Quebec restaurants are still struggling to find staff: survey

Life may feel like it’s gradually getting back to normal, but for many Quebec restaurant owners, this just isn’t the case: hundreds of restaurants had to close their doors permanently during the pandemic, and a new survey finds the majority of those still open can’t find enough staff.

Harry’s Curry Corner in downtown Montreal is one of these establishments, with the head chef pulling 18-hour shifts on most days.

The family restaurant opened nine months ago and is still looking for workers.

“It is really hard to find the employees, it’s really difficult,” said owner Mayak Patel.

According to the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB), almost 80 per cent of Quebec hotel and restaurant owners are working longer hours to get by.

“You see more and more restaurants that are closing because they do not have enough staff to be able to be open,” said François Vincent, Quebec vice-president for the CFIB.

According to a report from the Journal de Montreal, around 800 restaurants closed their doors in the past year.

And for the businesses that survived, there’s an uphill battle against record inflation — the owner of La Republika in Cote-des-Neiges says his food bill is twice as high as it was last year.

“We normally spend 20 to 25 bucks on [cooking] oil, now it’s $40 dollars,” said Christian Maikee Jesus. “Restaurants are really striking out during this pandemic.”

To ease the burden, the CFIB wants the Quebec government to increase immigration and cut taxes, so small businesses can attract workers with higher wages.