(WWJ) A new statewide survey shows just how seriously restaurants and hotels in Michigan are struggling without enough staff.
The Michigan Restaurant & Lodging Association (MRLA) on Wednesday released results of a hospitality industry survey conducted to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing the industry now about a month-and-a half after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in the state.
The survey found that:
• 88%, or close to 9 in 10, and almost every hotel in Michigan is operating with inadequate staffing to meet consumer demand.
• More than 85% of full-service restaurants reported closing early or for specific segments during the day as a direct result of inadequate staffing levels.
• 81% of hotels are limiting room inventory because they do not have adequate staffing to turn them over for new guests.
• 28% support recent CDC guidelines recommending masks indoors because it will "create a safer and more stable environment in which to operate" while 72 percent opposed because it will "reignite an environment of fear that will negatively impact my business."
The survey, conducted August 3–6 by the MRLA, included 320 responses from Michigan restaurant and hotel operators, representing approximately 1,000 locations statewide.
"As we pivot to an uncertain turn of the season fraught with the possibility of persistent COVID-19 challenges, an inadequate workforce and rampant inflationary pressures, it is important to remember that most restaurants and hotels did not receive federal or state aid during the darkest days of the pandemic," said Justin Winslow, MRLA President & CEO.
Jeremy Jenkins of Livonia was disappointed when he and his brother went to downtown Detroit for a concert Tuesday, and couldn't find anywhere to eat.
Many restaurants were closed, and those that were open had lines out the door. They sat down at one bar, were never served, and ended up leaving hungry.
"I was just more upset because the whole point of going down there for me early was, you know, to have something to eat and have a drink before going over the the concert," he said, "and we just didn't get that opportunity."
Jenkins, himself a server, said the restaurant where he works is open and busy. And, as a result of the short-staffing, he's making plenty in tips these days.
However, Jenkins understands why others may be hesitant to return to the industry.
"People look around and see how bad it is at restaurants, and it's not really a desirable job right now," Jenkins said. "Just because we are short-staffed, so it's stressful on everyone. You already walk into a stressful environment, and I think people having time off during the pandemic gave them a little bit more time to reflect on how they could spend their time...and realized that it wasn't really worth it."
Looking ahead, Winslow said some direct financial support from the government to restaurant owners would certainly help.
"The existential challenges for the hospitality industry are not yet behind it, which is why it is so important for the Michigan legislature and Gov. Whitmer to come together on a deal in September that prioritizes the hospitality industry in yet-to-be-appropriated federal relief dollars," Winslow said. "And why Congress should see fit to pass the Save Hotel Jobs Act and secure a second round of funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund."
