Going out to dinner during the week no longer guarantees that you will find all the restaurants open. More and more establishments choose to lower the blinds on those days and concentrate their activity on days of higher demand with the aim of maintaining profitability. A decision that responds not so much to the lack of customers, but to a change of mentality in the hospitality sector due to rising costs and labor shortage.
This was stated by the gastronomic content creator Asier Ibarlucea, during an interview on the podcast @alargoplazopodcast, where he points to certain changes in a sector that, for many years, has been marked by long hours and low profit margins.
In force: aid of up to 600 euros per child that has few requirements and is a single payment
The price of electricity today, Sunday, May 24, in the PVPC rises, but maintains 8 sections below 60 euros
In this way, he maintains that some businessmen have verified that “by working less and with fewer employees they earn the same or more.” A statement that reflects the reality of the sector, since labor costs represent one of the main fixed expenses of establishments, especially in a context of increasing minimum wages and difficulties in covering shifts between colleagues.
Close to win: the logic of concentrating activity
From there, the logic that many of these businesses follow is that if the slow days barely cover expenses, it makes more sense to close and concentrate all resources on the times when there are really customers. Thus, they reduce staff on days of low activity, adjust shifts and avoid costs that do not always translate into income.
Under this premise, some restaurants already operate with this model on a regular basis. This is the case of establishments that open only from Thursday to Sunday, concentrating 40 hours per week in four days. In this way, the team works when there is greater volume and avoids having employees “standing” in quieter services, something quite common during the week in certain areas.
But the change also has a direct impact on the quality of life of workers. In a sector known for its unconciliatory schedules, chaining three days off in a row is almost an exception in the hospitality industry. “You finish on a Sunday and you don’t go to work until Thursday, that is, it almost seems like you don’t work all week,” they commented during the podcast.
Not everyone can afford it
However, not all businesses can afford this adjustment, since there are restaurants that depend on the menu of the day or that are located in office areas and still need to open during the week to maintain their regular clientele. Therefore, more than a global solution, it is a strategy that works better in certain leisure or restaurant venues more linked to the weekend.
In parallel, the sector continues testing other formulas to adjust. From menus with cheaper prices to attract a volume of customers, to strategies where the real margin is in drinks or extras, as happens in many buffets.