Despite labour crisis, 4 in 10 restaurants can’t afford to hire

As the labour crisis continues to plague restaurants, we are reminded yet again that there is no simple solution. Many restaurants are still struggling desperately to maintain a viable level of staffing, and there is no easy answer. The labour pool has shrunk dramatically with many former gig workers leaving the industry, leaving operators to […]

There still simply aren’t enough restaurant workers

Foodservice operators have been doing all they can to attract more restaurant workers but, amid soaring inflation and food costs, measures like hiking wages, introducing benefits, increasing flexibility, and trimming menus just aren’t getting the job done. Canada’s restaurant industry was devastated by two years of shutdowns, repeated layoffs, and strict capacity limits, and about […]

Quebec restaurants want looser foreign worker rules to ease labour shortage

Quebec’s restaurant and hospitality industry is asking the federal government for help in easing its labour shortage, calling for the loosening of foreign worker rules in time for the summer season. This summer, with open restaurants and COVID-19-related restrictions at their lightest since the pandemic began, is expected to be the busiest season for foodservice […]

Teens increasingly prominent in the restaurant workforce

As the hiring struggles continue in foodservice, operators are increasingly relying on teenagers to make up a significant proportion of their restaurant workforce. New data from Black Box Intelligence shows that teenagers aged 18 years or younger comprise a significantly larger section of the restaurant workforce than they did in 2019. In limited-service restaurants, teenagers made up […]

Survey: What’s driving Ontario’s hospitality labour crisis?

Ontario’s restaurants and other foodservice, hospitality, and tourism businesses have been dealing with something of a labour crisis in recent months. That has been attributed to a variety of factors, including staff leaving the workforce for good due to the effects of COVID-19, a perceived lack of job security, government benefits offsetting the financial costs […]

Labour shortage or poor work conditions? Here’s what’s really vexing Canadian restaurants

By Bruce McAdams and Rebecca Gordon Restaurant operators across Canada are struggling to find enough staff to run their operations. This labour crisis has been highly publicized by Canadian media as a “labour shortage.” A recent survey by Restaurants Canada found that 80 per cent of foodservice operators were finding it difficult to hire kitchen […]

Indeed and OpenTable team up to accelerate U.S. restaurant recovery

Amid an ongoing struggle for labour in the restaurant industry, leading job portal Indeed and OpenTable have joined to launch a month-long hiring initiative specifically aimed at foodservice. According to data from the U.S. National Restaurant Association cited by a press release, the industry has a shortage of over one million workers compared to pre-pandemic […]

Handling the continuing restaurant labour shortage

It’s no secret that there is a restaurant labour shortage going on in the industry right now. Long recognized as a high-intensity, low-margin sector, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have pushed many restaurant workers out of the industry, and many seem to have no plans to return. RELATED: The hiring dilemma: Luring restaurant workers […]

Chipotle increases wages, other employee incentives

Amid a restaurant hiring struggle in Canada, Chipotle has increased its wages and added other incentives to attract and retain employees. The chain is increasing restaurant wages in Canada to a $15 minimum hourly rate in Ontario restaurants and a $16 rate in British Columbia restaurants. The Mexican restaurant and grill is also offering a […]

Restaurants fear labour shortage will continue

Canada’s restaurant labour shortage, plaguing the industry in recent months as one of the latest effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, could continue for the foreseeable future. That’s according to Restaurants Canada’s latest Restaurant Outlook Survey, which found that the majority of restaurateurs are still finding serious difficulties in hiring staff. The survey, conducted in early […]