Some Yolo County Restaurants Having Trouble Getting More Hires As County Shifts Into Orange Tier
YOLO COUNTY (CBS13) - Yolo County restaurants might be toasting to being in the Orange Tier and its 50 percent indoor dining capacity.
But, finding new employees to make that adjustment easier has been a struggle for the owner of Streets of London pub in West Sacramento.
She is trying to fill several positions at the restaurant.
"Oh, yeah. I had somebody that I reached out to on Facebook who said he had just gotten fired who didn't show up to an interview today," Danielle Bettencourt, owner of Streets Of London Pub, said.
The owner of Pete's Restaurant and Brew House in Woodland is in the same boat.
"Now, we're going weeks without anyone showing up for an interview," Stacy Schwarz, the owner of Pete's, said.
She says one of the biggest problems bringing on new hires is the yo-yo effect that also comes with the state's tier system.
"At first, I was able to maintain 80 percent of my staff. And then the second time we shut, I lost another ten percent. The third time we shut, I lost another ten percent," Schwarz said.
"And people are going, 'Well, I can't be in a job where it's not secure and I have to feed my family.'"
For Bettencourt, the yo-yo effect isn't playing a factor.
She feels that people may want to work in busier places like downtown Sacramento rather than West Sacramento.
It could also be the demands of the industry.
"I think it's that our industry has pretty much had the last year off," Bettencourt said.
"And the thought of going back to work and how hard we work is kind of daunting to them."
50 percent indoor dining capacity is on the table but it's coming with a side of reality for some owners.
Schwarz said that staffing issues may not allow them to do increased indoor dining capacity.
"Absolutely. Yeah, not at this time, I mean it's going to take us months to get back to where we were," Schwarz said.
"I want to give the best possible service and, it's hard to staff appropriately when I can't find people for the positions."
When asked if being in the orange tier could bring more people looking to apply for jobs at her restaurant, Bettencourt didn't think that would be the case. But, there is a sense of hope being in the new tier.
"I think it's we're just going to have to find more and more good people to work for it and give them better incentives," Bettencourt said.
"It makes me want to hire more because I'm nervous in anticipation of the business and the flow that's going to come through. And I want to give the best possible service," Schwarz said.
It's a tough break for some restaurants. Having to work harder with less people for more customers.
"Stay strong. We got this," Bettencourt said.