FARMINGTON, Conn. (WTIC Radio)—The phase-out of some restrictions this past weekend made many of Connecticut's restaurant and bar owners excited for May 19, officials with the Connecticut Restaurant Association said, though there is still one major concern still lingering.
Restaurant and bar owners saw a boost in business last weekend thanks to lifted restrictions on Saturday, May 1, Association Executive Director Scott Dolch said. That includes the curfew change to midnight, the ability to serve alcohol without food and to seat guests without table size limits.
"As we're moving forward," Dolch said, "I'm very very excited for what May first brought but also, we're getting even closer to May 19 and lifting all business restrictions."
However, many in the industry are planning to make a gradual return to normalcy and to continue lifting certain restrictions even after that Wednesday, Dolch said.
According to Dolch, many owners with the association have told him they're going to keep plexiglass up in certain areas and keep monitoring the bar area inside after May 19.
The goal, Dolch said, is to build customer confidence. "Trust our industry has done the right thing and they're not going to just flip a switch and rip the band-aid off and go back to a pre-2019 feeling."
With that said, there's still a major concern on employers' mind as May 19 approaches.
"Almost every restaurant in the state, caterer, event venue, brewery, winery, everyone is looking for staff. Not just in the hospitality industry, a lot of different businesses are trying to get people back," he said.
The challenge of increasing staff size comes after many businesses haven't had a full staff due to restrictions.
Multiple job postings across the industry plays a huge role in the problem, Dolch said, because not only are multiple restaurants looking to hire, but each one is looking for probably four or five people to hire at once.
Another factor at play is building confidence among workers and helping them return to work, he said. Dolch said he hopes to work with the state on encouraging those on unemployment to get back to work.
The Connecticut Restaurant Association launched a job board for its members to help. It has over 100 job postings, Dolch said, and that number is growing.
Despite the challenge, Dolch said he's looking forward to having a great rest of 2021 for the industry.