Sleder’s Family Tavern, Michigan’s oldest continuously operating restaurant, established in 1882, is looking to hire experienced staff in both the front and back of the tavern. We are a family-owned and operated business with longterm employees, some having been working here since the 1990s. Some employees also return every year on their breaks from college, and other longtime employees who have moved away stop in and see us when they are back in town visiting. The whole crew works as a team. New employees are warmly welcomed, properly trained, and quickly one of the family.
We are looking to hire talented and experienced folks to join us in our mission to provide good food and drink, excellent service, and a memorable experience to our guests. Many of our patrons come because they grew up in the neighborhood and have family who have come to Sleder’s for generations. Others come because they want a casual place to meet and talk with friends and business clients. Still others drive for miles for our Bean Soup, House Salad, Buffalo Burgers, and to see the famous moose Randolph who brings luck to all who kiss him (or these days, blow him a kiss or stand beside him for a picture.) Tourists also come to dine in the oldest restaurant in Michigan. We have also regularly hosted and catered appetizer and banquet events for special occasions, team dinners, and holiday parties.
Sleder’s has always been a busy restaurant serving a full menu for lunch and dinner with soups and sandwiches, salads and appetizers, locally sourced beef and buffalo burgers, fish, smelt, barbecued ribs and chicken, and steak. We are considered a “rollicking icon of pre-hipster TC” (TC Tourism); however, we do accommodate those who prefer plant-based burgers and gluten-friendly buns. Our bar is also fully stocked with local, regional, national, and international beers, packaged and on tap, served in ice-cold frosted glasses. We have wine and spirits and the best Spanish Coffees and Margaritas in town.
When you enter the tavern, you will walk on the original slab flooring under the original tin stamped ceiling. The original 21-foot bar is solid mahogany sided with cherry wood. Such a chunk of tropical hardwood would have been quite a spectacle in our white pine woods in the 1880s. It’s impressive still today! However, you’ll no longer see the old fashioned barstools alongside it. We’ve had to make a larger walkway through the tavern for social distancing during during the COVID-19 pandemic. We’re also limited to 50% capacity seating, with no more than ten at a table, so we can seat 50 in the historic barroom now instead of 100 and 50 on our Victorian-styled porch where we have held singer-songwriter concerts during the winter months over the past 20-plus years. We are still discerning how to carry on that tradition in our post Covid-19 climate.
For the time being, we are closing the restaurant on Wednesdays, so our hardworking, mask-wearing staff may enjoy a much deserved respite. If our employment search is successful, we will resume service seven days a week. Our usual hours are daily 11:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. and Sundays 12:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. If you know of anyone who would be a good fit for employment at Sleder’s, we would certainly appreciate the lead! Email us at sleders@sleders.com. In the meantime, we hope you will dine with us soon. We offer indoor dining, al fresco on our patio, and carryout. See our menu here.
Sleder’s is located at 717 Randolph Street, Traverse City, MI 49684.
Phone: (231) 947-9213
Email: sleders@sleders.com
