(Credit: Steve Thurston, 2022)
Joe Solevo, of Solevo Kitchen + Social in Saratoga Springs pauses for a photo while staff in the background fold napkins and prepare the dining room.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected businesses in nearly every industry, but few were hit harder than restaurants. With many customers hesitant to dine out for much of 2020 and restaurants forced to limit their seating, it was lean times for many in the business.
But if there’s one thing successful restaurants do well, it’s adapt to changing circumstances.
So while no one could have been prepared for the specific challenges presented by COVID, many local restaurant owners were already equipped with the “survival skills” needed to manage through the pandemic.
“Whether it’s new ingredients, new menu items, new systems, or new clientele, restaurants are always adjusting to changes,” says Steve Butters, chef and owner of Morgan & Co. in Glens Falls. “This industry is adaptation at its finest.”
Now more than two years past the onset of the pandemic, area restaurants are poised for a big summer season, but they will first need to successfully negotiate another major hurdle – staffing.
“We have enough people for now,” says Tony Grecco, General Manager of The Log Jam Restaurant in Lake George, which is currently operating seven days a week. “But not for the whole summer.”
Keith Scott, owner of The Algonquin in Bolton Landing, echoes Grecco’s outlook.
“Staffing is pretty good right now, but you can never have enough,” Scott said. “It’s a bit like a baseball team. Your roster looks good in April, but you are probably going to need additional support by August.”
The staffing situation is exacerbated by the lack of international students – a traditional source of seasonal employment – who continue to struggle to get work visas.
“We usually get six to eight students from Eastern European countries who work for us in the summer. Last year we had just two, and it looks like it will be difficult again this year,” says Grecco.
Under the J-1visa program, students elsewhere in the world come to the U.S. to work for the summer and then travel after, if they wish.
In 2019, New York State hosted 31,663 international students on J-1 work visas.
After a more than 80% decline at the height of COVID, numbers rebounded to 11,308 in 2021. Most observers anticipate another increase in these figures this year, but they are not expected to approach pre-pandemic levels, the U.S. State Department says.
So where will this year’s summer staff come from?
For The Bond 1786 in Warrensburg, the answer is local schools. The restaurant is targeting not just students but also teachers looking to make some extra money during the summer.
“We are reaching out to all the local schools, running online ads, and talking to organizations that help connect kids to summer employment,” says Marlene DeLongis, event coordinator at The Bond.
Another area of emphasis for area restaurants looking to head off a staffing shortage is retaining existing staff.
“We have a core crew that has been with us for nine years,” says Morgan & Co.’s Butters. “They have been great to us, and we work hard to reciprocate.”
Regardless of how they are addressing their staffing situations, starting summer recruitment early has been mandatory for restaurants this year.
“We started hiring in late March,” says Ronald “Ronnie” Solevo, owner of Solevo Kitchen + Social in Saratoga Springs, who used Instagram to help find applicants. “Our focus has been on finding career professionals who are looking to remain with us beyond just the summer.”
Staffing concerns aside, most restaurant owners are optimistic that the worst is behind them, though DeLongis is taking nothing for granted.
“The challenges are not over, and they probably won’t be for a while,” she said. “We just have to just figure out ways to continue to be creative and keep things going. It comes down to putting out great food, great service, and adapting to a constantly changing market.”