1049 replies to this topic

[Matt R.]

The wage argument is interesting to me. Not enough doctors, nurses, plumbers, carpenters, garbage haulers, etc. Is this due to low wages as well? If we simply paid the nurse $4 an hour more would the problem go away?

At some point the wages just become unbearable and you close because you can’t charge enough to make it worthwhile.

We simply raise prices in lock step with wage increases. Server minimum wage up some 40% in five years I think.

[Mike K.]

Also, your expected tip rate is 20% now, not 15%, I assume?

[Matt R.]

Yah 18-20 for dine in is normal.

[Matt R.]

I also believe that the industry in our region of BC is oversaturated with food and beverage businesses. I expect more closures in the fall or winter unless Christmas blows the lid off of things but I don’t anticipate that this year.

[Matt R.]

The food and hospitality industry is big into having housing for its workers. I guess the nature of the industry is you have annual staffing changes and having a place for them to live makes retention possible during busy periods? It is odd, though.

Matt?

It’s odd? I don’t think so. Other types of businesses also have staff housing, shared or otherwise. Even government orgs have staff housing, like hospitals. The one here recently bought a motel and already contracts out enough lodging locally they have a web portal for it.

Staff housing is born out of a lack of affordable rentals, it hits nearly every sector not just food and bev so some forward thinking business people create their own affordable rentals for their staff and do an end run around the problem. All of the staff housing I am personally aware of runs at a loss, owners hoping to earn their nut at sale time.

A foreign worker would be regular full time all year as per their contract.

[LJ]

I also believe that the industry in our region of BC is oversaturated with food and beverage businesses. I expect more closures in the fall or winter unless Christmas blows the lid off of things but I don’t anticipate that this year.

I agree, do we really need that many restaurants, maybe shut down a third of them and then there will be lots of staff for the remainder?

[Mike K.]

Breweries closed in recent months:

Great Canadian Brewery (or something similar) in Langford
Swans Brewing
Vancouver Island Brewing outsourcing operations to Phillips

Somewhat recent closure:

Riot Brewing in North Cowichan

[GaryOak]

Gen Z is killing drinking

[Victoria Watcher]

Gen Z is killing drinking

 

 

[Mike K.]

Gen Z is killing drinking

They can’t afford it, because of the taxes.

Weed, the garbage that it is, is cheap. Most of it is illegally grown and distributed.