Going out to eat post COVID

[ArtieChokePhin]

Last night, I took my wife out for dinner and drinks because I had a hard day and wanted to zone out.  We went to the Red Lobster on 117th and Kendall.  I noticed roughly half the tables were empty, but there were people in the lobby and we were told there was a 90 minute wait. 

Undeterred, we went across the street to the Kendall Ale House.  There, it was the same situation.  We did manage to get two stools at the bar that had just been vacated.  Once we sat down, the bartender took our drink orders, then told us there would be at least an hour wait for food and that certain menu items were not available due to half the kitchen being shut down. 

Thankfully, what we ordered came out quickly.   A manager stopped by to ask how we were doing.  When I told him what I had observed, he confided to me that they were having trouble with staffing due to the enhanced unemployment still being given out and they were on the verge of closing down.  This was despite the fact that people were waiting for tables.  He also told me that most restaurants in the area are suffering from the same problem.   

Have any of you folks seen anything like this and if so, how bad has it been for you?   

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Last night, I took my wife out for dinner and drinks because I had a hard day and wanted to zone out.  We went to the Red Lobster on 117th and Kendall.  I noticed roughly half the tables were empty, but there were people in the lobby and we were told there was a 90 minute wait. 

Undeterred, we went across the street to the Kendall Ale House.  There, it was the same situation.  We did manage to get two stools at the bar that had just been vacated.  Once we sat down, the bartender took our drink orders, then told us there would be at least an hour wait for food and that certain menu items were not available due to half the kitchen being shut down. 

Thankfully, what we ordered came out quickly.   A manager stopped by to ask how we were doing.  When I told him what I had observed, he confided to me that they were having trouble with staffing due to the enhanced unemployment still being given out and they were on the verge of closing down.  This was despite the fact that people were waiting for tables.  He also told me that most restaurants in the area are suffering from the same problem.   

Have any of you folks seen anything like this and if so, how bad has it been for you?   

I know a restaurant owner who makes the same claim.

I also know a few of his current and ex employees and they all stay in touch with the former workers, so I also know the truth. He laid off 46 employees.  Of that 15 of them had found other employment between being laid off and asked back.  Of those 15, 1 came back part time for a couple of weeks, but once her new job offered her more hours she quit.  Of the 31 that hadn’t found work 29 returned.  One didn’t return because she gave birth and had planned to quit.  (Her husband makes enough). One was 70 and retired.

Of the 29 that did return 17 of them have since quit, for new jobs.  In most cases joining former coworkers at new better paying jobs.  The other 12 are also looking. 

Prices on the menu are ~30% higher but the employees have not seen any pay raise.   The owner has hired plenty of folks but most quit after a few days because the low pay in relation to the work environment. 

The problem isn’t the unemployment benefits, it is that folks who thought they were stuck doing a crappy job that paid poorly now realize they have better employment opportunities.

[Sunstroke]

Have any of you folks seen anything like this and if so, how bad has it been for you?  

Nope...no issues at all. I've gone out to eat a couple of times in the past week or so, and while I've seen restaurant layouts apply more spacing, I haven't seen any major delays for my order, or any manager whine to me about staffing issues.

[Dolphster]

I'm in a suburb of Dallas and we haven't noticed it too much.  Last weekend we went out to dinner and noticed that about 1/4 of the tables were not being utilized and there was about a 30 minute wait.  We assumed it was because they were understaffed.  And last month we had drinks at a place that actually had a sign on the door asking patrons to be patient as they were understaffed.  But other than those two incidents, I haven't really noticed it. 

[Fau Teixeira]

I wonder what the new line is going to be once the enhanced unemployment ends and people still won't work for crap restaurants offering crap pay.

Also it's funny that that happened in Miami when florida stopped paying enhanced unemployment 2 weeks ago

[CF DolFan]

Last night, I took my wife out for dinner and drinks because I had a hard day and wanted to zone out.  We went to the Red Lobster on 117th and Kendall.  I noticed roughly half the tables were empty, but there were people in the lobby and we were told there was a 90 minute wait.  

Undeterred, we went across the street to the Kendall Ale House.  There, it was the same situation.  We did manage to get two stools at the bar that had just been vacated.  Once we sat down, the bartender took our drink orders, then told us there would be at least an hour wait for food and that certain menu items were not available due to half the kitchen being shut down.  

Thankfully, what we ordered came out quickly.   A manager stopped by to ask how we were doing.  When I told him what I had observed, he confided to me that they were having trouble with staffing due to the enhanced unemployment still being given out and they were on the verge of closing down.  This was despite the fact that people were waiting for tables.  He also told me that most restaurants in the area are suffering from the same problem.  

Have any of you folks seen anything like this and if so, how bad has it been for you?  

I eat out more evenings than I eat from home in a week and it's very common. Just last night we went to Chile's and decided to leave the half filled restaurant because of the 30-45 minute wait. We went to a mom and pops Italian place across the plaza and had a 20 minute wait under the same circumstances. Several places are offering hiring bonuses to people to come work at restaurants and still are understaffed. Everyone is hiring. It's absolutely ridiculous.

