Restaurants offer signing bonuses amid worker shortage

As restaurants statewide struggle with a worker shortage, some are forking out more cash to try to reel in employees.

Virgil Morar runs five restaurants, including Monterey Grill in Port Orange. He’s offering a $150 bonus to new employees who stay more than 30 days. 

"That kind of helps them get accustomed to their schedule, the environment, and it’s a bonus at the end of the month for a good job," he said. 

Over in Flagler County, John Lulgjuraj, who owns Oceanside Beach Bar and Grill said he’s down 25 employees.

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"It’s a big problem and I’m just looking for solutions left and right," he said. It’s why he wrote a letter to Governor Ron DeSantis asking him to step in.

"You know what are the solutions? Why are we short-staffed? That’s the number question. I pointed out unemployment because that’s the general consensus," he said.

He said people are applying, just not showing up.

"We’re printing the applications, setting up the interviews, have managers coming on their days off to do the interviews and 80% of them don’t show up," he said.

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