Visitors are returning to the state in larger numbers, leaving Hawaii restaurants scrambling to fill vacant positions.

Restaurants like Shorefyre in Waikiki said that finding good reliable help hasn’t been easy.
Sheryl Matsuoka, of the Hawaii Restaurant Association, said one of the main problems is that when some restaurant workers were let go during the pandemic many were forced to find other jobs.

As the tourism industry rebounds, restaurant owners said the supply of food service workers appears to be very low.

“We need to get people off unemployment,” said Allen Farinas, owner of Shore Fyre.
“Create a situation where they get incentivized if they hold a job for two months or three months, they can get a bonus, a little kicker and maybe that goes on instead of unemployment kickers because there are tons of jobs open right now.”

Matsuoka said one of the best ways to connect job seekers with potential employers is by e-mailing the Hawaii Restaurant Association at [email protected].

​https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/06/03/restaurants-say-there-still-struggling-to-find-staff-to-meet-increased-visitor-demand/

In today’s business environment, it is more important than ever to have access to tools that allow merchants to accept payments in a variety of ways. Because of this, Axia has proven to be a useful partner for businesses by providing them with solutions that can empower them to accept payments however their clients want to pay.
Axia’s payment solutions help merchants take the customer experience to the next level while providing businesses with affordable pricing and dedicated support.
Payment Solutions that Help Merchants Thrive  1. Point-of-Sale Systems
Axia’s POS systems are versatile, secure, and allow merchants to accept payments with ease and flexibility. Payments can be accepted – via tap, swipe, or insert – at the point-of-sale system or on the go.
These solutions range from basic to complex, integrate easily with any POS software, allow customers to pay the way they want, and let merchants manage employees and track sales.
2. Electronic Invoicing
Axia’s online invoicing allows merchants to send customizable invoices to clients via email or text which makes it simple for clients to submit their credit card information in just a few clicks.
This invoicing and payment solution accepts payment online, integrates with accounting software, and allows for recurring payments, payment plans, and reminder emails. Electronic invoicing ensures merchants get paid faster and improves cash flow.
3. Mobile Processing
Axia’s credit card processing app – SkyLink – is a simple yet powerful app for Android and Apple phones and tablets. It allows merchants to accept all types of payments whether it’s curbside, takeout, delivery, or customer-based locations.
SkyLink can create and manage invoices, send receipts, and is connected to our payment gateway, TranSafe. It can be used in tandem with a card reader or completely on its own.
4. Payment Gateway (or Virtual Terminal)
Axia’s priority payment gateway, TranSafe, is secure and allows merchants to accept all types of payment transactions – credit, debit, and gift cards, as well as ACH – via any commerce channel. For transactions that are taken over the phone, the process is super easy.

As you may know, there has been a 10-day Hawaii quarantine with several Hawaii travel restrictions since late March 2020. Undoubtedly, many travelers have eagerly been monitoring Hawaii and its process of reopening and now Hawaii is relaxing the mandatory 10-day quarantine policy, allowing travelers to present proof of a negative COVID-19 test to bypass quarantine instead. Please also remember that currently, this test MUST come from a trusted partner.

Now that visitors can once again enjoy Hawaii's remarkable natural beauty, great open spaces, unique experiences, and signature hospitality, we'll cover everything you need to know about what's open, closed, and reopening below. We've compiled a list of all the major Hawaii resorts, hotels, b&b's, inns, and attractions that have already reopened or plan too soon, and their reopening dates when applicable.
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Last year, merchants of all types and sizes demonstrated agility and resilience as they dealt with the unforeseen impact of the pandemic. Most business owners quickly pivoted to update operational practices that conformed with health regulations and satisfied a shift in consumer behaviors.

As a result, merchants turned to contactless payments and curbside service to keep themselves, their staff, and their customers safe. And even more importantly, they were able to keep their businesses viable and operating.
Contactless & Curbside Are Here to Stay
While businesses will experience a surge of in-person interactions as retail opens, many of the new contactless shopping  interactions will remain because it’s convenient. According to a study from Visa, nearly 80% of consumers worldwide changed how they pay in order to reduce contact at the point-of-sale.
And these new ways to pay are a must for merchants to continue to stay viable. Contactless payments are fast by making processes more streamlined; are secure by protecting vital data collection; and good for the bottom line. Transaction pricing does not vary based on how payment information is captured – swipe, insert, tap, phone or wearables – which means there is no impact to contactless payment acceptance costs.

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The growth in mobile money last year was remarkable: 136 million accounts were added in 2020 alone, a 13 percent growth rate, and of the 1.2 billion accounts total, over 300 million are monthly active users, up 17 percent. To put this in perspective, it took the industry a decade to reach 100 million active users; in under 5 years, this figure tripled. Transactions were valued at $767 billion last year — up 22 percent — with over $2 billion being processed every day. December 2020 alone saw more than $70 billion in transactions. (Compare these figures to the IMF’s provisional estimates of 2020 GDP growth, showing a drop of 4.4 percent worldwide and a drop of 3.3 percent in emerging economies.)
What’s particularly important to note is that mobile money transactions have firmly moved well beyond their origins in peer-to-peer (P2P) transfers and bill payments. Services such as salary disbursements, social transfer payments, savings, credit, insurance, and international remittances are now widely available across the mobile money ecosystem. (In 2020, over $1 billion per month in international remittances was processed, an increase of 65 percent from the previous year.)

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