Our Restaurant Industry is really hurting

There are customers galore but not enough workers.
Yesterday I really wanted to go out to eat, but almost ever place we looked at was closed.
It’s not for religious reasons, it’s lack of staffing.

I know one place that’s been open forever just closed its doors. Another place is being sold.
The few places that are holding on by a thread won’t make it if they aren’t open, especially on the weekends when people like to go out.
I noticed that some are also limiting their menus.

Yes yes, before anyone starts, home cooking is great, healthy blah blah, but sometimes you want to go out to eat, for socialization, or if you are away from home.

originally posted by: JAGStorm
There are customers galore but not enough workers.
Yesterday I really wanted to go out to eat, but almost ever place we looked at was closed.
It’s not for religious reasons, it’s lack of staffing.

I know one place that’s been open forever just closed its doors. Another place is being sold.
The few places that are holding on by a thread won’t make it if they aren’t open, especially on the weekends when people like to go out.
I noticed that some are also limiting their menus.

Yes yes, before anyone starts, home cooking is great, healthy blah blah, but sometimes you want to go out to eat, for socialization, or if you are away from home.

you are confused. Bidenomics is working super good.
newrepublic.com...

a reply to: JAGStorm

From knowing many people that have, or still do, work in the service industry, I can tell you that most of that issue lies with the restaurants themselves. Whether it be long shifts without breaks, harassments, low wages, low staffing to help, etc. These all have been leading to employees leaving or not wanting to go there in the first place.

We have had several restaurants around us open, then close within a years time due to not being able to keep anyone in there to work, mostly due to low wages and long hours. Or even the occasional place that has been there forever that closes due to all of the employees leaving after new management takes over

a reply to: network dude

About as well as the Hindenburg

a reply to: JAGStorm

Is your state one of the retarded ones, that can get away with paying servers only $4 an hour? Mine is.

But they don’t do it in my small tourist town because nobody would work. It’s seasonal and summer isn’t the season. So all the servers and bartenders are begging for work at the moment.

a reply to: JAGStorm

We'd already lost half of the restaurants in my town back in 2021. Staffing was a big part of it. They also couldn't survive the lack of tourists.

a reply to: KKLOCO

Wages for waiters/waitresses in the South is 2.13 plus tips.

I used to serve entire families of seven or more people for over an hour with all the trimmings only to be left a dollar tip.

originally posted by: tamusan
a reply to: JAGStorm

We'd already lost half of the restaurants in my town back in 2021. Staffing was a big part of it. They also couldn't survive the lack of tourists.

We didn’t but we sure are now. I think people were extra generous during Covid here, but now the collapse is happening.

originally posted by: PorkChop96
a reply to: JAGStorm

From knowing many people that have, or still do, work in the service industry, I can tell you that most of that issue lies with the restaurants themselves. Whether it be long shifts without breaks, harassments, low wages, low staffing to help, etc. These all have been leading to employees leaving or not wanting to go there in the first place.

There's something else wrong than the way restaurants operate. That business has always had low wages with not enough breaks and harassment, especially from patrons. The workforce has changed. Expectations are too high for unskilled labor. Where I live, there are many restaurants with good service and good food. The wait staff are generally young people who are not looking to make a career out of it. Turn over is high but, again, it's always been that way.

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES
a reply to: KKLOCO

Wages for waiters/waitresses in the South is 2.13 plus tips.

I used to serve entire families of seven or more people for over an hour with all the trimmings only to be left a dollar tip.

That sucks! I work in the service industry and can say without a doubt, there are many people that don’t believe tipping is standard procedure. And since the hyperinflation kicked in, people stiffing us on tips has become more and more of a problem.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: JAGStorm
There are customers galore but not enough workers.
Yesterday I really wanted to go out to eat, but almost ever place we looked at was closed.
It’s not for religious reasons, it’s lack of staffing.

