CLEVELAND — Like many restaurants, the Flying Fig in Cleveland has been understaffed since the pandemic started.
“We haven’t been able to get dishwashers that have stayed more than one or two shifts,” said Tessa Ackley, a line cook at the Flying Fig.
Sous chef Patrick Johnson said they’re hiring from a smaller pool of candidates.
“We’re not seeing the influx of young people that we used to get in the industry,” Johnson said.
The restaurant had to close just before the holidays, which is when the omicron variant started spreading. General manager Julia LiCastro said it started with one positive case among the staff. The restaurant had to close for 10 days to keep the virus away from customers.
“I kind of like to say the service industry is like the canary in the mine,” she said. “When we start getting sick, the rest of the community is getting sick.”
It wasn’t an ideal time to close the doors, even though it was for just more than a week.
“This is the time of the year when for a lot of restaurants, and we’re not immune to this, it’s when you make the most money that kind of carries you through the winter months,” LiCastro said.
Now, as they try to stay open, everyone is wearing several hats. Even the owner, Karen Small, has changed her title to chef/owner.
“It seems like an endless experience at this time,” Small said.
And the staff is worried that some customers may not be comfortable dining inside. LiCastro said on most weekends, customers are brave enough to belly up to the bar. But on weeknights, they’re getting takeout.
Looking ahead, they’ll continue to adapt to the variant, which the CDC said can spread more easily than other variants. Small said she may have to implement health measures to avoid another outbreak.
“We haven’t done a vaccination passport type thing, but one more time and we will,” she said.
LiCastro hopes that could keep the staff safer, but is worried it could turn customers away to a less strict spot. It’s yet another hurdle in a difficult two years for the restaurant industry.
“We’re kind of in a position of survive until we thrive,” LiCastro said, “because what else are you going to do.”
