How Restaurants Are Approaching Problems Caused (and Worsened) by the Pandemic
Talking to a handful of local restaurateurs about staffing, safety, pay and more
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The Nashville hospitality industry has been hit particularly hard by the one-two punch of COVID-19 and last year’s unimaginable series of disastrous events. As quickly as the dining spigot was cut off by mayoral fiat back in March 2020, it has reopened to a gushing cascade as capacity constraints and mask regulations have been lifted. This has introduced an all-new series of challenges for local food and beverage workers.
It’s easy to assume that some of the things that have gone away — think family-style and buffet dining — will never return. But Monell’s, for instance, is back with full tables around the lazy Susan. Other new aspects of the dining experience — like carryout from fine-dining establishments and the option to buy booze to-go — will probably remain a regular part of the industry, but their future impact on revenue is still an open question. While the rampant issues regarding staffing difficulties are definitely real, how businesses are scrambling to attract workers involves a wide range of potential solutions. To attribute the paucity of available workers to past and future servers sitting on their couches playing video games and cashing their stimulus and unemployment checks — well, that’s beyond reductive.