‘We’re not looking for sympathy, we just need employees’: Staff shortages force restaurants to adapt

By Sarah Fili

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    OMAHA, Nebraska (KETV) — Whether they’ve found a new job or left the workforce altogether, many restaurant workers aren’t heading back to the service industry.

Two restaurants in Omaha said they’re offering highly competitive pay and time off, but they’re still struggling to fill vacancies.

They said it’s forcing them to make major changes.

The restaurants said customers are there, it’s the staff they’re struggling to find.

And when the restaurant is slammed it’s hard to keep up.

The orders don’t stop at Mangia Italiana in Irvington.

“Business is not a problem, we are busy,” said owner Tony Constantino.

But inside the restaurant, the chairs are up.

A pizza box outside warns you: “Due to continued excessive shortage of employees, we are forced to close our dining room at night and all day Saturday.”

“We normally run with 70-75 employees just with a normal year. We’re under 40 right now. I could literally hire 30 people, today,” Constantino said.

Constantino said he also cut Mondays in hopes of keeping his staff from burning out. The restaurant also does catering orders.

“We’re not looking for sympathy, we just need employees,” Constantino said.

“You know, wages have gone up and we’re paying more like anybody else.”

At 60th and Center streets, the owners of Primo’s bought the old Petrow’s property with plans for a Mexican spot.

But a lack of employees pushed back their launch.

“(There was) a lot of pressure on us to open, so we just said, ‘Let’s do it,’ and slowly kind of learn as we go,” said general manager Jose Aviles.

The restaurant just opened. The balloons are still up.

“It’s our second day. We tried not to really announce it so they could slowly trickle in and at the same time train and that didn’t really happen everyone has kind of stormed in,” Aviles said.

He said they’re down about 60 employees.

A big sign right on the corner advertises up to $30 an hour for drivers.

Staff said the pandemic forced people to rethink their priorities or even find other jobs.

“Nobody wants to work or they’re enjoying their time off they’re getting used to it, it’s tough,” Aviles said.

They said money alone isn’t solving the shortage.

“We’re paying top dollar as anyone can be and honestly it doesn’t seem to help much,” Aviles said.

Some staff working Tuesday said they found a better work/life balance outside the restaurant industry and the decision to come back was difficult.

Both restaurants said the core staff they have now are working incredibly hard, even coming in on their days off to prep to keep up with demand.

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