Hospitality staff shortage in 2026: what can you do?

• You want to stay open, but you cannot make the schedule work (and everyone is exhausted).
• Fewer people often means: less revenue, more mistakes, more stress, and more sick leave.
• With 9 practical steps and a few smart tools, you can still run tight with fewer people.

January is one of those moments when you look ahead. Many hospitality owners are coming off the busy holiday period, and around Horecava the same question comes up again: how am I going to get staffing sorted this year? The hard news: 2026 does not look like a year when the staff shortage will solve itself. The good news: if you tackle 3 things today (and choose 1 structural step), you often feel a difference on the floor within this month.

Why the staff shortage in 2026 will not just "go away"

Fewer young people = a smaller talent pool (and hospitality feels it first)

Fewer young people are entering the labor market. And hospitality often relies on young workers: evenings, weekends, holidays, quick side jobs. When that group shrinks, you feel it fast.

In practice you see this: the same strong people get offers everywhere. Today they work for you, tomorrow for the place next door, next month in a different city.

Record jobs but still a shortage: how is that possible?

You hear it everywhere: there have never been this many jobs. That can be true, but it does not mean there are enough people to fill all those roles. Many sectors are competing for the same group: retail, delivery, events, healthcare.

And hospitality often depends on peak hours and irregular shifts. That makes it harder to retain people, especially if your processes still involve a lot of manual work.

The real pain: workload leads to sick leave leads to even less coverage

The biggest risk is not only too few applicants. The risk is the spiral:

1. You are short one or two people.
2. Everyone else pushes harder and breaks get skipped.
3. More mistakes happen, more guest issues, more irritation in the team.
4. Sick leave and resignations increase.
5. You end up even shorter.

If you recognize this: you are not alone. But you do need to intervene, otherwise it gets heavier every quarter.

Diagnose first: where is your business leaking staff and time? (15-minute check)

You can only fix things properly if you know what is actually going wrong. Is it truly a staff shortage? Or do you mainly have a process shortage: too much manual work, too much coordination, too much back-and-forth?

4 signs you mainly have a process shortage

1. You have people, yet it is still chaos around 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM.
2. The phone rings all evening, and you lose someone to it who is actually needed on the floor.
3. New hires drop off quickly because onboarding is messy (just shadow someone).
4. Your team walks miles per shift because the layout is awkward or supplies keep running out.

If this is happening in your place, smarter agreements and a few simple tools often deliver more than posting yet another vacancy.

Mini checklist: peaks, manual work, mistakes, wait time, no-shows

Grab a notepad and write this on one page.

• When are your peaks? (days and hours)
• What is the biggest bottleneck then: kitchen, bar, service, takeaway?
• Which tasks are manual: taking orders, passing them on, charging, phone, writing down reservations?
• Where do mistakes happen: wrong table, wrong order, forgotten drink?
• Where does waiting happen: guests waiting for a table, for food, for the check?
• How often do you have no-shows or last-minute cancellations?

You will often find one or two leaks that cause most of the stress.

Pick your bottleneck area: bar, service, kitchen, delivery, or takeaway

Pick one area to start with. Not everything at once.

• Bar: drink peak, lots of back-and-forth, lots of questions.
• Service: too much walking, too many scattered tasks, not enough overview.
• Kitchen: menu too broad, too many variations, too many exceptions.
• Takeaway or delivery: line at the counter, nonstop phone calls, payments, miscommunication.

Fixing one bottleneck can already change the whole operation.

9 things you can do today (no management book required)

Step 1: Cut down your menu (run faster with fewer people)

A big menu looks welcoming, but it can burn you out when you are short-staffed. Fewer dishes means:

• faster onboarding,
• less inventory,
• fewer mistakes,
• faster kitchen throughput.

Tip: if it feels risky, make it temporary. For example, a short menu between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM and your specials during quieter moments.

Step 2: Set fixed peak routines (who does what, and when)

During a peak you do not want debates. Make it predictable:

• Who is fixed on the pass in the kitchen?
• Who does drinks only?
• Who runs tables only?
• Who handles takeaway?

