Employee search at new Tallahassee restaurants brings hope and hardships

Workforce shifts triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic are creating challenges and opportunities for new restaurant owners in Tallahassee.

Some are hiring, even faster than they expected, while others aren't in the same boat.

Chef Shacafrica Simmons said she’s interviewed more than 30 employees for her new restaurant Soulful at Goodwood, a Southern fusion concept of soul food staples.

At one point, five were hired; only one showed up for work. When asked what’s behind this, she’s baffled.

“It’s a conversation I’ve had with multiple business owners and folks who are in the hiring space,” said Simmons, adding she offers competitive pay and benefits. “They are having these challenges with bringing folks in.”

For now, the restaurant nestled on the grounds of Goodwood Museum and Gardens is tiptoeing into the food scene with a lunch-only menu Wednesday through Saturday instead of a full operation. The delayed grand opening is slated to take place at the end of September.

“We just decided to just go a head and do something,” Simmons said. “We’re not saying, ‘Oh, we’re officially this.' We’re kind of just giving people a taste. This is what it’s going to be, and we’re going to try to keep it going until we are officially open.”

Potential work pool solution: young people

Workforce challenges in Tallahassee's hospitality industry reflect an increasingly common issue for restaurants, especially new restaurants daring to beat the odds.

A "2022 State of Restaurant Industry" by the National Restaurant Association is forecasting the industry's workforce to grow by 400,000 jobs — totaling 14.9 million workers by the end of of the year.

The report says the industry added 1.7 million jobs last year, resulting in a total of 14.5 million employees by the end of the year. However, restaurants remain severely understaffed, and this will "continue to constrain industry growth in 2022."

"Despite some gains, 7 in 10 operators across all major segments say their restaurant currently does not have enough employees to support customer demand and most operators expect their labor challenges to continue through next year," the report said.

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Darryl Jones, deputy director for the Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality, said targeting high school students and recent graduates could help ease the workforce woes taking place at restaurants.

“The workforce crisis we see in a variety of industries, which include hospitality, technology and healthcare, is a workforce crisis remedied by us purposely providing pathways for our young people into these careers,” Jones said.

He said job training offered through the school system, such as Lively Technical Center and Tallahassee Community College, are critical toward reducing the workforce challenges facing the capital city.

“It’s important the school district and their parents point them toward careers and the preparation for the same,” said Jones, who’s also a Leon County School Board member.

Approximately 3,500 students graduate from the Leon County School District. Jones said many of them aren’t sure what’s next after high school and careers in hospitality can be a viable option.

‘Busier than we thought we’d be’

The COVID-19 pandemic forced restaurants into survival mode.

But two years into the pandemic with much of the worst seemingly behind the country, some new restaurant owners see the current environment as an opportunity to adjust to what customers and employees want.

Danny Renninger, one of three owners of The Huntsman on East Tennessee Street, hasn’t been saddled with workforce challenges. Before the restaurant’s debut last month, it already amassed a loyal following on social media.

The owners all sharpened their knives and skills at local upscale restaurants, and they each had a reputation that worked in their favor.

“When we sought to open our own place, we had a good pool to choose from,” Renninger said. “We’re pretty staffed up and busier than we thought we’d be.”

In fact, the restaurant is hiring for more workers, including cooks and dishwashers. The Huntsman currently employs two dozen workers. Eligible employees are offered full benefits, paid time off, retirement contributions and sick leave.

“We’re trying to legitimize our side of the industry and attract better candidates,” he said. “What I saw during the pandemic, we lost a ton of employees just due to better opportunities.

The COVID-19 pandemic shifted leverage toward employees who had more options regarding how they could make a living. For many, working from home became instantly attractive and many restaurants are still struggling to find employees.

Renninger said he and his partners believe employees want benefits, adding they can help retain and attract viable candidates.

“With everything, there are struggles in finding people,” Renninger said. “As a business owner and an industry, if you’re not willing to adapt to what the current climate needs, you’re going to fail.”

Chef Leon Brunson is steadily making plans to open his namesake restaurant early next year at the Cottages of Lake Ella on North Monroe Street.

Brunson, a private chef who formerly worked at Kool Beanz and other reputable restaurants in and outside of Tallahassee, said his opening day is “as fluid as I want it to be.”

He recently wrapped up taping a food competition show (he didn’t disclose the identity at this time due to confidentiality agreements).

“I’ve spent three weeks in Atlanta filming for this food competition, and it’s the biggest moment of my career,” Brunson said. “All that to say, I’m trying to strike while the iron is hot. That show looks to launch at the top of 2023. Ideally, we’d like to be right behind the show.”

In the meantime, he’s not worried about securing employees for his restaurant that will serve a hybrid brunch and lunch menu and provide event space for special occasions. It also will serve dinner tickets once a week.

People are already wanting to work at his restaurant, Brunson said. They come as referrals or curious after learning about Brunson from his robust social media feeds.

“A lot of these people, I empathize with,” Brunson said. “It’s the same boat as someone who goes to culinary school and into restaurants. Your path is self-determined. So, for these people who have this love for food, they want to do something, but they want something to be excited about.”

The restaurant business isn’t for the faint at heart, Brunson continued. He hears some his peers lament about the lack of workers or low-performing employees. He has a different take.

Employees, he said, don’t want to be locked in the kitchen.

“These people recognize, ‘Hey, we love this field. We love what we do. We love everything about it. But, the pay is rough,” Brunson said. “Some restaurants don’t even feed their staff on a regular basis. There are very few benefits, and they have to have something to be excited about.”

More than a restaurant rising at Goodwood

Simmons calls her menu Southern fusion, one that’s familiar yet punched up a notch by her culinary imagination.

Examples include black-eyed pea and field pea hummus and a Southern pesto made with locally sourced collard greens, basil and pecans instead of pine nuts, not to mention peach cobbler egg rolls for the sweet tooth.

“We have so many great things that grow in the south,” Simmons said. “They work so well with other cultures. Those are the kinds of things we want to bring to the community.”

It’s been a long road, though. Simmons had hoped to open her soul food restaurant a year ago, especially since she’s been in the space. But, she’s been in a pop-up, soft opening mode for months.

Far longer than she wanted. Even though she’s offering a chance to work at a cultural gem – a soul food restaurant in the capital city, a place that’s lacked elevated soul food, in the backdrop of blooming gardens that once functioned as a corn and cotton plantation.

The celebrated chef, a Black woman whose family traces back to the Bahamas, sees her latest business endeavor as an ancestral dream. She wants to hire employees who’ll see the layered impact of a business like hers.

“It’s really profound to be in this space,” Simmons said. “It’s so much more than just opening a restaurant.”

Contact TaMaryn Waters at tlwaters@tallahassee.com or follow @TaMarynWaters on Twitter. 

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: New Tallahassee restaurants see workforce challenges, opportunities