Wine Country businesses brace for Mother's Day weekend with reduced staff
NAPA (KPIX) -- With Mother's Day weekend looming, Napa Valley hospitality businesses are expecting big crowds even as they struggle with an ongoing worker shortage.
Some business owners say there are signs that the staff shortage is starting to ease but many are just hoping they can get through the big weekend.
Eiko's in downtown Napa is mostly booked up for the weekend.
"These weekends are everything for us. This is what we've been waiting for. This is what we make our bread and butter on," said Eiko director of operations Allison Hallum.
Eiko's is a family-owned business that has been able to provide competitive wages and benefits to retain the bulk of their employees. Now, once again, they're battling COVID-19.
"There's more COVID cases coming about, people have allergies. So that's been harder than even staff turnover," Hallum explained.
Around the corner, Riza stocked up their shop for one of the busiest weekends of the year.
"Mothers's Day is always a huge event for us. We love giving plants for Mother's Day because they're the gift that keeps on growing," owner Alyssa Piombo said.
Piombo says she could definitely use a few more employees. "We're currently hiring right now so if any plant-lovers or any plant-passionate people know of anybody, we're definitely hiring."
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of job openings doubled to 7 percent compared to the same time last year.
Some patrons say they can see businesses are short-staffed and so exercise patience.
"We do notice it but I think we have to have a bigger heart in times that are really hard," a customer named Erika Ogden said. Her sister Jenn Ogden added, "I think it's really important to just go out, support small businesses and just make sure the people in our community -- they can spend that time with their family."
One thing business owners are banking on is a more youthful workforce. Some said they're getting a lot of applications from students, wanting to work during the summer.