NEW ORLEANS — Coming off the first night of extended hours for bars in Orleans Parish, some watering holes are hitting another hurdle. This is the first weekend since the beginning of the pandemic that New Orleans bars can stay open until 1 a.m. Sometimes you have to be careful what you ask for.
“We got our wish from the genie but, I wish I would’ve phrased it a little bit better you know,” said Mark Schettler.
Many bars pushed state and city leaders to extend closing time from 11 pm to 1 am. Mark Schettler, the general manager at Bar Tonique, said when the city of New Orleans lifted that latest COVID restriction for bars, it happened quickly.
“Can we open to 1 am but have a few days’ notice and kick it off on a Monday? That would’ve been cool,” said Schettler.
Instead, the change took place Friday, but their staffing remained the same, short. Some of the bar’s pre-pandemic workers never came back or they’re transitioning to other careers. After more than a year’s worth of roller coaster regulations for bars, Schettler says business is booming and they’re scrambling to find bartenders to serve a surge of customers.
“We’ve never had this many shifts a week. The most shifts a week we’ve ever had available is 17, and now we’re going to be at 23. So, even if everybody who worked here a year ago was here, we’d still wouldn’t have enough,” said Schettler.
When Schettler is not at the bar juggling multiple responsibilities, he’s out in the French Quarter headhunting. When he makes a job offer, he knows he has to make that offer competitive.
“Specifically, for us, we’re guaranteeing $20 an hour and we’re still doing full benefits,” said Schettler.
Such an offer is not unique to this bar as others are struggling with their staffing too. Schettler says the market for hiring is hot and what it needs right now is a shot of qualified workers.
