There are huge staff shortages in Berlin’s restaurants, bars and hotels. The post-pandemic phenomenon is being seen across Europe and elsewhere, including in the US, as workers leave the challenging sector for good.
Diners who recently returned to Berlin’s restaurants are likely to have noticed a plethora of “staff wanted” signs in the windows of the reopened eateries.
As the long emergence from lock down continues, Germany’s gastronomy and hospitality sector is experiencing a serious shortfall in workers, particularly waiting and kitchen staff.
Restaurants have spent large portions of the past 18 months either fully or partially closed, but owners’ relief at being able to reopen has been tempered by the lack of workers.
“It has been difficult because during the lockdown we only needed a small staff: one in the kitchen and one out front to serve the customers for takeaway,” says Jonathan O’Reilly, proprietor of Crazy Bastard Kitchen in Berlin’s Neukölln district. “Going from that to serving 30 or 40 people at tables means we had to double service staff quickly.”