New Patrice & Associates Office Opens in Austin

Demand for Local Eateries Gives Rise to Management Support Business in Austin  

AUSTIN, Texas — Patrice & Associates, the nation’s preeminent hospitality recruiting company, announced today its new Texas office. Opening in Austin, the new office will meet the growing management needs of restaurants and other related hospitality businesses in Travis and Northern Hays counties.

Local resident Clara Oliver, who has a background in direct sales, is opening the office and will run day to day operations along with the support of the Patrice & Associates home office in Dunkirk, Md. Her driven attitude and propensity to help others makes her an ideal addition to the Patrice & Associates team.

“Direct sales prepares you for just about any job in the world. It is 100% talking to strangers, making friends out of thin air, providing good customer service and remembering to write a thank you note at the end of the day,” said Oliver. “By using these skills, I will go above and beyond to provide my clients the ideal candidate that fits the bill and help job-seekers find a reliable and rewarding career path.”

Oliver worked in direct sales for many years before deciding she wanted a career that allowed for a better work-life balance and greater income potential. Having felt she exhausted all opportunities for growth in direct sales, Oliver decided it was time for a change. She found this opportunity in business ownership. Becoming part of the Patrice & Associates family gave Oliver the autonomy of owning her own business while receiving support from the home office.

Patrice Rice, president and founder of Patrice & Associates, began the hospitality management recruiting company more than twenty years ago out of her basement. She recently launched a growth initiative for the company, seeking to expand by opening franchised Patrice & Associates offices. Now one of the largest privately held search firms in the country, Patrice & Associates fills positions for thousands of U.S. restaurants (currently filling more than 600 positions) and guides thousands of management candidates to new job opportunities.

“We are excited to be growing with talented people such as Clara joining the Patrice & Associates family,” said Rice. “She is exactly the type of trusted partner Austin hospitality businesses need to support their management hiring needs.

The $625 billion hospitality industry employing 12 million people in the United States has proven resistant to the recent forces of the recession. Rice began franchising her hospitality industry recruiting business three years ago in the midst of the Great Recession. It has continued to grow rapidly with more than 40 regional franchise offices spread across the entire nation.

For more information and to contact the new office in Austin, please visit

About Patrice & Associates

As the preeminent hospitality recruiting service in the U.S. since 1989, Patrice & Associates helps thousands of managerial candidates every year find rewarding jobs in the restaurant and hospitality industry. The company has exclusive recruiting partnerships with some the nation’s largest restaurant chains and hotels to ensure those hospitality venues recruit the top managers in their industry. Currently, there are more than 40 franchise units across dozens of states. Patrice & Associates is growing its franchise base dramatically in the next few years, expecting to add more than 100 franchisees to help fill 1,100 open territories nationwide. For more information about Patrice & Associates, visit www.patriceandassociates.com. To learn about available franchise opportunities, call (301) 327-5059 or email Patrice Rice at patricer@patriceandassociates.com