Restaurants have a new challenge: Finding workers kitv.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from kitv.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
‘A perfect storm’: These restaurants survived the pandemic. Now they can’t find workers
A few weeks ago, Philippe Massoud posted online ads looking for a cook to hire at ilili, his New York City restaurant.
Typically, he said, 60 or 80 people might show up to interview for a position like that one. This time? Nobody.
“That has not happened, ever, in the 14-year history of the business,” Massoud said.
Ilili, an upscale Lebanese spot, currently has about 78 employees, a little less than half of its pre-pandemic workforce, Massoud said. The way business is going now, he could use another 12 people. The staffing shortage means the restaurant is not open for business during lunch or on Monday nights, even as it struggles.