Hospitality sector dangles accommodation carrot to solve staff crisis

Publicans and restaurateurs – desperate to find staff – have added the carrot of accommodation to entice people back into the hospitality trade across rural Galway.

Guys Bar in Clifden has never had trouble sourcing workers over the tourist season in the popular capital of Connemara – but this year is like never before when it comes to filling vacancies, admitted owner Shane O’Grady.

“We are all struggling at the minute to keep the doors open with staff shortages – a real struggle. Last year we lost a lot of potential staff because they didn’t find accommodation, so I spent Covid converting some free space I had into high quality apartments,” he said.

“So, I’m hoping to attract people to work here and work the accommodation into the renumeration package. Squeezing 15 workers into a big staff quarters is not ideal. These guys work hard and need to go into a nice apartment or lodgings, which is why I’m creating one bedroom and studio apartments.”

Guys Bar has retained the same head chef and some of the same waiting staff for 15 years. Some workers there for the same period left hospitality during the lockdown to return to what they originally trained in.

The premises, which Shane has run for 18 years, is currently short three chefs and four floor staff.

“I’ve an absolutely brilliant crew but they’re working harder than ever because they’re covering staff shortages. We’ve closed off sections of the bar because we don’t have the staff. It’s slightly frightening to be honest. It’s not just us. It’s the whole of the town. And my brother who has restaurants in Galway is in the same situation – and it’s not unique to hospitality,” he said.

Read the full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune, on sale in shops now – or you can download the digital edition from www.connachttribune.ie