Louisville area restaurants face staffing crisis as diners return: 'Just too much to bear'
Share
Updated: 11:19 PM EDT Apr 6, 2021
Louisville Business First
Share
Updated: 11:19 PM EDT Apr 6, 2021
Hide Transcript
Show Transcript
WORKERS TO HIRE. IT’S BEEN A TOUGH YEAR OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR THOSE IN THE RESTAURANT AND FATALITY INDUSTRY FROM CHANGING BUSINESS MODELS TO ATTRACTING HIRING AND KEEPING EMPLOYEES WITH OUTSIDE DINING OPENING BACK UP BUSINESS OWNERS ARE MAKING ENDS MEET WITH MINIMAL STAFF PREPARING FOR A BUSY SEASON HAS BEEN VERY HAS BEEN HARDER THIS YEAR THAN ANY YEAR BEFORE ALMOST EVERY BUSINESS OWNER CRINGES AT THE THOUGHT OF LAST YEAR WHEN COVID-19 SHUT DOWN THEIR ESTABLISHMENTS, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE I’D HIRED ABOUT 50 PEOPLE AT THAT POINT AND WHEN THE SHUTDOWN HAPPENED WE LOST ABOUT 80% OF THEM ONCE. TRIED TO REOPEN LATE LATE MAY EARLY JUNE. SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY A CHALLENGE FOR US A CHALLENGE FELT BY ALMOST EVERYONE WORKING IN RESTAURANTS AND BARS CHRIS CUNNINGHAM IS THE GENERAL MANAGER AT MOYA’S AMERICAN KITCHEN IN EAST LOUISVILLE WHEN EVERYTHING GOT SHUT DOWN IN NOVEMBER AS WE’VE TALKED ABOUT THE OWNER AND I JUST DECIDED THE COLD MONTHS. WE’RE NOT THE TIME TO TRY TO FIGHT COVID AND THE LOWER OF VOLUME SO WE JUST SHUT DOWN AND RECENTLY REOPENED, FEBRUARY 25TH. WITH EVERY ADULT NOW ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE AND THE EASING OF COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS RESTAURANTS LIKE PARLOR PIZZA IN JEFFERSONVILLE, WHICH RELY ON WARM WEATHER ARE HAVING A HARD TIME HIRING PEOPLE TO WORK. THIS IS BUSY SEASON FOR US AND WE ALWAYS HAVE A LOT OF SEASONAL HELP AND SEASONAL HEALTH HAS NOT REALLY BEEN QUITE AS EASY TO FIND RIGHT NOW JUST BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE AREN’T READY TO COME BACK AND THAT’S OKAY, BUT THAT PUTS US IN A TIGHT POSITION BECAUSE WE’RE REALLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE THE CUSTOMERS ARE STILL GOING TO COME THE GUESTS ARE STILL GOING TO COME SO REALLY TRYING TO STAFF OUR TEAM AND MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE PREPARED, BUT YOU MAY WONDER WHAT’S STOPPING PEOPLE FROM TAKING THESE JOBS. SOME SAY PEOPLE HAVE GENUINE HEALTH CONCERNS ABOUT WORKING IN PUBLIC PLACES DURING A PANDEMIC WHILE OTHERS BELIEVE POTENTIAL HIRES ARE SIMPLY RIDING OUT THEIR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS THEIR CONCERNS OVER THEIR OWN INCOME AND AN INDUSTRY. THAT IS THE FIRST IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT WOULD GET HIT IN THE LAST ONE TO BE RELEASED FROM A LOT OF THE RESTRICTIONS. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON’T TRUST THE VOLUMES THAT TRUMP CAN GENERATE RIGHT NOW TO GENERATE THEIR OWN INCOME.