By Alesha Capone
Many hospitality businesses in Wyndham are being forced to cut back their operations as COVID-19 causes a shortage of staff across Melbourne’s food and beverage industry.
Hoppers Club chief executive Michael Lewis said the “ongoing COVID-19 scenario” has “severely impacted on staff availability, including senior staff”.
Mr Lewis said this was usually as a result of an employee being a positive case or close contact, or being the primary carer in a household with multiple COVID cases.
“As a result, both of our venues – Hoppers and Bacchus Marsh – continue to severely disrupted, including operating at approximately 40 per cent below what could be expected at this time of the year,” he said.
“For example, our bistros are closed, and we are only offering limited menus in other areas of the clubs.”
Mr Lewis said his biggest concern was the health and wellbeing of his team and their families, and ultimately how many staff would be able to return to work short-term or at all.
Anglers Anchorage in Werribee South has started offering takeaway only, due to being short staffed, with customers welcome to sit outside.
The venue’s Josselyn Fry said at the moment, the business was staffed with about four people at once, consisting of three full-time staff and rotating juniors.
“We just can’t get staff, the boss has been advertising,” she said.
Ms Fry said the cafe’s staff recently encouraged their manager to go on a holiday, because she was reluctant to do so due to the lack of staff and increased levels of patronage since lockdowns started.
The Park Hotel’s Nick Christou said business was “really quiet” at the moment.
“I think it is important people do support hospitality businesses because they are doing it tough,” he said.
“We have got some fantastic venues opening up in Werribee that need support.”
Werribee Business and Tourism Association (WBTA) chairperson Deborah Dickinson said hospitality traders had reported a shortage of staff even prior to Omicron emerging, partially due to less international students working in the field.
“Now people have moved out of the industry and it’s not so easy to find staff, is what I’m hearing,” she said.
