A BATHURST fast food franchise with two stores and a third on the way has more than 100 job vacancies as staff shortages continue to bite across the city.
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McDonald's Bathurst and Kelso marketing manager Nikita Williams said both restaurants were "desperate for staff" and she had heard of other businesses in Bathurst shutting up shop because they could not get the necessary manpower.
Bathurst's Regency Jewellers shut its doors last month after more than 30 years in the city, owner Kerry Rawson saying that in the past two years the store had become unprofitable due to COVID-19 and the difficulty in obtaining staff professionals.
At Orange, meanwhile, the owner of a cafe in Lords Place closed his business on Monday because of a lack of staff for the first time in his 30 years in hospitality.
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Ms Williams said McDonald's needed at least 100 staff, not only at Bathurst and Kelso, but to staff its third restaurant at the western entrance of Bathurst, which is due to open later this year.
She said they will be offering positions in all areas, from management down.
"We want a restaurant manager, department managers, we want people who can do customer service," she said.
"We have everything on the table."
She said she had met with the careers adviser at Bathurst High School "to look at pathways for students, especially school-based traineeships where students can undertake a Certificate II or Certificate III in hospitality or retail".
She said the business also desperately needed baristas and was more than happy to provide on-the-job training for anyone interested.
"[The lack of staff] is letting down our operations; making a good coffee takes time," she said.
She said she believed there were many reasons businesses were struggling to find personnel.
She said COVID-19 had made people a bit more fussy and that, along with government incentives, had made people less inclined to work in the hospitality sector.
A shift in remote working had also been a factor, with many people opting for industries which allow them the flexibility to work from home, she said.
Also, border closures had had an effect, even at a regional level, Ms Williams said.
Ms Williams encouraged anyone interested in finding out more about working with the company to get in touch online at mcdonalds.com.au/careers or to bring in their resume to either the McDonald's Kelso or Bathurst restaurants.
