By Christina Lorey
MADISON, Wis.– “It’s like doing the pandemic in reverse.”
That’s how Jordan Bright, managing partner at the Madison-based Food Fight restaurant group, describes the current state of the restaurant industry.
With Easter just a few days away, local restaurants are preparing for holiday crowds and a new challenge: filling thousands of open positions. While the pandemic cost the industry nearly six million jobs and wiped out three decades worth of employees in just six weeks, this spring, many of those lost jobs are once again available.
Food Fight currently employs 450 people across 20 restaurants. Before the pandemic, more than 1,000 people worked at the company. Bright is now re-hiring for many of those roles, but is struggling to find applicants. He understands why.