Bon Appétit has recently faced a labor shortage at Commons and McEwen dining halls. The shortage has led to long lines and overcrowding at the dining halls, overwhelming workers and frustrating many members of the Hamilton community. The shortage is part of a nationwide trend, with many low-wage positions becoming increasingly difficult to fill.

Bon Appétit General Manager Reuben Haag emphasized that the shortage at Hamilton is a symptom of a national issue. “This isn’t a problem that’s unique to us at Hamilton, it’s everywhere,” he said. “There aren’t enough people that want these positions and it’s not just our area — it’s nationwide.”

Charlie Haberstock ’25 said that during his time at Hamilton, the dining halls have been noticeably understaffed. “The staff are super nice, you can tell they’re trying their best,” Haberstock said. “It’s just sad that they’re so overworked.”

Haag stated that while Bon Appétit has retained most workers from past years, the shortage has primarily been due to difficulty in recruiting workers. Haag said that Bon Appétit is currently hiring students to fill positions in the dining halls, after speaking with 35 students. “We have at least a dozen [students] actively working in the cafes at the moment,” he said. Long lines are also typical at Commons, though it is unclear whether they are related to the labor shortage. One first-year reported having to wait in line at Commons for about 25 minutes. He said that “Bon Appétit should increase the wages of their workers so that there’s more incentive [to work there].”

Haberstock also reported experiencing long lines at the dining halls upon arriving at Hamilton. “At first it was really difficult for all of us,” he said. “You had to block out more than an hour just to get a meal.”

Recently, lines have shrunk as people have begun to eat at off-peak times and the dining halls have hired more staff. “I learned to go at the off times, and as more people do that, and as the staffing recovers, the situation is continuing to get better,” Haberstock said. Haag said that while these long lines could have been partially caused by the labor shortage, they also follow a typical pattern that occurs at the beginning of each academic year. Haag explained that lines usually become shorter as the year progresses. Bon Appétit recently implemented a self-serve line at Commons to shorten lines and lessen the workload for staff. The dining halls have also reduced their hours and consolidated worker roles to adapt to the labor shortage.

While campus dining halls remain understaffed, Haag said that Bon Appétit is actively working to resolve the situation and is hopeful that the shortage will not be permanent. “Hopefully we’ll be able to get back to what we had a few years ago,” he said. “We’re definitely working toward getting this back to normal as soon as we can.”