Hospitality businesses face closures and reduced hours as staffing shortages bite

Friday, 10 December 2021

Nelson Hospitality Association president Ian Williams says businesses need to make sure they look after the staff they have as the hospitality industry experiences a staff shortage.

A Golden Bay restaurant is closing its doors, and more hospitality businesses could follow suit as eateries struggle to get staff.

It’s been just over a year since Korora’s Nest Bar and Restaurant owner Alan Heaton revitalised the Pōhara hospitality business, formerly known as The Penguin Cafe and Bar. But after a flying start last September, Heaton said he would have to close later this month due to lack of staff.

“At this stage, I’ve just got to walk away.”

He said finding staff in Golden Bay was “an absolute nightmare”.

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He finally landed a “good front of house lady” and a “top quality” chef.

But it wasn’t to last.

During a recent staff meeting he learned both employees weren’t vaccinated and wouldn’t be getting the jab.

Kush Coffee owner Andy Budd closed the Church St cafe for a week while taking stock of staff shortages.

“I just had to make the decision to close.”

He held no hard feelings against the staff or the mandate, he said.

Alan Heaton, the owner of Pōhara eatery, Korora’s Nest says he is being forced to sell his business due to lack of staff after two employees said they would remain unvaccinated.

“I’m certainly not against people making their own decisions.”

Heaton said as the population of Golden Bay grew “four-fold” during summer holidays, “there’s no way I’d be able to cope with just myself in the kitchen”.

Restaurant and bar owner Tony Crosbie talks about how lockdowns have affected his businesses. Video first published in September 2021.

The doors would stay open until December 20 when he would take a well-earned break and sell up.

“It’s been a ball, I’ve loved it.”

Meanwhile in Nelson, Kush Coffee on Church St had closed for a week and re-opened on Friday.

Burger Culture and The Vic Bar in Trafalgar St Ian Williams says hospitality had been quiet since the My Vaccine Passp was introduced but he hoped things would start to pick up again before Christmas.

Kush owner, Andy Budd said the break was also due to staffing problems after three staff left for various reasons, including health issues, leaving the city and wanting a new career path.

Getting staff was already an effort before Covid hit, but the pandemic had made the issue even harder to manage.

To overcome the lack of staff, Budd was opening the cafe only for takeaways until the gaps could be filled, he said.

On top of the staffing issues “not having any tourists is real hard on the hospitality industry, both as customers and staff”, he said.

“It’s just a matter of putting our heads down and getting on with it.”

Nelson Hospitality Association president and owner of Burger Culture and The Vic Public House Ian Williams said there has been a noticeable drought of punters in central Nelson especially in the last week.

“It’s been a really, really dead week for Nelson; us and everyone I’ve spoken to.”

He thought it had something to do with the introduction of the My Vaccine Pass system last Friday. “It’s kind of putting people off coming out”.

Those who were heading out though were being patient and courteous with the new system, he said.

“People are being really good; people arrive and they’re always ready with their passes.”

But he hoped the drought of patrons would be short-lived.

“I think people will get over that and in the next week or two they will start to come out and celebrate.”

Williams said his establishments were also experiencing staff shortages which was seeing him “re-think” business hours, including opening hours and days to ensure staff weren’t working nearly 80-hour weeks.

“We want to balance looking after customers and meeting their needs and looking after our staff as well.”

It had been a rough couple of years, he said, with lockdowns and quiet winters..

“We really need a good summer for a lot of places to survive into winter … so come out and spend, we just need business right now and we need patience.”