Customers are returning to Colorado restaurants, bars, retail shops and other businesses, but they may not have anyone to take their order and serve them, help them find merchandise or take their payment.
That s because many businesses in the state s service sector are struggling to hire enough workers to handle the increased number of customers and sales now that many COVID-19 pandemic restrictions have been lifted. Business owners report they can t get anyone to respond to their job postings and help-wanted ads, let alone show up for an interview, accept a job and start working.
The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment adopted an emergency rule last week designed to push more people receiving unemployment benefits to return to the job market. The rule will cut off jobless benefits if applicants fail to show up for a scheduled interview or first day of work, which has become a growing problem.
Customers are returning to Colorado restaurants, bars, retail shops and other businesses, but they may not have anyone to take their order and serve them, help them find merchandise or
Restaurant owners whose businesses survived the first year of the pandemic are finally beginning to see their customers come back, but now thereâs a new problem this already battered industry has to solve: finding enough workers to be able to serve them.
âWe definitely are seeing a shortage in restaurant workers in the community,â says Joe Campana, a Colorado Springs entrepreneur who owns several area restaurants and bars, including Bonny and Read and Shame & Regret. âWeâve been OK, but Iâve heard it all over town. Iâve had a number of different owners call me in the last few weeks asking me to forward applications over to them, anything weâve got.â
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Local restaurant owner explains why he waited to open back up
Erin Chapman
and last updated 2021-02-01 00:13:52-05
COLORADO SPRINGS â When El Paso County hit Level Orange, restaurants were allowed to invite their customers back in under a 25% capacity.
However, local restaurant owner, Joe Campana, sat on the sidelines, and decided to wait.
Campana owns eight different restaurants and bars in Colorado Springs.
Including The Rabbit Hole, Bonny and Read, Shame and Regret, and many more.
All of which have been closed since November. It has been a rollercoaster for us in the restaurant business as you can see not knowing what to do. It seems like the rules are changing every couple of weeks.