Pizza Today - March 2022 - 84

a daily basis, making sure that not only
in our restaurants - but in life - I was
there to help them navigate this pandemic.
Being there for them with their
concerns, their fears for their families,
their questions ... was how I was able to
keep their morale up. Also, for the initial
few months I was allowing staff, especially
those whose hours were cut due to
it being very slow, to bring dinner home
to their families.
Androw: We have seen a substantial
increase in our already busy business
since the start of the pandemic. This has
put more stress on the staff to churn out
more food in the same amount of time.
I've taken the additional income and put
it into the pockets of the staff. Everyone
has seen substantial raises throughout. A
hefty, fat paycheck has a magical way of
keeping morale up.
PT: Are you seeing a light at the
end of the tunnel with the universal
staffing issues the industry has experienced?
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Di Diana: I suppose so, although the
light is not a very bright one. Meaning
this: it is better, and I see more applicants
than the first year of the pandemic, but
nothing like the times before. My three
pillars of recruiting, maintaining and
multiplying great team members has
never been harder, and I anticipate that's
how it will be moving forward for years
to come. Too many people have left the
industry due to many factors, and I'm just
not seeing many people enter. So talented,
reliable and competent employees are very
scarce and harder to come by than ever.
Androw: We are definitely seeing
the tide start to turn in regard to staffing
shortages. There was a period during the
height of the pandemic where we were
stretched very thin. Things have begun to
change as we now have applications coming
in on a regular basis once again.
Smith: We are really lucky to have an
incredible management team and kitchen
staff that has stuck with us throughout
the pandemic. Like I said above, we have
made a huge effort in investing in our
employees both in terms of paying good
wages but also in time to train them. To
be totally truthful I have no idea if the
staffing issue is going to get better soon or
not. But I think the tight hiring market
highlights the need for us as business
owners to create jobs that both pay well
and have a positive work environment.
Bean: There's definitely been a ray of
light shining through the hole! We've
seen an uptick in applications. However,
quality isn't what it used to be - but we
are learning to work with what we have
and what we can manage.
PT: What is the number one
request you receive from employees
in terms of making the workplace
the best it can be for them?
Androw: The most common request
from staff is time. Most of the kitchen
crew work doubles, so it can be exhausting.
We have started a rotation of sending
someone home early every night. As soon
as the hit is done you walk out " rock star
style " . That means you just drop what
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Pizza Today - March 2022

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