Erica started at Whataburger the day she turned 16. She is a drive-thru specialist now, with a reputation strong enough to get a job at any Whataburger in Texas. Yet her University of Houston friends find it odd that Erica still spends summers working in fast food. Chris gets grief from his buddies, too, especially since he spends hours studying for the 2008 WhataGames. Not even the $5,000-plus Chris’s team will split if they win is enough to convince his friends that Chris is on to something good. And that, my friends, perfectly illustrates the problem quick-service faces. In a culture where earning $5,000 is looked down upon, how do you recruit kids into the workforce? The answer is, Take an aggressive position.

And Karen King cannot do it by herself. McDonald’s new campaign detailing King’s path from hourly worker to east division president is a major step in the right direction. But even McDonald’s—despite its billion-dollar ad budgets, the span of its 13,774 U.S. stores, and a sincere effort on the part of CEO Jim Skinner and his team—cannot redefine popular perception of the “McJob” alone.

Labor experts predict a U.S. workforce crunch by 2010. That gives the industry less than three years to pull together to promote the quick-service from an “employability standpoint,” as Gen Y expert and author Eric Chester terms it. According to People Report’s research, quick-service is going to be hardest hit at the store-level and multi-unit manager ranks if nothing is done now.

“Kids are blind to what they may be able to do in quick-service,” Chester says. “We really don’t articulate the career path quick-service offers. We need to come together to say, ‘Flippin’ burgers ain’t half bad. Here’s what you don’t see.’”

I couldn’t agree more. So here’s my challenge: In the same way you tackled drive-thru order accuracy, training ESL-workers, removing trans fats, upgrading stores, adding salads, marketing to moms, recruiting minority franchisees, integrating credit cards, adopting green practices, and so on, tackle this people issue. Technology continues to make quick-service stronger and better, but until kiosks can look customers in the eye and smile, you need people to be successful. This is a service industry

The Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance hosts a traveling event called Showcase of Stars that promotes careers in foodservice to minority students. Eric Chester is developing a certification program for teenagers about to enter the workforce. Both programs are intended to start teens thinking about career paths earlier.

But parents are the real targets. Win them over, and you’ll have a workforce. Talk to them about the opportunities for advancement and growth. Remind them that a little hard work never hurt anyone—even a kid trying to get into an Ivy. Convince them that separating effort from reward will only handicap their child in the long run.

Quick-service has an opportunity to emerge as a thought leader in this regard. Seize it. I have Austin’s business card if you need it.