If you've dined out lately, you may have felt the pinch of the restaurant worker shortage. From longer wait times to reduced operating hours, restaurants and their customers are still coping with those shortages.
According to one restauranteur, that labor shortage might be sticking around for a while longer.
"Shortages are everywhere when it comes to labor, especially back of the house labor," said Paul Rotner, CEO of Acme Oyster House, adding that some restaurants are also having trouble finding bartenders. "In most of our restaurants, we're paying close to $19 an hour, and we still can't find help."
Rotner says people who normally would seek out a career as a cook or chef in a restaurant have been lured away by other jobs.
"I truly believe that the Amazons of the world have picked up that employee base that we're not seeing any more."
Will the shortage ease up any time soon?
"I would love to say, 'yes,' but I can't say that at this point in time," Rotner said. "We're starting to see a few more bodies come through the door, but not enough to make a huge difference yet."
Rotner says the Acme French Quarter location recently hired enough people to expand its operating schedule to five-and-a-half days a week. He says the ultimate goal is to find enough people to open the restaurant daily.
"We did a little different marketing to try to get some bodies to come in and apply," Rotner said. "Now we got to try to get the ones who did come in and apply through training, and hopefully, we'll have enough by the end of that to move forward and open seven days again."
Despite it all, Rotner says his and other restaurants are still doing their best to satisfy their customers.
"You know, we're doing everything we possibly can to give a great experience, and sometimes it's a little bit difficult when you're running shortages."
