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In a race to hire, London, Ont. restaurant owners compete for staff following server shortage

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London, Ont. -

Restaurant owners are once again in friendly competition but this time, the focus has shifted from recruiting customers to hiring staff.

Due to a staffing shortage in the service industry, Edin Pehilj owner of Garlic’s Of London, is starting from the ground up.

‘When the pandemic hit, it was just like everything disappeared.”

Pre-pandemic, Pehlij employed more than 40 staff members at his upscale bistro, but after closing shop to indoor dining for nearly a year and a half, Pehlij was forced to make some major layoffs.

Garlic’s of London, upscale bistro in London Ontario (Jordyn Read/CTV London)

“Despite the core, the chefs and managers, we had to make layoffs.”

In step three of the province’s roadmap to reopen, restaurants have been given the green light to reopen to indoor customers.

When calling staff to ask if they would like to return to work, Pehilj says many had made other plans.

“Contacting those people some of them decided to move on or go to school. And some of them decided to work elsewhere because the patio’s opened before us.”

Now he is in the process of hiring, but so is ‘everyone’ else.

‘Right now everybody’s looking for staff, the people, they are looking for a job, they are in the drivers seat, they can choose what they want.”

Due to a staffing shortage, Pehlij will not be opening on July 16, instead opening on July 21 to allow more time for adequate training.

‘it is a big issue, but like always we will deal with this and probably come (back) even stronger.”

Jerry Pribil owner of Marienbad Restaurant sits on the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association (ORHMA) board.

Pribil says the staffing shortage spans across the entire hospitality sector in Ontario and even Canada.

Jerry Pribil, board member ORHMA (Jordyn Read/CTV London)

“Restaurants, pubs, hotels it's the entire hospitality industry that will have very challenging times.”

Pribil says the pandemic created a lack of job security for service industry workers, forcing many to pursue other professions to keep food on the table.

“They had time to reevaluate their life, they are not forced to start a job tomorrow. Therefore they are understandably looking for the best for them and their life.”

Pribil says unfortunately restaurants owners will continue to compete for staff in the coming months, with many owners losing staff to ‘cousin’ industries, like cooking in long term care homes.

“We are all in the same boat, we are all in the same storm…It’s going to be very difficult for us to complete with hourly wages, salaries and benefits. It’s going be very difficult for our industry after 16 months of such a struggle it will be.”

Pribil thanks all locals who ordered from small eateries through the duration of the pandemic.

Marienbad Restaurant, London Ont. (Jordyn Read/CTV London)

And he advises anyone who loves talking with people to consider pursuing the service industry.

“But again we need to provide a friendly environment and show them the things they could potentially do…in the future they can become the entrepreneurs themselves.’

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