Stress of rising costs, staff shortages drives Pino's Restaurant to close doors

Dion Pophristoff, chef and owner of Pino's Restaurant, 98 Maitland Road, Islington, will do his last dinner service this Sunday.

But, he could not recover from the combination of rising food costs, repaying rescheduled Business Acitivity (BAS) taxes and the scarcity of hospitality staff.

"The staffing situation is what got me at the end of the day," Pophristoff said. "I'd probably keep it going, but I was just sick of training staff, non-stop."

His shift of menu from full vegetarian to mixed carnivore, fish and vegetarian in May was not the cause. Opening up the food choice sparked an increase in turnover, pulling Pino's from a low of $10,000 per week turnover to nearly double that figure.

Rising food costs forced menu prices to rise, like pasta going from $20 to $30 for a serving.

But he could not trade out of problems caused by a lack of competent staff.

The situation became too stressful for Pophristoff.

As chef and owner, he was averaging 80 hours a week, sometimes more, in the busy 60-seater that not only served dinner but had also taken on breakfast and coffee service during COVID.

Pino's needed a core of seven - chef, sous chef, kitchenhand and four floor staff, plus casuals to fill additional shifts. But post-COVID, chefs became scarce, many leaving the hospitality industry.

"I think COVID happened and a lot of the solid chefs in Newcastle just changed career altogether," Pophristoff said. "We were left with no talent and no real work ethic, so it left the hospitality scene in a bit of shambles and then the good ones moved to Sydney, moved to Melbourne, out of Newcastle."

And wait staff was just as severe of a problem. In recent months, the restaurant had taken on several young teenage staff who could not cope with the job.

"In the current climate we can't guarantee a certain number of hours to people, so it's hard to try and keep staff when you find them," he said. "When you get them to work the hours, they don't have a clue what they're doing."

Pophristoff will return to work as an electrician, and pick up casual chef work at Newcastle hospitality operator during busy summer months, he said.

And, he plans to spend a lot more time with his three-year-old daughter, Olive Rose, too.

He has put the business up for sale, $250,000 for the business, including the name, with equipment. Already, he's had interest from local restaurateurs.

He leaves the business without debts.

"I walked out how I walked in," he said.

As much as the experience has worn him out, he's still a passionate chef. He said he could see himself returning to hospitality in a few years, maybe running a tight 30-seat bar-style restaurant with the chef serving direct to the clientele with a personalised bartender on deck, too.

"It's been five very long years," he said. "I'm just keen to have a break and in the future open something smaller. But I reckon not to have to rely on staff to manage."