Just as diners are finally returning, many Washington restaurants can t find workers to serve them. Author: Eric Wilkinson Updated: 7:07 PM PDT April 26, 2021
BURLINGTON, Wash. The financial comeback is finally on track at Burlington s Railroad Pub & Pizza. Customers, hungry for some normalcy, are filling the seats.
There s just one problem. We re just looking for anybody who wants to work, said pub owner Nick Crandall.
Washington s hospitality industry lost 140,000 jobs during the pandemic and fewer than 40% of those workers have returned.
Crandall is down at least 10 people between the pub and the nearby Train Wreck Bar & Grill, which he also owns. He s been forced to hire people with zero experience, while at the same time, consider paying them more as an enticement back into the workforce.
Coronavirus is airborne. Here s how to know if you re breathing other people s breath.
Chris Mooney, The Washington Post
Feb. 10, 2021
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1of6Bri Yeager, a server at Railroad Pub and Pizza in Burlington, Wash., prepares a table for diners.Photo for The Washington Post by Jovelle TamayoShow MoreShow Less
2of6In Washington state, the new regulation calls for restaurants to bring in so much outside air that concentrations stay below 450 parts of carbon dioxide per million.Photo for The Washington Post by Jovelle TamayoShow MoreShow Less
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4of6Patrons gather at Railroad Pub & Pizza in Burlington, Wash.Photo for The Washington Post by Jovelle TamayoShow MoreShow Less
The new rules for open-air dining came after a Burlington pub owner fought the state and won. Author: Eric Wilkinson Updated: 6:57 PM PST January 15, 2021
BURLINGTON, Wash. Burlington s Railroad Pub & Pizza can now open its doors to seated customers in its open-air dining room.
Washington s Department of Labor and Industries (L & I) has relaxed dining regulations for certain restaurants after Railroad Pub & Pizza owner Nick Crandall argued that the restaurant s dining room, with garage-door sized roll-up windows, had just as much airflow as the outdoor sidewalk tents that have been allowed.
It was part of his struggle to stay afloat, after nine months of varying indoor dining restrictions on restaurants statewide due to the coronavirus pandemic.