It’s not something you haven’t heard before. Since COVID, so many different industries have struggled to find employees, which undeniably affects how a business can be run. HopCat in Downtown Grand Rapids is currently facing this reality.
Vice president of BarFly Ventures, the company that owns HopCat, spoke to FOX 17 and said they are still struggling with modifications themselves. The restaurant used to be open for lunch during the day and now doesn’t open for dinner until 4pm. They are now also closed on Tuesday. FOX 17 says they even had to close early last Friday due to staff shortages.
Like many other companies, BarFly offers incentives to encourage people to apply, e.g. B. A sign-up bonus of $ 1,000 and a referral bonus of $ 1,000. BarFly Ventures operates HopCat, Stella’s Lounge, and Grand Rapids Brewing Company. The minimum wage for kitchen workers was raised to $ 15.50 an hour in all three restaurants. In addition, they offer their employees free psychological support.
While HopCat strives to get new people on the door, showing its current employees that this is a desirable place to make sure they want to stay is also a priority.
BarFly Ventures has a list of recent openings at their Grand Rapids locations here. You can apply directly on the website. Jobs include line cooks, barbacks, and servers.
Another industry with bottlenecks is education. In fact, there was a 40% increase in teacher retirement in 2020. The Grand Rapids Public Schools said they are in dire need of staff for the upcoming school year. Interested? Mark your calendar for the GRPS job fair on Saturday August 14th.