San Diego’s Restaurant Week Is Back But Staffing Shortages Still Impact Industry

441

[ad_1]

Restaurant Week is back on Sunday, but due to a staff shortage, the owners ask customers to be patient.

With more than 100 restaurants participating across the country, it’s an opportunity for people to broaden their culinary horizons, said Andy Baumann, chairman of Restaurant Week. He is also the owner of Tom Ham’s Lighthouse on Shelter Island.

“If Restaurant Week is a chance for someone to get a discount, to see where I am and be a fan of ours forever, that’s why we’re doing Restaurant Week,” he said. “This is our 17th year.”

The participating restaurants offer fixed-price menus of $ 10 to $ 25 per person for a two-course lunch and $ 20 to $ 60 for a three-course meal.

RELATED: Michelin Guide Honors 5 San Diego Restaurants

With all of the filming restaurants have done over the past 18 months, North Park’s owner of One Door North and The Smoking Goat, Tammy Pehl, has been concerned about how to support her staff. She said it was a nice change to just have restaurant week again.

“With Restaurant Week and restaurants reopening, it’s great to ease those worries,” she said.

Food and drink is pictured at One Door North in North Park on September 23, 2021.

While many people look forward to eating out again, restaurant owners ask people to be patient because they are still struggling to hire waiters. The lack of staff hit the catering sector particularly hard.

Baumann said he has a hard time hiring people for a variety of positions, such as dishwashers. Restaurant owners have raised wages, but some people aren’t ready to go back to work just yet.

“People don’t really apply,” said Baumann. “It’s not just us, it’s delivery services too. It’s subordinate jobs like our dishwashers, the people loading the trucks … that’s generally the case.”

While the dining experience won’t be what many were used to before the pandemic, the owners say guests should loosen up their servers and enjoy the experience.

“Everyone really wants to get out, some haven’t been outside for over 18 months,” he said. “And they want to go out and they want the service to be just like it was back then. Well, we’re not an Amazon factory.”

The restaurant week runs from Sunday, September 26th to October 3rd. Click here for a list of participating restaurants.

Video: San Diego Restaurant Week is back, but staff shortages are still affecting the industry

[ad_2]

Source link