by Doug Ashbury
Northern News Services

NNSL (Dec 24/97) - Yellowknife restaurants are being offered an opportunity to build some bridges to the teenagers often blamed with being bad for business.

Called the Youth Volunteer Corps, the new organization's goal is to encourage businesses to respect and welcome youth.

"We recognize that some restaurants have had trouble with youths," said volunteer corps co-ordinator Melissa Hazenberg.

"On the one hand, youth are respected as employees, but when they go a few doors away they are negatively stereotyped," Hazenberg said.

"Youth stereotyping has gone too far."

Restaurants pay $30 to get accredited.

The program involves a short interview between corps members and the manager.

It also means corps members -- there are 60 youths in the organization formed in June -- will visit the business as patrons, evaluate it and give a report card.

Evaluation visits will be unannounced.

Hazenberg said accredited restaurants will receive positive publicity.

"We haven't had the problems other business have claimed to have had with youth and we'd like to demonstrate that," said McDonald's manager Adrian Lacey.

Lacey said stereotyping youth as problematic is unfair.

McDonald's is one of the nine restaurants participating.

Others include; Grandma Lee's, Javaroma, A&W, Boston Pizza, The Diner, Subway, The Gourmet Cup and the Rose and Thistle.

Hazenberg said five others are considering taking part.

Eight restaurants have declined.

Tim Horton's owner operator Dennis MacAskill said he declined because of trade secrets.

MacAskill said he "would like to participate (but) there are certain things we do not want to let into the public environment."

"There are certain fundamentals we don't even tell our staff."

Ryan's Restaurant manager Pauline Ho said she declined because she did not understand what the program was about.

Other restaurants that opted out were the Lunch Box, Mark's Family Restaurant, Pan-Asia Gourmet House, Bruno's Pizza, KFC and Taco Time.

Hazenberg said participants, with the help of the corps, will create a code of conduct.

The corps will promote the code of conduct at schools, Hazenberg said.

"I think what's really cool about this is that it comes straight from youth," she said.

"Restaurants have a lot to gain."

Accredited restaurants will get a youth friendly certificate.