Guernsey's hospitality sector is suffering from a staffing crisis, according to many of the island's independent businesses.
Hotels, cafes and restaurants have been struggling to get staff to such an extent, that they are having to intermittently close their doors.
And when the businesses do manage to stay open despite any shortage, their managers are forced to work hours that are pushing them to their limits just to keep everything running.
Yummi Cafe and the Urban Kitchen are just two examples of eateries struggling in Guernsey. Right now, both have their doors closed because they simply do not have the staff to serve food.
The Urban Kitchen closed at the start of May 'due to staff shortages'. It said it would reopen on Liberation day, but now at the start of June, the restaurant remains closed 'until further notice'.
Alice Langford, the owner of Yummi Café, opened her doors 15 months ago, in February of 2018 - but ever since then, she said it has been an unending struggle to find good quality workers.
"We are having a crisis," she said, "we cannot get good staff - at least staff who are not late or hungover every day. You simply cannot get someone anymore who does the job properly. I just don't know what to do."
Ms Langford has had trouble getting staff she can rely on since day one, but most recently she had to let her waitress and chef go because, two hours after they were meant to have arrived for work, both of them were nowhere to be seen. After her exasperation over that incident, she decided she had no choice but to close her doors.
Yummi Cafe is currently advertising for staff.
On the other side of the sector, in hotels, Saints' Bay is struggling to keep all of its rooms open because they too cannot find staff. Ashraf Elsergany, the hotel's manager, has been working from 05:00 until 00:30 every day to keep the kitchen and bar open, while keeping the rooms clean. Working those hours, he has not had a day off since March.
"We usually have 15 staff, but right now, we have just seven, and they need to have breaks and days off or they get miserable," he said.
"Just today, our cleaner was not able to work because her children were sick and she had to be there for them. There is nothing we can do, but we still have to do everything without. Doing 35 rooms a day without enough staff is a killer."
Mr Elsergany said when he did manage to recruit staff, it was never long until a wealthier business in Town was able to offer them better wages, leaving Saints' Bay stuck in a difficult position.
Brexit, new population-management laws, licence fees and costs, cost of living, and the number of hoops workers have to jump through has reportedly made the island an 'unattractive place' for workers in the hospitality sector.
Mr Elsergany put the staffing difficulties he was having down to a number of factors. Brexit was one, as he said people from Europe no longer wanted to come and work in Guernsey. He also said the cost of paying for licences in Guernsey under the new population management regime was unaffordable for businesses like his, and with minimum wages on the rise, the purse strings are getting tighter and tighter.
"People who I speak to about getting jobs here say how difficult it is for them, and with Brexit being a new issue on top of that, it is very hard for them to come to Guernsey," he added.
Ms Langford echoed this. She said the States had to sit down and think about what they were doing, because before long, there would be 'no choice' for people to go out and eat.
"The cost of buying a licence for a chef is so high, and you don't get your money back if things don't work out," she said. "It is an impossible situation."
When the island's new population management regime was brought in toward the start of this States term, there were concerns from the sector about what impact it might have. The full consequences of it are yet to be seen, but both Ms Langford and Mr Elsegany urged the States to talk to, and work with, businesses like theirs to better understand the situation.
Yummi Cafe is currently looking for a chef and waiting staff, who are experienced in the roles. The Urban Kitchen is closed until further notice. Saints' Bay hotel is also looking for staff.
Pictured top: Cafe Yummi.
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