Thirty-six per cent of restaurateurs questioned by online reservation system supplier ResDiary said that not being able to find skilled staff was their main concern for the next 12 months, while 23 per cent said they were worried about rising operational costs.
Increasing competition was seen as a concern among 16 per cent of those polled while 11 per cent said a lack of cash flow would set them back.
Although staffing was top of the list of concerns for the year ahead, results show that finding staff with the required skills is less of a worry for the forthcoming year than it was in 2015.
When asked to give their top stress from the last 12 months, 62 per cent of restaurateurs said it was finding skilled staff. Just 9 per cent said the main strain on their business had been cashflow while 8.5 per cent cited rising operational costs.
While rising operational costs came second in the list of concerns there was a 15 per cent increase on those who felt it was a threat to their business in 2015, indicating they are a bigger problem than it may seem, potentially due to the introduction of the National Living Wage in April.
ResDiary CEO and founder Mike Conyers suggested restaurant owners do all they can now to protect against rising operational costs for the forthcoming year.
"In the face of rising operational costs, it is important for restaurateurs to evaluate existing suppliers to ensure they are receiving the best value for money," he said.
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