Local Focus: Hawke's Bay eateries still struggling to find staff

Barista Hans Seitzinger has seen plenty of his workmates come and go. Photo Supplied

If you're looking to go out for dinner on a Monday night in Hawke's Bay, you might be out of luck. And while most restaurants are closed for the night, some are now closed for much longer.

A staffing shortage in the region is forcing many hospitality businesses to reduce their hours.

Carl Woodman, the owner and operator of Ahuriri Village Kitchen, said they could only provide breakfast and lunch at this stage.

"We also have to close on Tuesday and Wednesday sometimes, which is annoying because our regulars love coming in every day, and we want to open for them, but we are unable to do so now.

"We are struggling with the staff. So far, we're operating with about 10 staff. Ideally, we probably want a 15-person team. If we get enough people, we'll open up for nights," Woodman said.

Kolachi Eatery's owner Yi Liu said they need 14 staff to run the cafe smoothly, but only nine are on board.

The same applies at Napier's landmark Art Deco Masonic Hotel, which has the Globe restaurant and The Rose Irish pub.

"Globe restaurant was operating seven days a week, but now only runs from Wednesday to Sunday," operations manager Stephen Tran Trung said.

"The Irish pub was operating for seven days. So now we are closed on Tuesdays and have shorter hours on Mondays."

Just next to the Masonic Hotel, Ajuna cafe was open every day, but now it doesn't open at all, however this is hopefully temporary.

In Havelock North, Trish Yeoman bought the Coffee at Crosses cafe five years ago. She lost her head chef two months ago, so now she is doing all the cooking.

"It can be very overwhelming. I work seven days a week and don't take a wage. That's the only way I can pay someone to work for me. I'm 65 years old, I really should be retiring now."

Yeoman has two sons. One lives in Australia, and the other in the United States.

"I haven't seen them for six years and need to go and see my kids at some stage very soon [if] I can get the staff that can run the shop. Otherwise, I'm going to have to shut the shop."

It's not just in Hawke's Bay. According to the Restaurant Association, 83 per cent of restaurant businesses are understaffed, and 62 per cent of eateries closed temporarily in August due to shortages.

The hospitality industry has traditionally relied on overseas workers but sluggish immigration makes the vacancy gap bigger.

Not all restaurants struggling

Not every business owner is desperate. Halle Evans is preparing her new cafe in Havelock North to open next month.

Ahuriri Village Kitchen sometimes needs to close on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to staff shortages. Photo Supplied

"I knew staffing could be a big problem. But we tried to stay positive. It was amazing when I got the last staff. I've been very fortunate to build a great team," she said.

A new wine bar in Hastings has also attracted the staff it needs.

"We've been open for over a month and have five people," said Michael Henley, the Cellar 495 wine bar owner.

"We're pretty lucky because we are new and not that large. So we're the 'shiny new things' and were able to attract some pretty good staff."

Henley admits he is paying his staff a little higher than average.

"I actually get the staff to tell me whether they think it's fair, which is very important to retain the staff," Henley said.

Other hospitality workers and industry agreed.

"If we want staff to come on board, then we need to pay the market's wages," Woodman said. "In the last year, our wage has gone up at least $4 or $5 per hour."

Among Henley's staff, is Victoria Birsen who has also worked in restaurants in the US. She said people in New Zealand approach hospitality work with less devotion.

"There's less emphasis on hospitality being a career for some people out here," she said.

"There are a large number of career waiters in the US who have been at the same place for years and years.

"The industry in New Zealand seems to take more working holiday workers to fill those gaps rather than training permanent staff. We're focusing way too much on the casual staff rather than fostering careers for people," Birsen said.

Henley agrees.

"I think the secret is going to be that people start to see this industry as a career rather than just as a job. We must train young people to see that it is a viable, ongoing career in hospitality."

There is some good news for the hospitality industry, with the Government recently changing the qualifications required for chefs coming to New Zealand.

Restaurant owners are also putting a lot of effort into recruiting locally, but with limited success.

"Some people are applying, sounds very keen, but they're not following through, so they're not up to the interview or deciding to go elsewhere," Woodman said.

Barista Hans Seitzinger is passionate about the industry. He's been crafting his brews for more than a decade.

"Being a barista is less stressful than being a lawyer. I've got many friends to come through the door and brighten up my day by having a chat."

But he's seen plenty of his workmates come and go.

"As an older person, you have different expectations going into a cafe. Younger kids seem to care less about the customer and more about having an easy job. When it gets too stressful, they move on again."

Hawke's Bay is now preparing for its annual peak season. Providing quality service to a large number of international tourists with limited staff will be a significant challenge.

Nearly 100 cruise ships are scheduled to stop at Napier port this summer including Royal Caribbean, which carries about 5000 passengers and more than 1000 crew members.

High-paying tourists might be the trigger closed bars and cafes need to give their recruitment drive an extra push.