THUNDER BAY -- Thunder Bay’s service industry is finding a worrying lack of available employees as bars and restaurants prepare for the province to move into Step 3 of COVID-19 economic reopening plan on Friday.
For most of the pandemic, bars and restaurants have had to rely solely on take away and delivery through third-party services which take a large portion of the profit from each transaction.
Casey Sellers, owner of On Deck Bar and Grill finds himself operating with five or six employees, compared to the 15 employees usually needed to run at peak efficiency.
“You advertise, and you call people hope they show up,” Sellers said, adding he’ll make the best of it in order to reopen his doors.
Jim Comuzzi, owner of Roosters Bistro and chair of the Waterfront District BIA, said it’s been a tough go trying to find people willing to go back to work in the service industry, which has been closed to in-person dining and drinking for the better part of the past year.
“I’ve been on a campaign for about the last month trying to hire people and fill positions. I’m opening up on Friday and I have my main staff, some of them, working seven days a week. It’s very tough. We have jobs available, but nobody wants to come down and see us,” Comuzzi said.
The trouble faced by bars and restaurants seems to conflict what’s being seen at a local employment agency.
More and more people are seeking to enter the workplace, said Sharon Kovacic, marketing and community outreach co-ordinator at Yes Employment.
“We are seeing a significant increase in people walking through the door and looking for work,” Kovacic said.
The news hasn’t been all bad for eateries during the pandemic.
Under Ontario’s gradual reopening plan, they’ve had a chance to shake some of the rust off over the past month, after being given the OK on June 11 to start serving customers on outdoor patios.
Patios have proven to be a bit of a boon for the restaurant industry in Thunder Bay, a community traditionally with few opportunities to dine outside.
That’s likely changed for good, Comuzzi said.
“People have really welcomed and embraced the local patio scene,” Comuzzi said.
“They’ve been itching and really anxious to get out and do some socialization and seeing other people on the streets. It’s been remarkable for the businesses that have patios, for sure.”
Now, with the approach of Step 3, which will allow the opening of bars, indoor dining, movie theatres and gyms, Thunder Bay’s local bars and restaurants are surprised to find a shortage of employees.
