Fall Creek Falls State Park holds job fair Friday
Apr. 3—Looking for a job with a front-row view of some of Tennessee's most scenic beauty?
Tennessee State Parks will conduct job interviews Friday for park and hospitality operations at the new $40.3 million 85-room lodge and full-service restaurant at Fall Creek Falls State Park, where state officials say business is booming.
"Our state parks are gearing up for a busy season, and Fall Creek Falls is one of our most visited parks," Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation deputy commissioner Jim Bryson said in a news release. "The lodge, with its restaurant and conference space, opened in January and has experienced such business volume that we are already adding positions to provide the best service possible for our guests."
State parks officials said full-time and part-time positions are available for the lodge and restaurant, including restaurant manager, assistant food service manager, lead cook, line cook, servers, front desk supervisor, front desk associates, room attendants, night desk clerk, sales and events coordinator, and bartenders, as well as other positions.
Park operations is also hiring for seasonal part-time positions to handle jobs such as mowing, grass trimming, maintenance, cleaning, general janitorial and trash removal, officials said.
About 60 full-time and part-time people are currently employed and more are needed, state parks spokesperson Kim Schofinski said Friday in an email.
"We are hiring additional staff now rather than wait until summer due to expected high demand at the lodge," she said.
Schofinski said wages vary depending on the position. Entry-level pay starts at a minimum of $11.25 per hour and $7.65 per hour for tipped employees, she said. Full-time employees are eligible for state employee benefits, she said, and part-time staff are also eligible to accrue sick leave.
"We want potential applicants to know that this is a unique opportunity to work in a beautiful new lodge and restaurant at one of Tennessee's finest and most visited parks," she said.
The new Lodge at Fall Creek Falls officially opened Jan. 4 when Gov. Bill Lee performed the ribbon-cutting duties at the facility's main entrance.
The new lodge has a "woodsy, rustic appearance with an upscale, modern twist," featuring conference and meeting spaces, grab-and-go retail space, a restaurant/bar with indoor and lakeside seating and a large fire pit, according to Brentwood, Tennessee-based Bell and Associates Construction's project description. The building is enclosed in heavy timber framing, natural stone, standing seam metal roofing and lots of glass for views of the lake and surrounding forest.
The project price tag climbed from an early design estimate of $29.4 million in 2017 to $40.4 million when tallied in April 2019. The project — which grew $11 million more expensive and was a surprise addition to the $38.5 billion 2019-20 state budget when approved by the Tennessee House — got the go-ahead in November 2017. Demolition of the old inn was completed in 2018 under a separate contract.
Fall Creek Falls State Park is one of Tennessee's largest state parks, encompassing more than 29,800 acres on the Cumberland Plateau, according to state parks information. It features 30 cabins and 222 campsites, as well as back-country camping and more than 56 miles of trails.
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton.
