Chef-owner Mark Liberman used to have 18 staffers working at his restaurant Mago; now the staff is just him and one cook. Photo: Pete Rosos
Before the pandemic, chef-owner Mark Liberman had 18 employees working at his Oakland restaurant Mago on Piedmont Avenue. Today, just two people run the restaurant a cook and Liberman himself.
It’s tradition in kitchens, and best practice in general, to divide the labor between preparing and cooking, but in COVID-times with barebones staff, that’s not possible for most restaurants.
“Something like straining stock, normally the commis (prep cook) would do that, or a dishwasher or an intern… but now you have to do that and it adds up. For New Year’s, we did 190 people which, you know, is a lot for three people,” said Liberman, referring to a third cook who was on staff through the holidays, but who has since moved on. Liberman said it’s been a challenge to find a replacement. He added, “I’m now bartending myself.”
We re down as much as 90 percent from last year. We re also paying a premium rent. When the place was packed pre-COVID, it was okay, but it s impossible to stay open with such a drastic dip in sales, the owner says.
Morales says that while he agreed with and complied with state and local COVID mandates, they made it difficult to keep a bar open. We had lines to get in during the weekend, but we can t let people in if we re at seating capacity, the bar says, explaining that while Wood s official capacity is 440, all patrons must be seated and the venue has only about 100 tables and 200 seats.
Winnipeg Free Press
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Fried Chicken Fest takes flight this Saturday with a flock of Winnipeg restaurants dishing up deep-fried goodness for the next seven days. The fourth annual food event runs Jan. 16 to 23 with more than 35 local establishments taking part amid Manitoba’s code red restrictions.
Fried Chicken Fest takes flight this Saturday with a flock of Winnipeg restaurants dishing up deep-fried goodness for the next seven days. The fourth annual food event runs Jan. 16 to 23 with more than 35 local establishments taking part amid Manitoba’s code red restrictions.