A Welcome to the Family sign hangs on the wall of La Stella Pizzeria on Market Street in Norwich. For owner Justin Burrows, his restaurant is his family,
Lisa Zibbideo, the restaurant manager of the Spa at Norwich Inn, normally has 40 employees for the front of house staff.
When the pandemic hit, she lost many of the employees, with only a few hires, so she’s currently at 12.
As the state s May 19 full business reopen date approaches, she’s hasn’t been receiving applications for a manager position, and if there isn’t enough staff, there are longer waits for customers. Some amenities, like the juice bar, might even have to stay closed.
“I brought back as much of my old staff as we could, and now we’re at the point where we have to bring new people (in),” Zibbideo said.