The challenges are visible everywhere, in all spheres of society, these days. Whether it's the ordinary citizen who must manage the increase in their mortgage rate, the government who must continue to lead despite an unprecedented health crisis or the entrepreneurs who must juggle a labor shortage, everyone is is currently digging its head in order to find effective and relevant solutions.
In this article, we're going to take a look at some of the challenges restaurateurs are facing right now. Although they had to find original ways to survive the government-imposed closures due to the pandemic not so long ago, now they are facing new challenges.
The first challenge, which is a major one, was already present shortly before the pandemic and it is the labor shortage. When the federal government introduced the CERB, it seems that this shortage quickly grew. Despite the end of this financial assistance, the restaurateurs have still not found all their employees.
Then comes, as all consumers have noticed since the beginning of 2022 mainly, the increase in the cost of food.
With these two elements in mind, owners and their managers must act accordingly. Some of the solutions found include reducing menu options and changing opening hours.
In some cases, half of the dishes have disappeared from the menu. Thanks to this decision, the cooks have fewer dishes to prepare and the training of new employees is facilitated. In addition, the consumer will taste fresher foods because turnover is greater.
Also, thanks to technology, the restaurateur can now modify his menu more quickly if the price of a food is drastically increased or if it is simply not available at the time of the order. The same day, the new dish is added to the online menu… whereas not so long ago, it had to go to the printer!
Finally, and still because the workforce is less and less available, the opening hours have been turned upside down. By opening for shorter periods, the number of employees required is lower.
As a result, the number of restaurants open 24 hours is plummeting. How many McDonald's in your area are no longer open full time? Or Normandin or Ashton, ready to serve you a poutine when you leave the bars like in the past?
But that's not all. Some must now close earlier in the day and only serve customers in the evening. Sometimes they will also be closed on Mondays, which are usually a quieter day in restaurant dining rooms.
In conclusion, restaurateurs will always have difficult decisions to make in order to survive, provide exceptional service and remain an employer of choice. The challenges abound! Just know how to deal with it.