Waukesha Restaurant To Shorten Hours Because Of Staff Shortage

WAUKESHA, WI — A Waukesha restaurant announced it will be closed Mondays because of short staff, beginning next week.

Leo Haideman; his wife, Julie Haideman; and his brother, Steve Haideman, own Gyros West. Leo and Julie told Patch job vacancies have made running the business difficult.

They are looking to hire people to wash dishes, serve, prepare food and do other jobs.

"I haven't had anyone stop in my restaurant, and the sign has been out there for six months saying I'm hiring," Leo Haideman said.

Another challenge small businesses like Gyros West face are the big incentives major companies are rolling out to entice potential employees.

Places such as Amazon, McDonald's and Chipotle are increasing starting wages. Some companies such as Walmart and Target are sweetening the pot with free tuition to attract and retain employees.

"They are offering free tuition, 401(k) and crazy pay for an hour. They can do that because they are a multibillion dollar corporation," Leo Haideman said.

He questioned how mom-and-pop businesses will compete with those incentives.

"I take care of the employees here very well, but you still can't compete with that," he said.

Like Family

Julie Haideman said many staff members have been with them for more than 15 years. Some people come in and only apply or are hired but quit in a day.

"We don't want to burn out the staff that we have or our family, which is a big part of the staff," Julie Haideman said.

Kasandra Willis has been a server for 13 years. When she was looking for a job, she heard good things about the restaurant, such as its family atmosphere.

"I decided to give it a go, and now they are stuck with me," Willis said.

Everyone works together as a team, with multiple people helping out with a table, she said.

"If you are going to work at a job, you might as well love" it, Willis said.

The sense of family has kept her working for the Haideman family all these years. The longtime employee has a 30-minute commute to work each day.

"I can get a job anywhere, but these people are like family to me," she said.

Everyone Knows Your Name

Not only are employees treated like family, but so are customers, Leo Haideman said. He knows many of the customers by name.

"The older clientele come here for the conversation," he said. "They are retired and can pick out any restaurant to go to."

On Tuesday afternoon before the dinner rush, several older patrons sat in the restaurant's booths. One man read a book; a couple played a card game as they enjoyed coffee.

The restaurant has been serving customers for 31 years. Leo Haideman and his parents started the business as a lunch and dinner place along with his sister-in-law, Lisa who died in 2004.

They wanted to create a market for gyros, a Greek food that wasn't offered in the area at the time.

Leo Haideman met his wife at the restaurant; she was a regular customer.

"I gave extra special attention to someone who caught my eye," Leo Haideman said.

The couple has been married for 30 years and has four children.

At the end of the day, it is important for his family and customers to be healthy, he said.

COVID-19 has affected his business. He was hospitalized for several days with it, he said.

Leo spoke with a regular customer who said his wife died from COVID-19. It was not the first time or last time he has learned of a patron's spouse's death from the virus.

"You never really put it in perspective until it happens," he said.

Anyone interested in applying at Gyros West can go online or visit the restaurant.