90% of Michigan restaurants are understaffed!

 A new survey has revealed that 9 out of 10 Michigan restaurants do not have enough workers and staff to meet customer demand, according to a new survey by the Michigan Restaurant and Residence Association (MRLA).

title="90% of Michigan restaurants are understaffed!" width="320" />

Of the 320 answers sought by Michigan restaurant and hotel operators in a survey between August 3 and August 6, nearly 90% of full-service restaurants and 81% of quick-service restaurants said they were understaffed.

Almost every hotel in the state faces the same challenge, with 100% of banquet facilities and 97% of hotels surveyed, reporting they have insufficient staff.

According to Justin Winslow, Michigan Restaurant and Accommodation Association (MRLA), “While Michigan residents have demonstrated a desire to return to a life that includes a lot of travel and dining in restaurants, it has become clear that the nature and speed of this return has put enormous pressure on it. restaurants and their supply chain.

He added, "Restaurant and hotel operators are trying to meet consumer demand that exceeds 2019 with fewer workers, amounting to 100,000 workers, in addition to significantly increasing labor salaries and commodity prices. Workers are few and the profit margin is weak for many despite the increasing demand."

To deal with the demand, restaurants and hotels are taking measures including limiting opening hours (nearly 80% of restaurants) and increasing wages for workers (95% of restaurants and hotels surveyed), according to The Hill.

The survey also shows the state’s hospitality industry is suffering a month and a half after the coronavirus restrictions were lifted, and according to Winslow, “As we move into an uncertain turn of the season fraught with the potential for continuing coronavirus challenges, an inadequate workforce and rampant inflationary pressures, it is important to remember that Most restaurants and hotels did not receive federal or state assistance during the most dire conditions, the early days of the pandemic.”

Winslow called on Michigan lawmakers to launch a stimulus package that prioritizes this burdensome industry, adding: "The existential challenges of the hospitality industry have yet to be abandoned, which is why it is so important for the Michigan legislature and state governor to come together and launch support in September, This gives priority to the field of hospitality.”

He continued, wondering: “Why do we not see Congress pass the Hotel Jobs Act and secure a second round of funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund?”

According to the survey; 64% of respondents expressed the same concerns as Winslow, saying they believed Congress should enact more targeted relief packages for the hospitality industry.