The past two years haven’t been easy for hospitality, with recurring lockdowns and restrictions making it difficult to plan for the future or simply stay afloat. Even as the world opens back up and customers come flooding back to their favourite cafés, it’s not getting easier for many businesses as new challenges present themselves.
A shortage of skilled hospitality staff is being felt across Australia, and Restaurant & Catering Australia CEO Wes Lambert tells BeanScene cafés are one of the hardest hit segments of foodservice.
“Cafés often employ holiday makers and international students, who aren’t currently allowed into Australia, in multiple positions including servers and baristas,” Wes says. “They are also often smaller, independent businesses, where without enough staff, the business owners are becoming extremely overworked.”
International and state border closures have limited the number of temporary workers flowing into Australia, a situation that isn’t likely to change until at least mid-2022. However, this is not the only reason recruiting skilled staff has become difficult.
Many chefs and baristas
