HADDONFIELD, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — After nearly a decade serving coffee, salads and sandwiches on Kings Highway near the PATCO station, Ludovico’s in Haddonfield is permanently shutting its doors — but it wasn’t for a lack of business.
Owners Larry and Roxane Maggio said business at the popular deli was booming. They just couldn’t find enough employees to hire.
Signs on the deli doors read on Friday, “It is with a heavy heart that we have decided to close our store. It has become impossible to remain open due to the lack of staff.”
Larry Maggio said he tried relentlessly to add to his four-person staff.
“They’ve got plenty of help wanted signs up there,” he said. “We put ads out and we get almost no replies. We put an ad out for a deli position. We got zero applications.
“Our belief is that it’s more beneficial to stay home and collect [unemployment benefits] than go to work, when you can make more money staying home.”
Roxane Maggio said finding good help is a widespread issue, as food service industry workers who were sidelined during the COVID-19 pandemic found other jobs.
“It’s definitely affecting everyone. You can see there are help wanted signs in everybody’s window,” she said. “Businesses are offering signing bonuses, which they never had to do before.”
Nearly every morning, Darlene DePasquale stopped by Ludovico’s for coffee.
“Their coffee is amazing,” she enthused. “I came for the coffee every morning. Roxanne and Larry are just so warm and friendly, and their food is great.”
But even DePasquale noticed Ludovico’s was struggling to find employees.
“They did go through a lot of help in the coffee area. There was always somebody new,” she noted.
Roxane Maggio isn’t sure what the future holds.
“I don’t know what we’re going to do. Take a few months off, relax and then probably find a job. Everybody’s hiring, so I don’t think we’ll have any trouble finding a job,” she quipped.