The Iris-Porsche-Hotel has been closed since May 22 for personnel reasons, and the Bergergut in Afiesl has had a five-day week since autumn.
The shortage of staff is not limited to the hotel industry, people are also desperately needed in the catering trade, we reported. The latest example is Johann’s Genuss in the Prielmayerhof in Linz, which will no longer be open in the evenings from June 1st due to a lack of staff. “There is hardly a company that is not looking for people,” says host spokesman Thomas Mayr-Stockinger.
“Many have reoriented themselves”
Which is why Johann Aspalter, head of Johann’s in the Prielmayerhof, is pulling the ripcord: “I’ve been looking for kitchen staff for a long time, but I can’t find anyone,” says Aspalter. A cook from a leasing company also dropped out after a week. “Last time my wife Karin helped me in the kitchen, while she actually works in the service. But that’s not a long-term solution. That’s why we decided to only open at noon from June 1st.” There are exceptions for groups of 20 or more people, which also covers half-board guests at the Hotel Prielmayerhof. “I congratulate him on this step,” says Georg Essig, a toque-awarded chef who has long since switched to a four-day week and lunchtime only. “Gastronomy has suffered a lot in recent years, which is why many have reoriented themselves and gone to other industries. You can hardly find any staff at the moment. It’s better to concentrate on the essentials, but you deliver at the top level.” It also offers special openings for groups, but has other mainstays with a cooking school and a grocery store.
20,000 employees in the catering industry
But how can gastronomy continue to exist in the future if no one wants to work there? “That’s not true. In Upper Austria, around 20,000 people currently work in gastronomy, but we still need more workers,” counters Mayr-Stockinger. “We have started various projects to improve the image, for example to get young people excited about the catering industry. Apart from that, however, various other adjustments have to be made in order to attract employees. For example, the legal framework for seasonal workers should be changed. “
Source: Nachrichten
