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November 9, 2021

Downtown Worcester restaurant closes until further notice due to staff problem

Photo | Courtesy of Mark Henderson Shawarma Palace on Main Street in Worcester
By Monica Benevides

Worcester restaurant Shawarma Palace has closed until further notice due to a staffing problem, the company has posted on its website.

The company did not immediately respond to a request for clarification on Tuesday as to what the staffing problem was, nor did anyone at the restaurant answer the company’s phone line.

The local social media website The016.com first reported the news.

The entire hospitality industry has been troubled by staffing shortages throughout the coronavirus pandemic, first as they shut down in the early phases due to various gathering restrictions, and now as restaurants struggle to find workers for open positions.

Shawarma Palace moved from its Pleasant Street location and into a vacant restaurant space at 20 Franklin St., a building owned by the Worcester Business Development Corp., last fall. The restaurant, owned by Charles Dalli, opened in 2014 and specializes in both shawarma and other Mediterranean fare.

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5 Comments

Anonymous
November 10, 2021
That is so sad to hear! I LOVE that place and the owner was the one whom worked there so the “staffing” thing may be because he can’t do all the work anymore plus people aren’t eating out like they used to! I used to go there ALL THE TIME when it was on Pleasant Street because I lived less than a five minute walk away. They make the BEST Shawarma in Worcester hands down! I sure hope they make it through this because I’ve been wanting to go there so badly, the only reason I haven’t is because I live farther away now. Positive vibes to the family whom owns the restaurant and that they can reopen again soon!!!!
Anonymous
November 10, 2021

There isn’t a labor shortage. There’s a management shortage. Failed management that demands the world stay the way it was and is incapable of adjusting to a world where they need to charge more for their food and pay significantly more to their staff. There are plenty of places that are thriving right now. You want to write a useful article, you should report on what they did to do so.

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