Restaurants in Taunton, Berkley, struggle to return to pre-COVID staffing levels

BERKLEY — Dough Licious Pizza owner Bill Russell said the easing of COVID restrictions brought many customers back to his restaurant on Berkley Street in Berkley — but he wishes there were more employees to assist them.

"We have about 15 workers," he said. "We used to have more than that. We just can't get anybody. It seems nobody wants to be in this (restaurant) industry anymore. It's a tough industry.”

Russell said his difficulty having enough workers is being faced in various restaurants and industries that offer more pay to employees than he can.

"I know people that offer $22 an hour, and they still can't get employees," he said. "This COVID pandemic ruined the world. We can only keep chugging along. We can't please everyone, but if you can please 95% of the people you hire, you have a good business."

Dough Licious Pizza cook Jada Baptiste, 20, said she has been working in the restaurant for two years and loves being employed there.

"I like having Bill as a boss," she said. "He is very chill. I like my co-workers, and most of us are on the same page."

Russell said he respects all his employees regardless of their age.

"I treat all my workers with respect, and they respect me."

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Russell said he had some excellent employees work at the restaurant during the height of the COVID pandemic when only takeout meals were available.

"They were real troopers," he added.

Taunton restaurants ‘pretty well staffed’

-El Mariachi restaurant manager David Lopez said there is no shortage of dining room employees and kitchen workers despite challenges created by the COVID pandemic.

"It's a big restaurant," he said about the Mexican restaurant in downtown Taunton. "We have about 30 employees but no shortages."

Grove Street Tavern co-owner Paul Martin said his restaurant is "pretty well staffed," despite challenges posed by the COVID pandemic that prompted some employees to return to work after health restrictions eased.

"We have about 20-25 workers," he added. “It’s been a challenge to have enough employees the past few years, but we are pretty well staffed.”

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Russell said the amount of in-person dining at Dough Licious Pizza has been gradually increasing since restaurants were allowed to reopen in June 2021

"We gained a lot of new customers that ordered takeout,” he said. “The pandemic was good to us in some ways.”

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Russell said many of his patrons include customers that bought takeout meals during the pandemic’s height.

"We did a lot of curbside drop and go orders," he said

Russell said the restaurant offers over 120 specialty pizzas to patrons and takeout buyers.

"I create a new specialty pizza every month,” he said.

Russell said his restaurant offers a wide range of meals with homemade ingredients that appeal to customers.

"We make our dough and meatballs," he said. "All our sauces, including the marinara, pizza sauce, and macaroni and cheese, are homemade. On the weekends we offer nice fish and chips and clam chowder. We make it fresh."

Lopez said "a lot of loyal customers” keep coming to El Mariachi to enjoy authentic Mexican food at the restaurant.

"Our customers keep picking up to-go food orders and tip the employees," he said. "We appreciate that."

Norton resident Chris Round, 53, and his wife Tracey, 52, said they enjoy eating meals regularly at El Mariachi.

"I love Mexican food," Tracey said while dining at El Mariachi recently. "I like their burritos, shrimp and rice."

Round said he enjoys eating rice and chimichanga — a deep-fried burrito.

"Any kind of Mexican food they serve is good,” he said.

Rounds said the COVID threat does not intimidate him from enjoying in-person dining.

Martin said Grove Street Tavern is enjoying a steady amount of in-person dining since restaurants were allowed to fully reopen.

"It's been better than it was during the past few years," he added. "If inflation gets under control, that will help a lot."

Martin said the pandemic “was a blessing in disguise” because it created a lot of takeout customers.

“A lot of that takeout has continued,” he said. “We fortunately have good food.”

Martin said his customers especially enjoyed ordering takeout seafood, steak and pizza.

"We have a very extensive seafood menu," he added. "We have over 120 specialty pizzas. I create a new specialty pizza every month."

This article originally appeared on The Taunton Daily Gazette: Restaurants in Taunton, Berkley, seek more workers to wait on diners