Restaurateurs are paring down their hours of operation in a bid to strike a better work/life balance for themselves and their employees, reports The New York Times.
Post pandemic staffing shortages forced chef Dominic Piperno to operate only four days a week when he reopened his restaurant, Hearthside, in Collingswood, New Jersey, after it was closed for six months due to COVID. The Wednesday through Saturday schedule resulted in “a better lifestyle for everybody,” he said.
Less rigorous schedules are helping restaurants attract and retain workers at a time when 62 percent of operators said they didn’t have enough employees to meet customer demand, according to the National Restaurant Association.
Leina Horii, owner of Kisser, a Japanese-style cafe in Nashville that’s open only on weekdays for lunch, said the reduced hours appeal to its employees.
“The schedule is a definite draw for people, without a doubt,” she said. “Our staff retention has been amazing.” Full Story
Related: More Fast-Food Customers Eat Off Premises; Pollo Tropical Parent to Be Acquired.