Without the right people, a restaurant is doomed. Finding them has become a lot more difficult in Houston these days. There’s a scarcity in good folks to work as servers and in other positions in restaurants and bars all over the city. So many restaurants are trying to find good front of house people according to an article in the Houston Press.
There’s a battle to find qualified workers because there’s the attitude from some restaurant owners that they should treat their employees like dirt. It’s sad, because that feeds into the fact that they can’t find someone to work either in the back of house at the Accutemp griddles or at the front of the house at the cash register.
From an anonymous chef, “I loved working in restaurants and hotels. I love the energy, the fast pace, and the excitement. I loved having immediate results for your hard work. But I hated the abusive system… They will use you until you burn up. You will be lied to…”
Being a low-margin business opens the people up to abuse, and that’s sad. So many people have left the business, and the reason that these qualified people are jumping ship is that it’s a roller coaster. The system can change, but it will be very slow. Both ends can change, but for now, “it’s a buyer’s market, with the restaurant worker in the position of the buyer.”
The reality is that without the good personnel, the restaurants themselves suffer. What solutions do you have for this dilemma?
