Recruitment issues in hospitality 'a crying shame' says cafe boss

Business owner claims 'the world is upside down'

The owner of a café on the Mountain Road says she’s lost faith in MHKs and government ministers because they aren’t doing anything to help the hospitality sector.

Vicky Cottier, who runs Victory Café, says she believes politicians have accepted a ‘churn industry’ mentality.

She aired her thoughts on the pressure her business is currently under saying she’s come to the conclusion that the ‘world is upside down’.

Recruitment

Detailing difficulties finding staff she’s described recruitment issues as a ‘crying shame’ saying it’s not just her business struggling.

“I look at the Job Centre on a weekly basis. Those restaurants, cafes, hotels looking for chefs, cooks, kp's are the same week in week out.

“There are simply not enough people who work in hospitality. It’s not just us,” she added.  

She’s also highlighted how hospitality business owners ‘simply can’t compete’ with industries like the finance sector.

“Our profit margins are horribly squeezed and so we just can't give the salaries that our super hard-working people who make the whole café world go round truly deserve.” – Vicky Cottier (Victory Café)

VAT

The Victory Café boss has also called on government to consider the impact that VAT is having on businesses and shared details of an almost £15,000 tax bill she says she’s paid for the winter period.

Adding she lives in ‘false hope’ that VAT could be reduced, or a rebate system could be introduced, she adds: “If this happened, honestly, us hospitality business owners would plough that extra money right back into our people because we believe that we deserve higher pay.”   

Reduced service

Highlighting how many hospitality businesses can’t open on a Monday or Tuesday as they are short-staffed or ‘simply have to cut back on bills ‘she added it is ‘terrifyingly easy to go under’.

Her post on Facebook led to a number of supportive comments from the public and from other people who work in the industry.

Whistlestop Coffee Shop said it had had interest in its vacancies but from Iran, Israel and Egypt.

The Port Erin business added: “Time for those that should be able to make a difference to do so before we have no hospitality sector left.

“Hospitality has a large festering wound that gets deeper by the day. Hospitality is slowly dying.”

The owner of Dovecote IOM Tearooms and Gift Shop added: “Staffing is impossible for us. The reality is we will close our doors another day a week.”

Response

Manx Radio has contacted Isle of Man Government for a response.