Hardbodyz Fitness needs someone at the front desk. Lakeside Deli needs part-timers during the school day. Bello By Daniel Ross needs barbering school graduates. As the COVID-19 pandemic drags on, small businesses in Verona are sorting through the most unusual job market that any of them have ever seen.
“It’s a different job market,” says Anthony Tortoriello, a co-owner of Avenue Bistro and a former owner of Frank Anthony’s. “The restaurant industry is losing people to Amazon,” he says. “Minimum wage and other policies have made it difficult for small businesses.”
Before the pandemic, Avenue Bistro’s former chef owned the restaurant side of the business and some of his family members worked there. The bar operated as a separate entity, owned by Andrew Durborow. When Tortoriello came into the business earlier this year, he and Durborow combined the two sides and set an overall plan for hiring and training, including restaurant management because both men also have day jobs. They have filled all the full-time positions, but Tortoriello says he could use more part-time workers, which is proving to be challenging. “Rather than hire someone with experience,” he says, “now we look for a willingness to work and a positive attitude.”
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