There’s an irony to the new dining area at Chef Andrew Gruel’s Huntington Beach, Calif. restaurant.
Although he’s now permitted to fill it to capacity under California’s lifted guidelines, he can’t find the staff to work it.
Andrew Gruel, cofounder and executive chef at Slapfish restaurant, is pictured in Huntington Beach, Calif., on June 7, 2021. (John Fredricks/The Epoch Times)
Statewide labor shortages and inflation are among the challenges restaurateurs are now facing as they crawl back to life following the pandemic-induced restrictions that hammered California’s hospitality industry.
“First and foremost, a lot of people are making enough on unemployment right now that they’re waiting this out,” Gruel, owner and head chef of Slapfish in Huntington Beach told The Epoch Times.
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