Job hunters can find cheap, nutritious food

Searching for a job can be stressful. The aggravation that comes with pounding the pavement can churn up frustration and dampen spirits. Add trips through the drive-thru at fast food joints to this mix and your motivation can take a serious hit, too.

A particularly long job hunt this year led Judy Rochester down the drive-thru path.

"I was pulling in to McDonald's and getting the same burger-and-fries meal I would order in high school so I could make my next interview and keep putting out resumes," Rochester, a recent college graduate, said.

Her strategy was quantity over quality, putting in applications at every business in shopping malls in her immediate area as well as those she would drive through to get to a job interview.

"I started packing on the pounds because I was eating in my car," she said. "And it was hitting my wallet, too."

A friend mentioned area farmers markets around town that had healthy, regionally grown food, which inspired the newly transplanted Northern Californian.

"I at first thought it might be a little expensive," she said. "But for the same amount of money I spend on a burger meal buys me tons of good stuff, which I can take home and eat later or cook for dinner."

The walks around the farmers markets, which are located in central areas around town throughout the week, also helped her self-esteem.

"I dropped a few pounds and I feel better being out in the open air, taking time for myself," she said.

It also helped her get a job.

"I think my attitude of not being so rushed helped me score a position at a (local) hair salon," she said. "I answer phones and I can still go to the farmer's market for lunch."

Boyd Gaming Corp. has been paying attention to the needs of local job seekers who need a nutritious and affordable meal.

"What we do is on a monthly basis we roll out specials," said David Strow, director of corporate communications for Boyd Gaming. "Our prices are always competitive and we tend to always put out our dining specials to attract people to our businesses."

Lunchtime is usually buzzing at Boyd Gaming's nine properties around town, including Gold Coast, The Orleans, Suncoast, Sam's Town, California Hotel, Fremont, Main Street Station, Eldorado Casino and Jokers Wild.

This month, Boyd's rewards card members can earn free groceries. On Nov. 18, B Connected members who play slot games at The Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast and Sam's Town will earn points toward free Albertsons gift cards, a $5 gift card for each 250 points earned. The promotion runs through Dec. 9.

On Nov. 12, The Orleans, Gold Coast, Suncoast and Sam's Town will offer a complimentary buffet to all active, inactive and retired military personnel. Simply show your military ID or DD-214 card, along with a B Connected card, to redeem the offer. And every night in November from 7 to 11 p.m., the Courtyard Cafe at The Orleans and Cafe Siena at Suncoast will offer a steak-and-lobster dinner special for only $7.11 for B Connected members.

Boyd Gaming, which employs more than 9,000 people in Southern Nevada, is constantly looking for employees to fill open positions at its Las Vegas properties, from bus staff to dealers and managers.

"We have more than a dozen positions open at any time," he said. "Just go to www.boydgaming.com and you can see all that we have available at any given time. It's pretty interesting."

Taking care of locals has been high on Boyd Gaming's list of business priorities, particularly since the economic downturn. Not only does the company try to meet the needs of locals and loyal tourists with competitive pricing, but also with classic and healthy menu selections.

"The local customers are pretty discerning and we know that they have come to expect competitive prices for a product from us," Strow said. "We find a lot of locals coming for our consistently good meals and we are trying to meet that continued demand. We think the quality of our service is second to none and we think we can win every time with our locals."

Many out-of-town hiring managers come to Las Vegas one to three times a year to recruit or interview potential employees, which is where John Jiminez first encountered cheap eats in casinos.

"I did a job interview in a cafe in The Orleans and I was glad the company that was interviewing me was paying because I thought all those casinos were overpriced," he said.

Jiminez, a training manager for a national distributor, finds himself driving across town frequently and now regularly pops into area hotels for specials.

"I tell everyone to sign up for those rewards cards, because there are some great deals out there," Jiminez, a resident since 2007, said. "When family visits, I gamble a little with them, and the points add up. I know I can get a good sandwich for a pretty good price, and I like to take home half my lunch for dinner anyway."

Jiminez scours the ads for monthly specials at local casinos.

"For me, getting out and eating out is special, makes me feel good," he said. "If I saved every dime and ate at home all the time, I'd be bored. For me, if you go once a week or a month, they start to recognize you and know your name. It's nice when you are stressed to grab a dinner deal and not feel like you're just out there putting out resumes for nothing."

When Frank Yarborough received a surprise layoff in March, he immediately cinched his monetary belt.

"I started eating more at home and freezing a lot of leftovers," he said. "I didn't waste a thing, and I never ate out."

Now that he is gainfully employed again, he is smarter about his lunchtime decisions.

"I order from Winder Farms, and I get some pretty good deals there," said Yarborough, who was a short order cook in high school. "I like that I can order, it comes to my door, I can cook everything I like, the way I like it, no fuss, and it's great for lunch and dinner. I don't spend as much money eating out, and I spend less running to the grocery store and wasting food in the fridge that I don't eat because I'm full from In-N-Out (Burger)."

Eating well and with others helped Maria Guoley achieve gainful employment and a slimmer waist.

"I begged my friends to meet me for lunch when I was unemployed," she said. "It worked great for them because I was happy to listen to them gripe about their job, because at least they had a job. And they were happy to have someone listen to the same old stories."

She also found that getting out of the house and eating outside improved her mood, and her employed friends' moods.

"I love to eat outside, even if it's just a corn dog at Sonic," she said. "My friends felt better too when they went back to work. It just makes you feel better, and I think it makes you eat better, too."

By eating small portions, and healthful affordable options off of value menus at McDonald's and other fast food restaurants, Gouley's clothes were not as snug around her middle. In August, a friend told her of a position open at Williams-Sonoma's local call center.

"It was a long interview process," Gouley said, "but I kept my hopes up and still ate with my employed friends while I waited and waited. I think eating with friends and trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle helps you when you are unemployed. I got the job, after all."