Mallorca's restaurants receive more applications than ever to fill waiter positions, but turnover is staggering: many leave after half a shift and don't even return their uniforms. The cost of housing and the pace of the sector are key issues.
The peak tourist months reopen a debate that recurs every summer in Mallorca: are there enough waiters or not? The answer is no longer as straightforward as it was a few years ago. CVs continue to arrive daily at cafes and restaurants both in Playa de Palma and in the city centre. The problem, many professionals who serve dozens of customers each day agree, is not so much finding people as finding workers who want to make the job a profession, keep up with the pace demanded by the hospitality industry, and above all, afford to live on the island.
A sector in search of replacements
The answers are as varied as the establishments. Some blame the high cost of housing, others point directly to the split shifts, and there are also those who believe the main problem is the lack of generational replacement from the younger generation that cannot keep up. They all agree on one thing: being a waiter in Mallorca remains one of the best-paid professions thanks to tips that, in many cases, can amount to between 20 and 100 euros daily, although this extra money increasingly offsets the cost of living on the island less.
In the mornings, most establishments prepare for a frantic day. The sun is shining, the sea breeze is practically non-existent, and the thermal sensation exceeds 30 degrees. Walking is synonymous with sweating. Playa de Palma begins to fill with tourists who lay their towels on the sand before swimming in the water, which is clear this year.
Searching for staff since February
Some take the opportunity to recharge at By Nicole Cafe Mohn, a popular cafe and restaurant specialising in breakfasts that, near noon, barely has a table free on the terrace. There, amidst coffees, juices, and toast, Nicole explains that completing the staff continues to be one of the biggest challenges each summer.
“This season has gone a bit better for us, but it is a reality that there is a shortage of cooks and waiters in the sector. The problem is that there are no apartments to live in. Completing the team is difficult; we started looking for staff in February.”
Housing comes up time and again during the tour. The venues change, but the diagnosis hardly varies. Just a few metres away, a German restaurant begins to open its doors while a huge screen awaits the next World Cup match. Ángel Hernando smiles upon discovering that Germany has already been eliminated. “It’s a relief that they are out,” he comments, aware that the workload will be less than if Nagelsmann's team were still competing.
The turnover is so high that some business owners recount cases like that of a waiter who worked half a shift, left, and didn’t return even to return the uniform. An example that illustrates the difficulty of retaining talent in a sector where the demand for jobs is high, but the supply of stable candidates is low.
For the neighbour in Playa de Palma, the situation translates into terraces with less staff and longer waiting times. In the centre of Palma, the trend is similar: establishments that close one day a week due to a lack of replacements or that reduce hours. The employers' association of the sector has already warned that, without a solution to the housing problem and without an improvement in working conditions, the next season could be even more critical.
Looking ahead to next summer, business owners recommend that those interested in working as waiters start looking for jobs as early as February and consider shared accommodation options outside tourist areas to cope with the cost of living on the island.
You may also like
