“Waiter wanted”, “Kitchen assistant wanted”: signs hanging in shop windows have become a constant feature of the Italian urban landscape. The restaurant industry is responsible for approximately 826,000 anticipated revenues, which is just over 70% of the total tourism sector, as per the Ministry of Labor's data. Restaurants and mobile foodservice firms account for more than 590,000. It's a massive, worldwide sector with a growing labor shortage. The short circuit occurred during Covid: as firms closed, many people left the sector. 250,000 workers were lost, a gap not yet fully recovered. Waiters are among the most in-demand positions, with 75,670 available opportunities, followed by kitchen helpers (30,200), bartenders (24,440), and restaurant chefs (14,700). Demand is high, yet finding the appropriate individuals is not easy. In 62.8% of cases, businesses are looking for experienced employees. When options are restricted, businesses adapt: 38% of available opportunities are offered to those with no prior experience in the restaurant industry. Then there's a societal shift that has made things much more challenging. Young people have begun to reconsider the work-life balance: pay, well-being, career prospects, and training opportunities have all become concrete objectives.