how critical are these restaurants to the bradley beach community every summer? very critical. and i call it the bookends of bradley beach. on the east, we have the beach, on the west, we have main street. reporter: vic s is the biggest employer in town, with 100 employees during peak season, but right now, the restaurant can t cover 20% of its shifts, even raising hourly wages by $2 for new employees. i just can t get people to come in and to start a new job. why can t you pay more? why can t you offer more incentives? well, if we were to go above and beyond when this all goes away, when the crisis is over, the floor is going to, you know, fall out, and inflation is going to kick in. the customers will have to absorb the cost, and we don t want to do that. reporter: at langosta lounge in nearby asberry park, owner marilyn sloshback is offering
away, when the crisis is over, the floor is going to fall out, and inflation is going to kick in. the customers will have to absorb the cost, and we don t want to do that. reporter: at langosta lounge in nearby asbury park, owner marilyn sloshback is offering bonuses to current and new employees. why do you think you re having such a tough time finding people to work? unemployment. the stimulus is killing us. reporter: sloshback owns seven restaurants along the jersey shore and usually employs 250 people. she s operating with just 75. i m honest in telling them i m pushing them, but still i m pushing them, and i don t think that s a healthy way to live your life. reporter: that means longer hours for servers like kathleen thompson. despite being furloughed and making just as much on unemployment, she wanted to go back to work. they ve been good to me for 20 years. i can t say, no, i m not coming