Berkshire businesses facing staff shortages as summer tourism season approaches
By Matt Ristaino, Berkshire County
Published 4:30PM ET May 26, 2021
BERKSHIRE COUNTY, Mass. – Twoflower Cafรฉ co-owner Rupert Jones is behind the counter every day. In part, because the business opened just three months ago, but theyโre also short-staffed.
โNormally when you open a business, Iโve had a few of these in the past, you have plenty of staff and plenty of people applying, and the challenge is getting enough customers,” Jones said. “Weโve flipped that challenge here. We have a ton of customers, and the challenge is getting good staff.โ
As the summer tourism season draws closer, they arenโt the only ones looking for new hires.
Walk down any Main Street in the Berkshires and youโll see “Help Wanted” signs, like the ones at Patisserie Lenox, where theyโre cutting back operations because of the lack of staff.