Dunkin CEO sees immigrants as way to ease ‘labour snags’

Bloomberg

As Dunkin’ Brands Group Inc.’s new chief executive officer takes the reins, the tight US labour market has his attention. One solution to the staffing crunch, according to Dave Hoffmann, who assumed the top post at the coffee-and-doughnut chain this week, is for the US to provide more student visas for foreigners participating in work-study programmes.
“There may be opportunities for us to be able to open up the J-1 visas, which are critical in many of our areas,” Hoffmann, 50, said.
“The tight labour market and staffing has been an issue in the industry for a while.”
Restaurants are increasingly scrambling for latte makers and burger flippers during record low unemployment. The US jobless rate fell to 3.8 percent
in May, matching the April 2000 pace as the lowest since 1969, before bumping up in June.
Other chains including Wendy’s Co. and Shake Shack Inc. have cited higher labour costs as they try to staff restaurants. Dunkin’s former CEO Nigel Travis, who becomes executive chairman, will ramp up his efforts in Washington, pushing for more immigrant workers for small business. Travis, 68, is retiring from the CEO role he has held since 2009, Dunkin’ said in a statement. It may be difficult to get things accomplished during an election cycle, he said.
“They’ve got to try to manage the right things for business against what the administration believes to be the right principles,” Travis said.
“We will continue the discussions,” he said.