CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A Chicago-based consultant says many local restaurants have had to change what they serve and how they operate to deal with shortages on several fronts.
Doug Roth, founder and President of Playground Hospitality, a company that assists restaurants with business strategies, said that the shortages are effecting restaurants in several ways.
"One of them obviously is ordering food and ordering product. At this point, they're making menu changes in order to accommodate some of the shortages."
He also mentioned a shortage of restaurant equipment, which can be especially difficult for new eateries.
It's also difficult for many restaurants to find wait staff and cooks and that restaurants have responded by either streamlining their menus to focus on traditional customer favorites or by innovating to take advantage of the ingredients, workers, and equipment they can get.
"They have to get at this point what they are able to serve and most importantly serve consistently, because what you have on the other side is that you have those individuals that we call line cooks-people who are working in the kitchen and as you know, many restaurants can't find them," Roth added.