I'll also add we run into poor service many of the times these days but we have learned to be patient as at least they are trying to work.

[CF DolFan]

I wonder what the new line is going to be once the enhanced unemployment ends and people still won't work for crap restaurants offering crap pay.

Also it's funny that that happened in Miami when florida stopped paying enhanced unemployment 2 weeks ago

Don't worry Fau ... they will come a running when they run out of money and need that new vape pen and Starbucks coffee. Momma's basement isn't going to pay for it.

[ArtieChokePhin]

I wonder what the new line is going to be once the enhanced unemployment ends and people still won't work for crap restaurants offering crap pay.

Also it's funny that that happened in Miami when florida stopped paying enhanced unemployment 2 weeks ago

Don't worry Fau ... they will come a running when they run out of money and need that new vape pen and Starbucks coffee. Momma's basement isn't going to pay for it.

Eventually the regular unemployment will end as well.  Then when they realize the bills need to get paid, they'll get off their asses and find work.

On a personal note, I take care of my guys real well so none of them quit.

[Fau Teixeira]

Don't worry Fau ... they will come a running when they run out of money and need that new vape pen and Starbucks coffee. Momma's basement isn't going to pay for it.

I'm not worried. When it comes to this, the better run places will pay a better wage and get better staff. others won't and they'll lose business as a result. Free market and all that right?

[Fau Teixeira]

I just think people that knee jerk the "no-one wants to work" are going to get a rude awakening. I think people took the 'opportunity' getting laid off or furloughed gave them and found better jobs in different industries. It's not like a waiter gave up his multi-decade career in serving food after some agonizing soul searching. They got a job working somewhere else, making more money and have no interest in working at that restaurant again.  We are also missing over half a million people from the potential labor force, there may just be less workers now than there were in jan 2020

[masterfins]

I just think people that knee jerk the "no-one wants to work" are going to get a rude awakening. I think people took the 'opportunity' getting laid off or furloughed gave them and found better jobs in different industries. It's not like a waiter gave up his multi-decade career in serving food after some agonizing soul searching. They got a job working somewhere else, making more money and have no interest in working at that restaurant again.  We are also missing over half a million people from the potential labor force, there may just be less workers now than there were in jan 2020

You may be right that restaurant workers took jobs in other fields during the pandemic, and I think that's a good thing. BUT, they may have taken the jobs of other people that have been happy to sit on their arses and collect unemployment, and those people are going to be looking for jobs that aren't there when they have to return to work.  You make it sound like there were oodles of jobs before the pandemic hit, and while Trump did a great job lowering unemployment during his Presidency, there will be people lining up to fill these jobs come September.

[Spider-Dan]

Why are we still hearing about this "no one wants to work" stuff in Florida?  Your governor ended the extra unemployment money 2 weeks ago, and FL already has one of the most difficult-to-navigate unemployment systems in the nation; one that, according to DeSantis, was designed with "pointless roadblocks" to "lead to the least number of claims being paid out."

So how long are we going to be blaming workers for a labor shortage... the rest of the summer?  The rest of the year?
At what point is it on management to offer more money?

[CF DolFan]

Why are we still hearing about this "no one wants to work" stuff in Florida?  Your governor ended the extra unemployment money 2 weeks ago, and FL already has one of the most difficult-to-navigate unemployment systems in the nation; one that, according to DeSantis, was designed with "pointless roadblocks" to "lead to the least number of claims being paid out."

So how long are we going to be blaming workers for a labor shortage... the rest of the summer?  The rest of the year?
At what point is it on management to offer more money?

I'm actually curious about this.  Do you really think 2 whole weeks is the difference maker? By labor day you will see a huge reduction in short staffed places.

I'm not sure why you guys think they have gotten jobs in other industries when we still have unemployment ... although much lower than blue states. The states that have rejected Biden's free money currently now typically have the lowest unemployment.

[Spider-Dan]

I'm actually curious about this.  Do you really think 2 whole weeks is the difference maker? By labor day you will see a huge reduction in short staffed places.

Well, I am generally of the opinion that people tend to need food and shelter every week, so I think the moment Floridians heard the extra unemployment is being cancelled at the end of June they would have been planning to have income at that time.

Of course, this would not apply if the people in question can still manage anyway without the extra supplemental unemployment from the feds... but if that's the case, why would things be any different by Labor Day?  I mean, if you can survive the entire summer without this extra income, I fail to see what would change by then.

Florida's unemployment rate for May was 4.9%.  Any business in that state that "can't find anyone to hire" doesn't want to offer enough money.  And if they think their problem is going to get better, they're wrong; it's going to get worse.  The companies that want to pay good wages and benefits are booming, and as long as huge companies like Amazon and Target are willing to pay $15/hour, businesses that don't are going to get squeezed more and more.

[Fau Teixeira]

i saw mcdonalds offering 9.50 / hr to 11/hr near me .. next door wawa was offering 13-14 / hr to start .. who do you think people are going to pick?