How the F&B Sector Deals With Labour Crunch
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Due to the severe labour crunch in the F&B sector, several restaurants have devised solutions to ease their burden. These include the use of a scan menu, in which a customer orders meals by scanning a QR code displayed on each table, eliminating the need for a server.
Some mamak restaurants and cafés use robots to bring food to guests at their tables.
Paper covers in place of plates
Some restaurants are even implementing a full self-service system for customers, which involves placing brown paper on plates and allowing customers to collect their own meals.
The labour crunch caused one popular Malay eatery in Taipan, USJ, to adopt this approach. A sign stating that customers who did not utilise the paper cover for their plates will be billed an additional 30 sen.
"We now use paper covers on top of plates since we lack the workers to wash them. This removes the need to wash the plates. It also saves us time," said one of the workers. He stated that the eatery once employed 17 people, which has now been cut to eight.
"Fortunately, most of our customers cooperate with us because they are aware of the problem," he noted.
No more 24-hour mamak restaurants
Several 24-hour mamak restaurants no longer stay open 24 hours a day, instead closing at midnight. Datuk Jawahar Ali Taib Khan, head of the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma), stated that the industry is facing a labour shortage of at least 30,000 workers.
"During the pandemic, several restaurants downsized their workforce, and some foreign workers have also left for good," he explained, adding that the labour crunch has just become critical. He stated that a few restaurants and cafes have turned to robots to help with the strain.
"Robots are not the ideal solution, and they are also costly to use. The price ranges from RM50,000 to RM60,000," he explained.
Jawahar went on to say that certain mamak eateries have also implemented the QR code method for clients to order food. According to him, less than 10% of Presma member restaurants use robots, while 20%-30% use the QR code method.
He stated that while eateries were willing to pay and provide incentives such as Socso, Malaysians' interest in working as restaurant workers was quite low.
"We're doing everything we can to hire locals, but they're not even interested. Someone needs to fill the positions," he continued. Jawahar estimated that a restaurant would require at least 20 to 25 employees to operate 24 hours a day.
Usage of QR code system and robots
Wong Teu Hoon, president of the Malaysia-Singapore Coffeeshop Proprietors Association, stated that the implementation of the QR code system and robots began due to a severe labour shortage.
"The QR code menu scanning does help a little bit. However, many senior folks are unable to adjust and require workers to explain to them. It really takes longer to place orders in areas with weak Internet access, much to the dismay of the customer," he added. He stated that deploying robots for a tiny eatery was pointless.
"Eateries cannot entirely eliminate the human touch because manpower is still required to load the food onto the robot and to clean," he explained. According to Wong, some coffee businesses have also cut their operating hours as a result of the labour crunch.
According to Jeremy Lim, vice president of the Restaurant and Bistro Owners Association, the F&B sector, like all businesses, is adopting technology to improve productivity.
"The major cause was the Covid-19 pandemic. Since consumers are wary of handling products, many of us have reverted to QR menus. A perceived hygienic element also drives the robots," he said.
Source: The Star