Adelaide hospitality jobs go begging as venues struggle for staff

Six figure wage offers and new incentives have not been enough to lure workers back to SA’s pubs and restaurants, and owners are facing new hard choices.

The South Australian hospitality industry desperately needs 7000 more workers ahead of the festive season – or pubs, bars and dining spots could be forced to close.

Restaurant and Catering Association chief executive Belinda Clarke said some venues were already having to close for several hours during some days because they did not have enough staff.

She said that, on average, hospitality businesses were looking for two extra workers to fill in the gaps on shifts.

“The hospitality industry is in crisis with the current skills shortage. Restaurants, cafes and caterers are currently looking for a shortfall of 100,000 jobs across the country,” Ms Clarke said.

“The past two years drove many business owners in the hospitality industry to the brink. The heartbreak of having to shut their doors due to Covid-19, losing their staff or even having to close their business for good has taken its toll on everyone.

“The message is that if you haven’t got a Christmas reservation now, you need to get in and make one.”.

Manager Tahgan Howlett from BRKLYN in Rundle St. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Australian Hotels Association (SA) deputy chief executive Anna Moeller said hotels and pubs across the state had to close at times due to lack of staff.

“The irony is that we’ve got loads of patrons but not enough staff,” she said.

“Certainly, there will be some venues that will be compromised in terms of operational capacity at some stage during the festive season.”

Rashaad Cézar, owner of Rundle Street bar BRKLYN, has had to close on some days.

“Part of hospitality is being available for people to have a drink and enjoy food and wine and what not,” he said.

“Without a bunch of staff, it makes that quite difficult.”

Despite offering paid carparking, gym membership and some salaries going up to six figures, Mr Cézar said it was hard to find staff.

“I think especially in the hospitality industry, not many people are looking for full-time careers. We’ve seen a big decline in that, especially after Covid,” he said.

The bar’s manager, Tahgan Howlett, said she was worried about insufficient staff during Christmas-New Year.

“It’s extremely difficult when I do my rosters. I don’t know if half my staff are going to be able to come because they’re sick or if I’m having to work myself to the bone because I don’t have anyone else,” she said.

Wineries are also feeling the pinch.

Marc Dobson, co-owner of Hahndorf Hill Winery, said he had closed several times in the past six months.

“You can’t have, for example, one staff member on as it’s not sufficient to effectively run the cellar door,” he said.

About a year ago, Mr Dobson said he would have received about 140 applications for a job and now has just 47.

“The marketplace is very tight. There are just not that many people applying for jobs as there was a year or two ago.”

Damian Peterson, owner of The Hotel Metropolitan, on Grote St, city, said he had to operate at reduced capacity on some occasions.

“We definitely have had challenges over the last year. There was the irony of being back to capacity but we couldn’t operate at capacity,” he said.

Ms Clarke said a solution to the shortage was to allow more international students and backpackers to work.