Restaurant Recovery: From the perspective of the employer and food professionals.
With the arrival of the third anniversary of the UK’s first lockdown it feels like an opportune moment to reflect on how the restaurant and wider hospitality industries are fairing. It would certainly not be unfair to suggest that the past three years have been rocky, to say the least, for the hospitality sector. Restaurants, hotels, and bars closed in their multitudes, jobs were lost and hope waned as the pandemic forced us all to stay at home. However, the state of things in recent months has begun to paint a far less tragic picture.
It would be easy for the average consumer to quietly forget the trauma suffered by the industry as they deal with the personal impacts of the pandemic. Yet, to fully appreciate the scale of the recovery operation that has been and is still being undertaken it is useful to consider exactly what hospitality went through. The economic decline of hospitality unsurprisingly peaked in April 2020; according to a UK Government research briefing, economic output was 90% below pre-pandemic levels. At the time the UK was in full lockdown, people were not at liberty to leave their homes, let alone eat out. The toll taken by the industry filtered into all sectors of working life. Staffing became unsustainable, premises had to be given up when rents could not be paid, and suppliers had nowhere to supply. So far the picture was pretty bleak. But, inevitably the world kept turning, lockdowns diminished and the industry began to adapt and find solutions to problems posed by the pandemic.
What was seen in the wake of such economic crisis and industry decline was opportunity. Jesus Adorno, renowned maitre d’ of Charlie’s at Browns Hotel and formerly of Le Caprice, rightly described how the hospitality industry “has gone through a crisis”. The tried and tested stability of the pre pandemic world was uprooted and the “cocoon” that sheltered even the well established was ripped from around them. Of course it would be harsh to accuse restauranteurs of complacency or a lack of proactivity. Who could have dreamt that such a global crisis would occur? Why would someone plan for such an extreme? At the time it would have been impractical and some would argue that there was no need to change a system that worked so well. Adorno notes that few were able to adapt to such a “shock to the system” and while the big names were able to rely on substantial financial backing, those independent restaurants without the same infrastructure suffered. Yet, out of the crisis has risen a new climate of hospitality. A world of reinvigoration and progress in an industry that on many levels was defined by stagnancy. It may not have seemed that way, what with constant innovation seen on the plate (in this there can be no accusation of stasis) and the seemingly lucrative lifestyle that so many enjoyed. The reality of how much restaurants had to change is evident when we consider the success of those changes during and post pandemic life.
Throughout the lockdowns and regulations that defined 2020 and 2021 certain changes or ‘trends’ evolved among those who were able to sustain and succeed. Most significant of these trends was the dramatic increase in home delivery. Takeaways and home delivery have both been established methods of eating ‘out’ for many years. But with a 345% increase in delivery in 2021, the shift was unprecedented. Home deliveries provided restaurant goers with the joys of their favourite dishes without having to leave the house. It would have been foolish of restaurants, even those not traditionally used to takeaway availability, not to utilise this opportunity. Thus, things like the ‘dinner party box’ were born. Diners could order from their chosen restaurant a kit of the ingredients to make their own meal and enjoy restaurant quality food in the comfort of their own homes. Aiding the success of such schemes was a trend in the increase of diner prioritisation of ingredients and home cooking. Now that people had the time and the extra money, as they were not eating out, to seek the best quality and the healthiest options, consumer mentalities changed and they became more discerning. Restaurants adapted to increase flexibility to cater to their diners’ needs and in providing delivery options they were not only able to continue a degree of turnover but they also remained in the minds of their customers.
It is this latter point that Louis Rogers, Rick Stein’s Senior General Manager, recognises the success of many restaurants’ survival. Understandably, “brand is attractive”. There were always going to be favourite restaurants that people would loyally go back to once the regulations eased. Of course, the larger players in the industry did not make it through 2020 and 2021 without incident. But, those with the insight and adaptability to make what Rogers describes as “future proofing” changes were able to come out the other side in one piece. Rogers’ “new efficiencies”; the introduction of expansive online platforms, recipe releases, takeaways or meal boxes (like ‘Stein’s at Home’), all became integral to success. According to Rogers these methods were so successful because they kept restaurants “alive in everyone’s minds”.
Even issues with staffing look to be in their own decline. The pandemic allowed restaurants not only to look for new talent but also to look within their own staff. Staff were able to reevaluate their roles, seek more and progress. Rogers commented that employment at Rick Steins was “not stagnant”, instead they experienced “strong responses to recruitment”. Covid-19 provided a time for retraining and promotion and staff were able to strive for previously unattained roles while being given the time and support for such success. However, employment is another area in which the larger restaurants and established names have the upper hand. With a career in the industry spanning an impressive amount of time Jesus Adorno is well equipped to comment on the staffing issues faced as a result of the pandemic. For him the issues predate the pandemic and are a root problem in the industry. Noting how nowadays very few people approach hospitality as a career, Adorno considers that while it may be a generational development that will pass, he suggests that hospitality is something that should be taught. The career waiter is something of the past. Now it seems as if the industry is valued only in terms of short term roles; students wait tables for a summer or year off, people work front of house to pay their rent. It is in this that the established have greater success in employment. They are able to offer more flexible hours and greater salary opportunities in a bid to tempt people back into their employ. According to Adorno it is in part the Government’s responsibility to aid this lack of “drive” regarding hospitality experienced by up and coming generations, especially in the wake of Brexit. The combined impact of Brexit and the proceeding pandemic left the UK hospitality industry in a staffing crisis. What with the reducing working freedoms of those from Europe and UK staff concerns over the precarious nature of a career in hospitality due to the pandemic, it is entirely unsurprising that staffing issues cropped up as the employment pool shrank exponentially.
But, both Adorno and Rogers respectively agree that restauranteuring is an “inherently human business” that is sustained because those involved are “passionate and … in this industry because we [they] like doing what we [they] do and its infectious”. Thus, the human element of the industry remains strong as without it restaurants could not hope to succeed. While on the surface the staffing issues faced recently have seemed only negative it has forced a crunch point of sorts. Restaurants have been compelled to take a much closer look in the mirror and consider how they can be more appealing to prospective employees. As a common bridge between the candidate and the employer we (WhitePepper Chef Academy) are witnessing employment terms and packages becoming more appealing and negotiable. Clear attempts at making hospitality work more attractive are being seen everywhere; employers are removing split-shifts altogether, others are emphasising the benefits of their unique work culture and some, as Rogers promoted, advertise the opportunities of progression and job security. Keeping these factors in mind the task of staffing restaurants, while easier for the larger names, is not insurmountable for the new, independent, or smaller branches of hospitality. A small space can provide a favourable tighter knit staff community, or might have more manageable working hours. For staff, the silver lining of the pandemic and Brexit staffing cloud is that restaurants have had to be better. There can no longer be the assured confidence in the ability to get staff meaning that for those who genuinely value the art of this highly creative and satisfying industry there will likely be better rates of attraction and retention.
With all of this in mind things in hospitality seem rather less bleak. It would be foolish to think that with the end of the pandemic things will be plain sailing for the industry from here on out; what with the cost of living crisis and inflation taking its toll. But, all in all things look pretty good. If you’re willing to adapt to the challenges, utilise the gift of technology and recognise the importance of cultivating your diners there seems to be a reasonable chance you would survive the next global crisis, and even more of a chance of making it in the industry generally.
