Was at a coffee shop this morning, and a lady came in for a drink. She mentioned she was actually trying to order breakfast for the family at a nearby McDonalds, but it was closed, at 9am, because of no staffing.

A nice breakfast restaurant near me had to shut down for a few days last week. Seems that with the limited staffing and long hours, tempers were high, and the two cooks got in a fight. The problem is, they were the only two cooks, so they closed a few days to give everyone a break.

It won't be long before Automats began springing up in urban areas.

quote:

Originally posted by Rawny:
It won't be long before Automats began springing up in urban areas.

Somehow I really doubt that.

I think the "low on help" thing is a small part but mainly an excuse. These places have found that they can make everyone line up 50 cars deep at the drive through and run a minimal staff which means increased profits. Think about it; no paying for counter help, cleaning people, electricity heat and AC inside for the most part.

Chick-Fil-A around here basically admitted that, they are making too much money doing drive thru and are in no rush to open ever again.

Why should they have more expenses in opening the dinning area and have to pay wages and benefits to live bodies that do not want to work when they are now getting their customers do the work for them??? Just like Wal-Mart replacing so many of their live body register cashiers with the self-checkout stations. Why spend money on live body employees when you can get the customer to do the work which means more and bigger profits for corporate headquarters and stockholders. Welcome to the new world just around the corner. ................... drill sgt.

Crap, the next thing you know we'll have to pump our own gas!

The low on staff thing is real. There may be some that don't want customers inside anymore, but my friends in Food Services management complain about getting people to come to work, even if they can find employees. A manager of a classy breakfast joint can't open all his tables because he can't get enough wait staff, and servers make 60k plus there, including tips.

To quote Nicholson in Easy Rider, " this used to be a helluva good country...".

quote:

Originally posted by DaBigBR:

Vote with your wallet, then. Although we've seen a lot of restrictions lifted, there are a lot of things that aren't back to "normal" and probably some that aren't going to go back.

100% agree with this. My wife looks at me like I'm crazy sometimes, but the reality is that I don't want to pay full price for half the experience.

If you're not all the way open, make me wear a mask, or voluntarily do anything else to lessen my experience, I will go somewhere else.

IT is on the Same Subject.
Sunday Evening We Went Supper At Pizza Hut in A town just north of us And 2 Diners were closed already At 6 ish not sure and i heard the one is closed on Monday's not sure of the other

I read an article, I believe it was in the WSJ, that mentioned that many of the fast food joints were actually doing better just operating the drive through than offering sit down dining. McDonalds was exploring offering a new type of facility that only had drive through. No parking, inside seating or public restrooms…

quote:

McDonalds was exploring offering a new type of facility that only had drive through. No parking, inside seating or public restrooms…

Can't remember when I took the time to sit in a fast food place to eat, always get it to go, head home or eat in the car.

Have no problem with drive through as long as they get the right stuff in the bag in a timely manner...

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
I read an article, I believe it was in the WSJ, that mentioned that many of the fast food joints were actually doing better just operating the drive through than offering sit down dining. McDonalds was exploring offering a new type of facility that only had drive through. No parking, inside seating or public restrooms…

Burger King already has drive-thru only locations. Drove past one today in West Point, VA.

This takes me back. The first McDonalds I ever saw was carry out only. No indoor seating or restrooms. This was before drive-thru was invented.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:
I think the "low on help" thing is a small part but mainly an excuse. These places have found that they can make everyone line up 50 cars deep at the drive through and run a minimal staff which means increased profits. Think about it; no paying for counter help, cleaning people, electricity heat and AC inside for the most part.

Chick-Fil-A around here basically admitted that, they are making too much money doing drive thru and are in no rush to open ever again.

I’m in a different type of business altogether, but I can tell you for a fact that the “low on help thing” is real.

You have to remember we’re coming out of a year of having almost no income - lockdowns and fear, etc.. and now everyone wants us to be able to hire people with no skills to speak of for more than $15 an hour when we have nothing as a cushion. We spent the last year using that cushion to keep the staff that we already had employed, and to care for the few people who weren’t afraid to come out. I’m amazed no one seems to recognize this. **caveat small business**.

Same here, no dine in at fast food joints.

I have replied previously in this thread regarding restaurants having problems with staffing. Tried to go to another friend’s restaurant that he owns & built from scratch yesterday. He has been drive through only since reopening from the COVID-19 shutdown.

Yesterday, he had closed prior to 6:30. He is usually open until 8:00 or later. Typically 9:00 in spring, summer, fall months. He has posted help wanted signs at the ordering menu and pay window for multiple months.

Not enough staff to keep the drive through open for his regular hours.

I can’t imagine the stress that restaurant owners and managers are currently dealing with.

I think it’s a combination of making money hand over fist in drive through mode (no refills, no cleanups and no counter staffing) and all the entry level workers are sitting on their fat ass working for the gubment. Just how I see it in Michigan.

quote:

Originally posted by muzzleloader:
I think it’s a combination of making money hand over fist in drive through mode (no refills, no cleanups and no counter staffing) and all the entry level workers are sitting on their fat ass working for the gubment. Just how I see it in Michigan.

Got a haircut and went to a Habit Burger afterwards yesterday. They were fully staffed IMO, 5 employees working there, lots of people came in for sit down dining. I was happy.