Chef Michelle Bernstein, with Hope. Photo: Ledd Villamarzo, Edin Studios
One way to alleviate the labor shortage, Bernstein said, was through immigration, Hope writes.
When culinary school students come to work, they think they're chefs that are "ready to go," she said, so it's harder to find willing workers for all of the other essential jobs around the restaurant.
Immigrants account for more than 1 in 5 jobs in the foodservice and restaurant industry, according to recent government data.
The intrigue: The economic need may outweigh the political debate. And that extends down the supply chain to farms and transportation.
U.S. trucking companies are already recruiting in other countries, John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association, told the Houston Chronicle.