It does not need to be military. The point is calm: everyone knows their job when it gets busy.

Step 3: Keep onboarding simple (one A4 per role)

You do not need a 20-page binder. One A4 per role is enough:

• opening: what do you check, what do you set up?
• service: what is the flow, what are the rules?
• closing: what must be turned off, what must be cleaned, what must be ordered?

New people like not having to ask nonstop. You prevent everyone from doing it differently.

Step 4: Schedule smarter (core team + flexible layer + clear availability)

Try to build toward:

• a core team: people who know your place and carry your quality,
• a flexible layer: extra hands for peaks.

Keep it small and concrete: availability must be submitted on time. Not because you want to be strict, but because last-minute gaps are the biggest stress trigger.

Step 5: Make tips and bonuses fair and simple

Tip drama costs you people. Keep it simple and clear:

• How are tips divided?
• When are they paid out?
• How do you handle differences between bar, kitchen, and service?

Clarity prevents irritation, even if not everyone thinks it is perfect.

Step 6: Tackle no-shows (rules guests actually understand)

No-shows are not only annoying, they literally cost you a staff shift. Because you schedule for guests who never show up.

Make it crystal clear for guests:

• until what time can they cancel for free?
• what happens if they do not show up?
• send a reminder on the day.

Explain it in human terms: you are holding a table and scheduling staff.

Step 7: Reduce walking (mise en place, layout, stock where it belongs)

Walking is silent wasted time. A few fast wins:

• keep the most-used items at grab height,
• assign fixed places for tickets, cutlery, napkins,
• restock during quiet moments (not during the peak),
• make one person per shift responsible for floor stock.

Step 8: Turn your own team into ambassadors (WhatsApp and social)

People like working with people they know. Make it easy for your team:

• create a standard WhatsApp message they can forward,
• include what you are looking for, which days, and what you offer,
• keep it personal: come shadow a shift.

This often gets you a better-fit colleague faster than waiting weeks for replies on job boards.

Step 9: Make applying frictionless (DM or WhatsApp, not a CV first)

When someone is interested, you want speed. Not: send a letter and your resume.

Say instead:

• Send a quick message with your name and when you can work.
• Come by for coffee tomorrow and we will talk for 10 minutes.

First see if the vibe fits, paperwork later.

Digitization that actually saves staff (without making hospitality feel cold)

For some owners, digitization sounds distant or complicated. But used well, it means less admin behind the scenes and more time for real hospitality.

Online reservations: fewer phone calls, fewer mistakes, fewer no-shows

If you or a staff member must keep answering the phone during the peak, you lose attention on the floor. And writing reservations down manually causes mistakes: wrong times, double bookings, lost notes.

Let guests book themselves within your rules. You set times and capacity, and you can send reminders. Result: less phone pressure and often fewer no-shows.

Online ordering and takeaway: less counter chaos and better peak control

Takeaway can be great for revenue, but it can also create chaos: people at the counter, a phone that will not stop, confusion about times and payments.

With online ordering on your own website, you can work with time slots and clear choices. That creates control and calm for both the kitchen and the floor.

Digital menu: faster updates, fewer questions, less printing stress

How often does this happen: a dish is sold out, a price changed, an allergen question comes in, and your team has to solve it verbally.

A digital menu removes the friction. You change something once and it is correct everywhere immediately. Guests find what they need faster too, which reduces questions for your team.

Important: keep hospitality human

Let technology handle the admin (booking, ordering, info) so you and your team have more time for welcome, advice, and atmosphere.

Hiring in 2026: where do you find people when everyone is fishing in the same pond?

Social media basics: show the team and the vibe

You do not need perfect videos. Real footage often works better:

• the team eating together after the shift,
• a quick behind-the-scenes clip,
• you simply saying: we are looking for someone for Friday and Saturday.

People apply for the atmosphere, not just the tasks.

