Despite a viable recovery in many other sectors, the restaurant industry has not recovered from the pandemic in most states, especially in the Pacific Northwest. There, restaurant labor trends indicate labor shortages persist, and restaurant owners struggle to cope with the increasing demand for food services with a persistent shortage of workers.
This creates an ongoing burden of not only labor shortage but high turnover on short notice and the expenses incurred when training new employees -- employees that don't necessarily stay around for long. In many cases, existing staff take on the burden of attempting to fill the labor shortage gaps, and they burn out after being overworked.
When it comes to restaurant recovery and labor, Seattle specifically ranks as the fourth hardest-hit city, with Portland ranking third. In a changing business landscape affected by pandemic woes and rapid social change, many Seattle storefronts struggle to stay open -- including restaurants.
Fortunately, there are restaurant labor solutions in the foodservice industry that can help with restaurant staffing in Seattle. Restaurant managers can put measures in place to increase efficiency, rely more heavily on automation, and save costs in restaurant operations by managing energy and reducing food waste. With staffing still well below pre-pandemic levels, what can restaurant managers do to keep things running smoothly?
Restaurant managers can use optimal equipment to automate menial back-of-house tasks. They can consider fryers that don't need to be actively monitored, scheduling systems that automatically suggest schedules and adjust when someone calls out or quits, and industrial cleaning equipment to pick up the slack with precision. This lets each essential staffer focus on their own role, increasing productivity and reducing stress and lack of job satisfaction. Automation is one of the hottest restaurant labor trends to address issues surrounding restaurant staffing in Seattle.
Saving on energy costs is another way to reduce spend. Instead, operators can put that money towards labor costs, as one of the top restaurant labor solutions is keeping labor happy with living wages. Operators can also optimize the hours of their restaurant, closing front-of-house and focusing on delivery orders only after a certain hour. Of all the restaurant labor trends, this can also help with scheduling issues -- and with front-of-house closed, energy bills are minimal.
Automation brings with it the ability to embrace another of the popular restaurant labor solutions: food waste reduction. With precise measurements and an ingredient replenishment system, managers can more easily predict how much food their restaurants will need in a given week. Likewise, these computer systems can address restaurant staffing in Seattle by streamlining the scheduling process, saving them time and money.
Learn more about ways to mitigate labor challenges in your restaurant or foodservice operation. Schedule a consultation with Voeller today.