This time of year, in the shadow of the iconic “Dolle’s Salt Water Taffy” sign on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, you would normally find a line stretching toward the sand in front of Thrasher’s french fry shop. A local favorite for many of the thousands of visitors who flock to this Delaware seaside town each summer, Thrasher’s has been dishing up fresh-cut potatoes for 92 years.
This year, there’s no line. No fries. No customers.
Because there are no workers.
Dean Shuttleworth, the general manager, says he temporarily shuttered the location—one of three Thrasher’s outposts in the Rehoboth area—because he cannot find workers to staff the shop. One of the other locations is fully open. The third is only opening on the weekends—again, due to too few workers.