Referrals work: a standard WhatsApp message + a small referral bonus

Make it easy. For example:

We are looking for a colleague for service or bar. 1 to 3 evenings a week. Great team, clear schedules. Know someone? Send me a message.

Keep the referral bonus simple and easy to understand.

Widen the search: career switchers, part-time parents, returners, students

If you only look for experienced hospitality workers aged 18 to 23, you are in the most crowded pond.

Think broader:

• career switchers: often reliable and happy with clarity,
• part-time parents: can do daytime or early shifts and like fixed agreements,
• returners: want structure and a good team,
• students: perfect for peaks, but they need clear planning.

Retention = profit: how to stop new hires from leaving fast

Clarity on schedules (when someone is truly off)

Irritation often comes not from the work, but from the constant coordination. Make agreements:

• schedules are published on a fixed day and time,
• time off is time off, except in emergencies,
• swapping is allowed, but through a fixed process.

Mental calm keeps people longer.

Lower the workload with simple agreements

Start with basics:

• breaks are normal (even if it is 10 minutes),
• closing routines are short and shared fairly,
• nobody always gets the worst task.

Often everything leans on one or two strong people. That works until it does not.

Growth and appreciation (small, but consistent)

Not everyone wants to be a manager. Everyone does want to feel seen.

• a short 5-minute check-in each month,
• call out what is going well,
• teach 1 new skill (coffee, wine, POS, opening, or closing).

30-day action plan (pick 3 quick wins + 1 structural step)

Week 1: Diagnose + simplify menu and workflows

• Do the 15-minute check.
• Pick 1 bottleneck area.
• Cut down your menu (temporary during peak hours if needed).
• Create 1 A4 onboarding sheet per role.

Week 2: Lock down no-shows + reservations or ordering

• Make reservation rules clear and friendly.
• Turn on reminders.
• Reduce phone pressure with online reservations or online ordering (choose what leaks most in your place).

Week 3: Make hiring easier (WhatsApp and DM)

• Post a simple call for applicants with real photos.
• Have your team forward the WhatsApp message.
• Reply fast: message today = answer today.

Week 4: Measure: what saves time, what creates calm?

Do not only look at revenue. Look at:

• fewer phone calls?
• fewer mistakes?
• shorter wait times?
• less stress during peak moments?
• less sick leave and drop-off?

If something works: make it standard. If something does not: stop doing it.

Frequently asked questions / objections

Does this cost a lot of money?

Some things cost money, but many quick wins mostly cost attention: a smaller menu, fixed peak routines, clear onboarding, smarter stock placement.

With digital solutions: do not calculate only in dollars, calculate in hours and calm. If you have one less hour of phone calls every evening, or you need fewer hands during the peak, you feel that immediately.

I do not have time for this, I am on the floor myself

That is exactly why it has to stay simple. Pick 3 quick wins you can do this week. Think small: an A4 onboarding sheet, a menu tweak, one fixed peak agreement.

My guests just want human contact anyway

True. That is why you want to reduce admin. If guests can book or order themselves where it makes sense, you keep more time for real attention.

I am bad with tech; will this get too complicated?

It should get easier, not harder. If something adds stress, it is not the right choice or it is not set up properly.

Can I not just handle this myself?

You can handle a lot yourself, especially the 9 steps and the 30-day plan. Help is mainly useful if you keep getting stuck in day-to-day chaos: too many calls, too many no-shows, constant peak-hour turbulence.

When is it time to bring in help (and what do you get from it)?

Signals: too many no-shows, too many calls, chaos around peak hours

Do you recognize this?

• you lose revenue due to no-shows,
• your staff is tired of the phone,
• peak hours feel like survival every week,
• you feel one smart change would create breathing room, but you do not know which one.

Then it is time to have someone take a quick look. Not for a thick report, but for a simple plan.

What we can map out in 30 minutes: your lowest-staff setup

Book a free advice call of up to 30 minutes: we will walk through your situation (schedule pressure/no-shows/phone/orders) and you will get 3 concrete quick wins plus 1 simple digitization step that fits your business. Reach out via the contact page or WhatsApp.