Members of Minnesota's hospitality industry are painting a grim picture, saying many businesses are near the breaking point.
Hospitality Minnesota president and CEO Angie Whitcomb says elected officials need to step in, or risk losing a vital economic engine.
"These aren't faceless corporations," says Whitcomb. "These are family businesses, neighborhood restaurants, independent hotels that have survived the pandemic and are still fighting to keep their doors open, and their people employed. And the path forward exists, but it requires policy that reflects the real economics of running a business in Minnesota."
Whitcomb says Minnesota has fewer hospitality jobs now than at this same time last year, particularly in the metro area.
She says that has become a trend.
"Our operators are more pessimistic about economic and business conditions and their futures than they were last year," Whitcomb adds. "And excessive regulation, along with growing labor and food costs, leads to decreasing profitsm, which is preventing investment and growth."
Whitcomb says state lawmakers need to create policies that reflect the economics of running a business in Minnesota.
