kelly McCulloch, Taco Bell’s chief people officer said in a statement. “This initiative continues to be successful for us year after year, and we welcome candidates to join in to learn more about what makes Taco Bell a great place to work.”

The hiring spree matches Taco Bell’s new labor force needs as the company ramps up new store openings and redesigns.

Whataburger, the San Antonio, Texas-based burger brand, is sponsoring an online leadership event April 21 with a basketball star and a celebrity chef offering career advice with the underlying goal of finding job candidates.

Whataburger said the Pivot You event is part of its larger employee recruitment campaign to hire more than 50,000 employees with an emphasis on finding business leaders to run restaurants across its 14-state footprint.

Interested individuals can register at Pivot-you.com for the event, featuring former basketball all-star David Robinson; award-winning chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality Aarón Sánchez; and Pivot Method founder, international speaker, podcast host and author Jenny Blake.

During the event, candidates can sign up for a real-time interview with Whataburger or request free career advice via chat.

"We wanted to create a free, easy way to reignite people's self-confidence and help leaders pivot their talent to a new career or consider a completely different industry," said Rob Rodriguez, Whataburger’s chief operating officer, in a statement. "We know that leaders in the military, education, hospitality and many other industries have amazing talent and are looking for a place to inspire teams and make a difference. We want them to find a career that fuels their purpose, and we believe Whataburger could be the home they're searching for."

This year, Whataburger is opening 37 new locations, across 14 markets, including new markets of Kansas City, Mo.; Nashville, Tenn.; and Colorado Springs, Colo.

Whataburger, founded in 1950, has more than 840 locations in 14 states.

— Ron Ruggless