Local restaurants still dealing with staffing issues post-pandemic

DAYTON — Restaurants are still dealing with staffing issues even post-pandemic.

Recently, a popular restaurant had to close its doors for a while due to a lack of staffing.

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News Center 7′s Kayla McDermott talked to the owner of the brunch club who said employees just wouldn’t show up to work.

Customers were excited to be back dining at the Brunch Club Thursday after the restaurant had to shut down for a few weeks.

“Basically didn’t have enough staff or I had staff that wasn’t showing up,” said Jim Vari, owner of the Brunch Club.

Vari thought after the pandemic people would be back at work.

“I used to put an ad in prior to COVID. I mean, I would get several after COVID, if you get any you get one or two,” Vari said.

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He said he sees the lack of staffing making an impact on nearly every restaurant.

“There’s plenty of jobs out there and I don’t know what these people are doing that aren’t working,” he said.

More than 12 thousand people in Dayton are unemployed according to the latest numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Data shows the unemployment rate has gotten better since the beginning of the year, but it is still a concern for the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce.

In a statement, Amanda Byers, director, talent & policy of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, said, “Workforce and talent retention is the top concern of our business community.”

Those numbers are why Vari tried an incentive to get new hires.

“We raised pay,” Vari said. “At least two dollars an hour.”

Even though Vari was struggling with staffing for a while, he said he now has enough employees and doesn’t anticipate having to close the doors again anytime soon.

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