WUNC
A sign in the window of Max’s Italian Restaurant in Kill Devil Hills asks customers for understanding as the restaurant grapples with COVID rules and short staffing. Variations of the same plea are posted at businesses up and down the Outer Banks, sometimes right beside “Help Wanted” signs.
With the pandemic easing its grip, the summer vacation season that unofficially begins this weekend is expected to set tourism records on North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
That’s great for the local economy, which relies on visitors. But a major labor shortage means business owners won’t be able to take full advantage of the crowds.