CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants continue to face challenges as they try to cope with one thing after the next. Some are having to close on random days due to labor shortages and others are having to abruptly change their menus due to supply chain disruptions.
But through it all, restaurant owners say they're doing their best to serve their communities. From missing employees to missing ingredients and not enough staff to begin with, it's a recipe for a rough ride in the service industry.
"It's been challenging Jill Marcus said. "We've had to reinvent everything we've done."
Marcus has been in the restaurant and catering business in Charlotte for 33 years and can't recall it ever being this bad. Her colleagues couldn't agree more.
"I went through six-to-eight weeks of hell," Paul Verica, who owns The Stanley in Charlotte's Elizabeth area, said. "I was pulling bartending shifts."
"It's definitely been a struggle," William Dissen, owner of Haymaker in Uptown, said. "We're having issues with the supply chain."
Now — on top of the staffing shortages already impacting them — the omicron variant has staffers missing shifts regularly.
"So on days when we have a light staff anyway, and two people call and say they're sick, that tends to mess up our entire week," Remy Thurston, marketing director for FS Food Group, said. "Some of our restaurants are having to close on Monday just so we have a guaranteed day off for people to relieve some tension we're getting in scheduling."
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to the Defenders team by emailing money@wcnc.com.
And there's no way to predict what the next day will bring.
"There's no rhyme or reason, we just take a look at the cards we're dealt that day and make the call," Thurston said. "It's incredibly challenging."
FS Food Group owns 12 of Charlotte's most popular restaurants, including YAFO Kitchen, Mama Ricotta's and Midwood Smokehouse.
"It ranges from having to be closed on a day to only doing takeout," Thurston said. "We prefer to be open for dinner instead of lunch, so if we have a choice we'll close for lunch and be open for dinner."
There are also last-minute menu changes when key ingredients are missing. Thurston said that, combined with staffing shortages, is taking a toll on everyone.
"We're also seeing guests' patience being shorter than we're used to," he added.
Through it all, Thurston says he's proud of the company's workers and how they've handled the issues in stride.
"We're really lucky the people we have are super hard-working," he said. "They get what we're doing and they're crazy resilient."
The idea of closing for a day or two to give workers a break is starting to be more of a regular thing than a rare occurrence. The Common Market just announced they'll be closing every Monday for that reason.
Queen's Feast, Charlotte's restaurant week, is officially here. Dozens of restaurants around Charlotte are offering special deals on three-course meals. Click here for a full list of participating restaurants and special prices. Reservations are recommended at most locations and guests who can't make it are encouraged to cancel to free up tables for struggling restaurants.
Contact Michelle at mboudin@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Wake Up Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at Wake Up Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || TuneIn || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.