SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Sioux Falls' growing appetite for new restaurants is leaving food service managers starved for workers.

The number of restaurant job openings in the city has tripled in the last five years. The Argus Leader reports that far exceeds the growth in vacancies in the health care and construction fields, which also are struggling to find workers.

Cafe owner Ryan Brickner calls the situation "a nightmare." Greg Puls owns five sandwich restaurants and says he's always hiring.

Job openings at Sioux Falls restaurants have risen from about 500 in 2011 to nearly 1,500 last year.

State Labor and Regulation Secretary Marcia Hultman says business owners who are struggling to find staff need to look not only at the wages they're offering but also at benefit packages and overall work environment.

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