I know one place that’s been open forever just closed its doors. Another place is being sold.
The few places that are holding on by a thread won’t make it if they aren’t open, especially on the weekends when people like to go out.
I noticed that some are also limiting their menus.

Yes yes, before anyone starts, home cooking is great, healthy blah blah, but sometimes you want to go out to eat, for socialization, or if you are away from home.

you are confused. Bidenomics is working super good.
newrepublic.com...

If you judge on the basis of unemployment numbers it IS working super good. The labor market is tight because unemployment is practically at a 50 year low--fluctuating between about 3.4% and 3.6%. It's easy to get jobs that pay more than a food worker job, right now.

a reply to: KKLOCO

There is a huge movement of people who are adamatly opposed to tipping who say the resturant should be responsible for adequately compensating the employees instead of the customer.

There is a counter-movement of waitresses/waiters who say they make far more in tips and that tipping should be the default.

My experience as a server was an average of $30 a day in tips, whereas others are reporting tips in excess of $200 daily.

originally posted by: JAGStorm

originally posted by: tamusan
a reply to: JAGStorm

We'd already lost half of the restaurants in my town back in 2021. Staffing was a big part of it. They also couldn't survive the lack of tourists.

We didn’t but we sure are now. I think people were extra generous during Covid here, but now the collapse is happening.

Actually, it's because our (WI) Supreme Court didn't allow the lockdowns (knocked down Evers's mask and other COVID era laws) in this state.

We were wide open for business, unlike much of the U.S.

Sadly, our SC is now progressive, due to the college campus centered election that just happened.

a reply to: GENERAL EYES

“There is a huge movement of people who are adamatly opposed to tipping who say the resturant should be responsible for adequately compensating the employees instead of the customer.”

I’m all for restaurants raising their prices 20% to pass that to the servers and eliminate tipping. There are far too many sh!tty tippers out there. It would save me some money because I’m a fat tipper due to being in the service industry. I’m just not in the food service industry.

a reply to: JAGStorm

It doesn't make sense. Practically every restaurant I've been to, aside from a few, their kitchens are always well staff with short Latinos.

Considering that firsthand evidence, why are restaurants understaffed when over 4+ million new "chefs" and servers just landed here???

Everyone raves about how they work circles around other people, why are they not working those long shifts?? What happened to that legendary drive?🤷🏻

You can make 2x the pay with benefits at a grocery store whall being treated decently

Tell me again why I should go back to cooking for people who pay minimum and treat you like garbage

I'll have to pass on working sick untell 3am and getting rewarded with .25 raise every year

a reply to: KKLOCO

I always tip a minimum of $5 regardless if I am at a sit down resturant.

At cafes, it's usually a dollar or two just for taking my order.

I've always thought that working in retail and food service should be mandatory for all citizens as entry level positions for two years just so the majority understands how absolutely backbreaking and unrewarding the experience is so they're forced to have some perspective, and hopefully, gain some empathy.

Unfortunately, it will backfire because humans suck.

I personally think it goes far deeper than lack of staff. Biden's broad sweep to assess real estate values at their peak when the eviction moratorium was lifted hit all property owners hard. Inflation just keeps climbing, so gas for the grill, electricity, utilities and ever-increasing food prices has many restaurants hanging by a thread and forced to operate short-staffed.

Even the big chain restaurants are downsizing. It's hard to run a business when the cost of everything rises on a daily basis.

a reply to: 1947boomer

Joe is that you?

originally posted by: KKLOCO

originally posted by: GENERAL EYES
a reply to: KKLOCO

Wages for waiters/waitresses in the South is 2.13 plus tips.

I used to serve entire families of seven or more people for over an hour with all the trimmings only to be left a dollar tip.

That sucks! I work in the service industry and can say without a doubt, there are many people that don’t believe tipping is standard procedure. And since the hyperinflation kicked in, people stiffing us on tips has become more and more of a problem.

Tipping is not SOP. If you are attentive and friendly, I will tip. If the service sucks, well you didn't earn a tip.