US restaurant hiring rebounding, wages flattening

New statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggest that amid the ongoing economic turmoil, the landscape is changing. Restaurants are finding room to hire more workers while wages are levelling out. The new data showed that restaurants and bars increased their pace of hiring in July, adding more staff than they did in […]

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 […]

The Great Resignation: How to attract, retain, and support your team

By Tom Nightingale COVID-19 has brought lasting change to the foodservice and hospitality industry, from the way restaurateurs and chefs manage and lead their business to the way they communicate and support their colleagues and staff. That evolution has been a necessary one, fueled in no small part by the ongoing labour crisis – “The […]

Complaints about short-staffed restaurants surging in 2022

New data from Yelp has shown that diners are returning to restaurants in droves, flocking to dining rooms in 2022 as the memory of heightened pandemic fears and restrictions fades. That has brought its own problems, though, as complaints about short-staffed restaurants have soared. The new state of the industry report found that customers have […]

Boosting the appeal of foodservice as a career destination

The foodservice industry’s reputation has suffered some damage in recent years and under the harsh spotlight of the unprecedentedly difficult circumstances created by the pandemic. But, for its flaws, it remains a labour of love and an industry in which talented and committed chefs and cooks can flourish and forge long and successful careers. The […]

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 […]

Solving the labour shortage is tough but, of course, can be done

The labour shortage — “The Great Resignation”, as some have termed it — is continuing at varying levels across North American foodservice. But why is is persisting, and what can be done? A new labour report from TouchBistro and 7shifts found that four in five restaurant operators say they are short at least one position. […]

It’s not just that Canadian restaurant workers have left — many have yet to arrive

By Maggie Perzyna Recent media reporting about the hospitality industry has been dominated by stories about mass resignations and workers leaving for white-collar jobs. Many sources cite a combination of low wages, instability and the lack of a decent working environment as factors pushing workers out of restaurants and into better paying, more secure jobs. […]