Sanxenxo, Spain: 400 waiter vacancies remain unfilled

Sanxenxo seeks 400 waiters with no takers

Sanxenxo has 436 hospitality establishments, most open only in summer. The Sanxenxo Tourism Business Consortium (CETS) estimates a shortage of 400 workers. President Alfonso Martínez states: "Many businesses that did not plan to close must do so to adjust schedules and staff." The problem is not new, but this summer it is more urgent than ever.

Why the waiter shortage in Sanxenxo?

Many hoteliers claim "people don't want to work." Carmen Borrageiros, owner of Restaurante Berberecho, has three vacancies and says bluntly: "We have great difficulty finding staff. It seems people don't want to work." At bar A Lonxa in Portonovo, Alicia Piñeiro confirms hiring was difficult after "many interviews," noting kitchen staff are hardest to find. This complaint repeats every summer.

However, the diagnosis cracks when looking at the other side of the bar. Nightlife venues in Sanxenxo and Portonovo report no staffing issues. Jorge Alonso, manager of DUX Sanxenxo, states: "We haven't had trouble finding waiters, neither this year nor any other." Raúl García, owner of pub Glasgow, adds: "For night shifts, there is almost an excess of applicants." The difference between day restaurant shifts and night pub shifts is not base salary, but hours and conditions.

The calculation debunking the hospitality narrative

The argument that "people don't want to work" clashes with reality acknowledged by hoteliers themselves. Debate materials circulate a calculation: with €1,300 monthly pay off the books, 40-degree heat, and 12-hour days, the appeal is zero. The full breakdown reveals a disparity explaining why many candidates skip interviews.

Sanxenxo's hospitality sector competes with nightlife, offering shorter shifts, tips, and less marathon-like environments. It also competes with the Minimum Vital Income (IMV), which some participants argue disincentivizes job seeking. Above all, it faces market logic: if wages don't rise, labor supply dries up. As one participant notes: "Someone should tell hoteliers that paying ABOVE the collective agreement is perfectly legal."

Summer paradox: more tourists, less spending

Sanxenxo multiplies its population fivefold in summer, with hoteliers hoping to repeat past numbers. Raúl García believes "it will be a better summer than last year." Alicia Piñeiro notes street activity is already visible. But Alfonso Martínez introduces an uncomfortable nuance: "Accommodation bookings are good, but we feel people are cutting back on consumption." Average restaurant tickets drop. Same visitors, lower spend.

This contradiction—more people, less spending—explains why the sector cannot simply raise salaries. If customers tighten belts, margins shrink. It also explains why waiters reject poor offers: hard work, brutal hours, and insufficient pay make the equation fail. The issue isn't unwillingness to work, but that the offered jobs don't compensate.

What about nightlife?

Nightlife in Sanxenxo has no staffing problems. DUX Sanxenxo operates with twelve people on weekdays, expanding to twenty on weekends. Pub Glasgow maintains the same staff year-round. The reason is simple: shorter shifts, generous tips, and physically less demanding environments than kitchens hitting 40 degrees in August. Comparing both worlds proves the problem is lack of conditions, not lack of workers.

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Summer pogre while staffing remains incomplete. Hoteliers unable to schedule close days. Those paying above agreements find people. Others wait for calls. The question isn't whether people want to work, but whether the offered jobs are worth it.