Some restaurants are closing dining rooms again, but owners blame staffing shortages, not COVID
Advertisement
Mary Meisenzahl
Sep 16, 2021, 18:13 IST
Restaurant chains have had top close dining rooms.
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
Fast-food locations around the country are temporarily closing dining rooms or cutting hours.
Owners say that they can't open dining rooms without enough staff.
The restaurant industry has faced a shortage of workers for the last year.
Advertisement
Restaurant chains are going through another round of dining room closures, but this time it's not directly because of COVID-19 infections. Chains are having to adjust hours or only operate drive-thrus as they face a lack of staff to keep restaurants running.
"We, along with many businesses, are in the middle of a hiring crisis," the Calera, Alabama Chick-fil-A restaurant said in a Facebook post. A McDonald's location in North Carolina made a similar move, closing the dining room while keeping the drive-thru running.
Two more Chick-fil-A locations in northern Alabama have started closing early because of "extremely short staffing," Grace Dean reported for Insider. Two campus Starbucks locations at the University of Alabama temporarily closed dining rooms due to "limited staff and supply chain challenges," The Crimson White reported.
Advertisement
Staffing issues are a problem across the country. In an August earnings call, Wendy's president and CEO told investors that some dining rooms were closing early and operating drive-thru only because of a lack of workers.
A Dunkin' location in Colorado temporarily closed operations completely after it was down to only three workers, Zahra Tayeb reported for Insider.
"We're in a major labor crisis and that is the 100% reason why we're closed," Alex Apodaca, chief operating officer at JB Partners, the franchisee, said. "No other reason." JB Partners closed and reopened two other Colorado locations this year over hiring issues.
At least two Dunkin' locations in Rochester, New York have also shortened hours, and a location in The Villages in Florida temporarily closed its dining room for several days.
NewsletterSIMPLY PUT - where we join the dots to inform and inspire you. Sign up for a weekly brief collating many news items into one untangled thought delivered straight to your mailbox.