Restaurant group MEF is on track to recruit a small army of temporary staff to help cope with demand from next year’s America’s Cup.

Dale Butler, director of training and communications at MEF, said a recruitment drive, targeting students on holiday in the summer, had seen 200 application forms handed out, with a further 30 e-mails expressing interest in a service role during the yachting event.

“It’s gone very well so far,” he said.

“All week, I’ve been signing up students, Bermuda College and university students, and a few other people in their 40s and senior citizens have said they used to be in the business, so I’ve taken their names as back-up.

“We’re looking at continuing the campaign in the new year.”

Successful applicants will get a 20-hour training course run by retired Bermuda College lecturer and hospitality trade veteran Irving Raynor.

Mr Butler said details of how the course is to be organised will be decided after gauging availability of the new hires.

“Irving has put together an excellent curriculum — if the students come with the right attitude and aptitude they should do well.

“He will train them on how to be the best waiters, how to deal with difficult situations and how to approach guests. It’s all part of the training.

“He has an inside knowledge of all parts of service and we’re very fortunate to have a Bermudian like him to do the training.”

He added: “We have extremely well-trained staff anyway, who will also be motivators for these young people.”

Mr Butler said the group, which includes Fourways Inn in Paget, and Hamilton’s La Trattoria and Little Venice, also operates a major outside catering arm, which had been inundated with inquiries about running functions around the America’s Cup.

“All I can say is there is a lot of business coming in and there have been lots of questions.

“We are the largest catering group in Bermuda and people have been coming to us — we have to be prepared with the labour these type of events demand.

“Super yachts are coming in, hotels will be packed and people are asking for small group and large group caterings and we have to be ready.”

Mr Butler said that agencies could provide temporary staff from overseas, but that MEF wanted to employ as many Bermudians as possible.

He added: “We want Bermudians because we want the warmth, friendliness and good service that goes with events of this quality.

“We might need 200 people — people drop out and some people can only do a Monday, or can’t do a weekend, so the more the merrier.

“Knowing the power that this event has been able to generate, it’s about providing sufficient employees for the whole group.”