The Harrogate branch of Bettys is closing four hours earlier than normal due to the worst recruitment crisis in the company’s recent history.
Bettys usually stays open until 9pm but has recently closed at 5pm.
The 102-year-old Harrogate institution said today the covid pandemic was still having a huge impact on business even though lockdown restrictions have been lifted.
Bettys, which has six stores in Yorkshire, currently has 53 job vacancies, 39 of which are in Harrogate. Of the 39, 16 are for its cafe on Parliament Street, 13 for its cafe at Harlow Carr and 10 for its bakery.
Branch director Nicky Sellers said the recruitment crisis was being felt across the hospitality industry but in the past three to four months it had become a particular difficulty for Bettys.
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Ms Sellers said lockdown had brought huge amounts of uncertainty with the industry opening and closing over the past 18 months. She said some staff had left to pursue more secure careers, adding:
“The lockdowns have certainly impacted recruitment in the hospitality sector and Bettys isn’t the only one feeling that. We know from the industry body UKHospitality that other restaurants, cafes and bars across the country are in the same boat.
“The branches are really busy at the moment, which is terrific for us, but without the full compliment of staff we’re struggling, and we’re not even back to full capacity in the café tea rooms.
“We haven’t experienced a recruitment crisis like this in our recent history.”
Ms Sellers added the company didn’t know how long the current predicament would last but she hoped the industry would be able to stabilise again and “people recover their confidence in cafes being secure and fulfilling places to work”.
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