App looks to match restaurants, workers

Whether you're a cook, dishwasher or a barista, if you're in the restaurant business, there's a new way to find work. But don't expect a long term job.  The gig economy has moved from the food delivery business to right inside the restaurant kitchen.

Will Pacio is the CEO and co-founder of Pared. He owns several restaurants in the San Francisco area and created the app to solve problems he was having with staffing.  The platform is used by several thousand restaurants in the Bay area and New York now according to the company. 

"People call out sick all the time or don't show up," Pacio said. "And then in our business, there's a lot of fluctuation and seasonality. We have catering events and certain delivery orders that you need more staff even for a day or for a week."

The restaurant industry is currently dealing with a labor shortage and apps like Pared are helping to fill the void. Anyone looking for work can post their work history resume on the app and restaurants can then contact them.  Pacio claims that workers that use the app can earn $20 an hour.

Richard Kimball, the Event Chef at RiverPark Restaurant in Manhattan.

"It's a huge asset for us," Kimball says.

He adds that it is a great way for restaurants to control labor costs.

"We can keep our labor low, we can bring in temporary cooks only when we need them, so we don't need to hire people long-term. It is very helpful for the larger events when we need a lot of bodies that we may not have on payroll," Kimball said.

Critics say that the apps say that workers become powerless to fight for their rights when using the app.  As contract employees, the workers do not qualify for benefits like insurance.  The app platform dictates the rules of their employment and also takes a fee from the pay that restaurants pay the employee through the app.