■ Hospitality and Tourism
Continued From Page 8 weekend , restaurant owners were ecstatic when Gov . Phil Murphy announced he was lifting the seating and capacity restrictions imposed to fight the COVID‐19 pandemic . Anticipation was high that vaccines and the plummeting case numbers would bring customers back . But the optimism was damped by the realization that many businesses were without sufficient servers , cooks , bartenders and other personnel to meet demand .
After months of limited indoor capacity and sometimes being held hostage to the weather with their improvised outdoor seating , restaurateurs do not want to keep customers waiting or raise their ire with shabby service . “ People are coming back to the shore or if they ’ re coming for the first time , the last thing you want to do is disappoint them ,” said Beckson .
While many blame the confounding job market on the hefty unemployment benefits , Beckson said there are other factors involved . There ’ s a lingering fear of contracting COVID keeping workers from returning to the markets , she said , noting that child care issues also have an impact . She said some young workers are not available because they have to stay home to care for younger siblings .
Morey ’ s Pier employs 50 year-round workers and 1,500 seasonal helpers at its three piers , two waterparks and four restaurants . For years , it relied on 500 university students from aboard to fill out its seasonal force . But again , due to the pandemic , there was a huge backlog in the embassies for visa approvals and the students were unable to fill the jobs .
Lancellotti estimated one third of the state ’ s 90,000 restaurants closed their doors either permanently or temporarily . The upheaval led many workers to reinvent and pursue jobs in other careers that can offer more security and benefits , said Julian Reyes , general manager of Nanina ’ s in the Park in Belleville , one of the most successful wedding venues in Northern New Jersey .
His facility was closed for four months and 180 weddings had to be postponed . When the restrictions eased in the summer , allowing smaller outside wedding celebrations , only a third of his wait staff returned to work . “ We had to start hiring and nobody was applying ,” he said .
Nanina ’ s now advertises on online job recruiting sites , offers flexible schedules , increased its hourly wages and gives bonuses . Still , Reyes said they are not at full staffing . The shortages forced him and others to take on extra duties . “ If the wait staff sees you working shoulder-to-shoulder they appreciate you more ,” he said . Nanina ’ s is able to battle back , Reyes said , because of its excellent reputation and commitment of the owners .
The caterer ’ s story is emblematic of what the industry faces . The head of the restaurant association is urging state officials to consider using
Raspberry Lemon Drop Martini at Joe ’ s Fish Co ., Morey ’ s Piers
funds from the federal American Rescue Plan to address the worker shortages . Adam Perle , president of the New Jersey Tourism Industry Association , said in the federal plan “ it ’ s clearly outlined that money needs to be used for the hospitality business .”
Lancellotti said work bonuses or other creative measures must be pursued . She emphasized the challenges in the Garden State are not unique .
“ It ’ s not a New Jersey staff issue , it ’ s a national one ,” she said .
Photographer : Kip Dawkins
■ Hospitality and Tourism
Continued From Page 10 forecast is expected to reach $ 36 million — an increase of almost $ 7 billion . Before the pandemic clobbered the industry , Gov . Murphy had
Indoor attractions , up and down the coast , like the Atlantic City casinos and restaurants , did an exceptional business despite the rain on Memorial Day .
Photo : Getty Images / iStockphoto challenged tourism to reach a goal of 150 million visitors . Vasser believes the state is now on track again to work together towards the goal .
The governor increased tourism spending in his new budget proposal in recognition of the important driver it is to the economy , not only at the shore but across the state . Vasser is eager to realize the expectations discussed in the study and plans to roll out a sophisticated marketing plan .
Besides the natural markets of nearby New York and Philadelphia , Vasser believes the next likely places to broadcast New Jersey ’ s story are upper New York State , Pennsylvania , Delaware and southern New England . But he is not stopping there . There are plans to also target Virginia , Ohio , Kentucky and remainder of New England because , as Vasser likes to say , the Garden State ’ s geographic position make it a gas tank away from a huge swath of the country ’ s population .
The tourism division will make use of digital ads , broadcast commercials and even plans to extend invitations to travel writers to promote the leisure time rewards that can be found here .
“ If you haven ’ t been to a New Jersey winery in 15 or 20 years , you don ’ t know what you ’ re missing ,” said Vasser discussing the lesser
known attractions and destinations . He wants to make certain visitors are aware of all New Jersey offers — mountain vistas , wellness tourism , skiing , tax-free shopping options and 140 Revolutionary War sites .
Vasser is also working with local tourism offices to provide grant funds to market their specific events , like the Somerset County Balloon Festival and the Montclair Film Festival . The grant program can also supply local offices with funds for research , advertising and even photo libraries to accomplish their goals .
Plans are being drawn to revamp the
visitnj . org website to provide more functions making it easier for visitors to map out their vacations and build itineraries .
Pepenella agrees that marketing is key . At her region ’ s visitors center in Ship Bottom , an array of information is available for consumers and it is updated regularly . For instance , there ’ s information on “ clam trail ,” which features 24 giant clams painted by local artists . For the nature enthusiast there is a guide to the area ’ s native plants . As an alternative , there is a virtual visitors ’ center online at
visitlbiregion . com too where local features are detailed .
“ We are looking forward to everyone enjoying what they came here for — family , friends and entertainment ,” Pepenella said .
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