Some South Florida restaurants aiming to employ more workers are offering signing bonuses.
The vaccine expansion has brought back more customers, but eateries have said they cannot keep up with the high demand without more employees.
The Farmer’s Table restaurant, which has locations in North Palm Beach and Boca Raton, is now offering a $400 signing bonus for new hires.
“That’s a number we came up with to try to entice people to come in,” said Sam Bonasso, Farmer’s Table director of operations.
Papichulo Taco Bar, with locations in Jupiter and Royal Palm Beach, offers a $500 signing bonus to any new employee.
Cleve Mash, the taco bar’s owner, said unemployment payments are keeping people home.
Now that businesses across the state are fully open, both restaurant owners say they need to hire more employees because their current staff is being overworked from the increased demand.
“Now we are having this flood of patrons and guests that want to get out and experience eating at a restaurant or having drinks,” explained Mash. “We can’t keep up the volume.”
“I have been in the industry for well over 30 years and I have never seen anything like it,” said Bonasso. “Everyone is burning the midnight oil, six days a week and a lot of hours.”
