![]() The pandemic also gave people an opportunity to consider other industries and opportunities aligning with their goals, Gibson said. “From the bar scene to the restaurant scene … it’s all hurting because people are fed up, and nobody gets paid enough to worry about getting robbed, shot, carjacked or murdered.” “I know tons of people that just won’t go back to anything involving Downtown Chicago,” Gibson said. Lingering trauma from that incident, combined with concerns about gun violence in River North and low wages, has deterred him from taking a similar job, he said. Gibson left Sound Bar after a fatal shooting outside the club killed his co-worker in March 2019. Since then, he has been extremely reluctant to return to Chicago’s restaurant scene, turning down offers to manage or work security at other clubs, he said. Jamie Gibson had been in the industry since 2006 most recently, he ran the River North restaurant, Reverie, until it closed in 2020. Credit: Melody Mercado, Block Club Chicago A staff member at Kimski helps during “deep cleaning day.” The restaurant has had a hard time retaining staff post-pandemic. I look at him and say, ‘What the f- are you doing? That’s not enough money,’” Nouard said. “A friend of mine, he’s a sous, and he makes $55,000 and cooks 60 hours a week. Both made the field unappealing, and he lost his passion for cooking, he said. Nouard said some places with low staffing struggled to keep up with cleaning others couldn’t afford to pay his salary as a sous or executive chef. Nouard started looking for other jobs during the pandemic after losing his Northalsted restaurant, Istanbul Grill, but he wasn’t happy with what was being offered. Sonny Nouard, a former chef, has worked in the restaurant industry for 15 years. The average hourly wage for the food industry is $17.72 nationwide - the lowest hourly average across all job markets, according to federal data. Low wages are the most common reason why people have left the food service industry, according to a July 2021 study from the UC Berkeley Food Labor Research Center. “Some people can’t even do that.” Workers Want Better Payīusiness owners, industry experts and former restaurant workers have different takes on why has it been so hard to find and retain workers. ![]() “These days - I’m not even lying to you - my only requirement for the front of house is please show up,” Kim said. The constant stress of running a restaurant has him making plans to rent Kimski for restaurant pop-ups over the winter so he can have a break, he said. Restaurants are offering more incentives to get people in the door, but it’s not enough for burned out service industry veterans or candidates disillusioned by long hours, cranky customers and grueling work. Won Kim, owner of Kimski in Bridgeport, helps staff deep clean and organize the restaurant on Aug. One million of those people worked in the restaurant and hospitality industries.Īn average of 771,000 workers a month have left both industries nationwide between February and June data shows. A record high of 4.5 million American workers quit their jobs in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The nationwide scramble for restaurant comes amid a great resignation in the U.S. Uptown, Edgewater, Rogers Park Open dropdown menu.South Chicago, East Side Open dropdown menu.Pilsen, Little Village, Back of the Yards Open dropdown menu.Lincoln Square, North Center, Irving Park Open dropdown menu.Lakeview, Wrigleyville, Northalsted Open dropdown menu. ![]()
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