Success in the Restaurant Business Challenged by Pandemic, Inflation
Restaurants, bars and wineries in San Luis Obispo County – like most communities – have long faced hiring and retention challenges but as this article explains, customers may be able to help combat the leftover effects of the pandemic.
Story by Katy Budge
Photography by Ruby Wallau and Kelley Williams
“Help Wanted” signs are a fixture among restaurants and other businesses in San Luis Obispo County and nationwide. As of January 2023, the American restaurant labor force was still short 450,000 jobs compared to pre-pandemic levels, marking the largest employment deficit among all U.S. industries here. Food costs, rent and razor-slim profit margins are always ongoing concerns, but it’s the human element of the industry that’s proving particularly tough to stitch back together.
Fielding Challenges
Many people know Atascadero’s Wild Fields Brewhouse as an award-winning craft brewery. But this dream project of Ryan and Jacque Fields is also a popular locals’ hangout with a fun pub-grub menu and lively family-friendly atmosphere.
The couple has extensive experience in the brewery industry at such Southern California heavyweights as Beachwood BBQ and Pizza Port. At Wild Fields, Ryan funnels his passion into crafting stellar beers, while Jacque energetically spearheads the restaurant side of the business.
The brewhouse opened in December of 2019. For the owners, the choppy seas of running a new business were followed by the walloping tsunami of COVID-19.
Thankfully, as Jacque notes, “The beer industry is pretty scrappy to begin with. You just try things.” And try things they did. To navigate through the roiling demands of the pandemic, Wild Fields hosted drive-in movie nights, sold family to-go meals and even set up a commissary to offer customers hard-to-find staples. “We had to figure out how to continue to tell our story and become a part of the community,” Jacque recalls. “Really, at the end of the day, it’s your relationship with people that matters.”
For her, that approach also extends to her employees. Even pre-pandemic, Jacque managed her staff like a team. She found that game plan even more important as restaurants lurched back-and-forth towards fully reopening.
“The challenge is always finding people really wanting to be here, who can and will be part of a team,” Jacque says. “You can’t just be in your own little silo.” She includes herself in that, and strives to keep communications open so employees know the bigger picture.
A Life Pivot
A continual refrain these days is, “No one wants to work.” And given the plethora of listings for open positions, it’s easy to default to that reasoning. But when it comes to restaurant employment, the type of work isn’t attractive to some people anymore.
Consider the example of one talented local chef, Nick Otto. He began working in restaurants as a teenager, and was soon on the path of a promising career. “I started at the bottom and worked hard to get to the top,” he says. “I got to the point where I didn’t think anything else was even possible. Cooking was second nature to me, but as years went on, I slowly started to feel the wear on my body.”
Then came COVID. “It was almost impossible to do normal work,” Nick recalls. “I was always very cautious in regards to the health and well-being of my customers, and only wanted the best product to be consumed. COVID made it way too difficult for me to continue, so I chose to step away because of the stress involved with the new guidelines.”
Ultimately, Nick was offered a part-time gig with a construction company. He discovered that the skills he’d honed as a chef — especially troubleshooting and strong conversational Spanish — really suited his new job. Part-time turned into full-time, and he found himself with health insurance, fairly regular raises and work schedules that let him be home with his family on weekends and holidays. He doesn’t envision returning to a restaurant career, which rarely offers even one of those perks.
“However,” Nick adds, “I wouldn’t change those 19-plus years for anything.”
Can Customers be Part of the Team?
Indeed, the pandemic altered how everyone saw the restaurant industry.
Jacque Fields fully realizes that. “It can’t just be about the money because you can always go somewhere else and make more, no matter what line of work you’re in. You have to fit into a team, work as a team. After all, you’re spending almost as much time with those people as you do your own family,” she explains.
When asked what she thinks should change in the restaurant industry, Jacque pauses before responding. “I wish I could get everyone to respect the people who have shown up to do the job,” she says. “The people that work for me are so passionate about what they do. They’re the reason my restaurant is still standing.”
That’s certainly something to ponder. Maybe we, as customers, can do that, as our part in helping rebuild the industry. Yes, we have a level of service to expect, but that can — and should — be communicated with respect. After all, without restaurant workers, there are no restaurants.
