Mt. Pleasant businesses short on staff

Mt. Pleasant businesses are still feeling the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as many are having to close earlier than intended due to staffing shortages.

Restaurants, in particular have been one of the many industries affected on all fronts of the workplace shortages.

Tina Mathews, owner of Jefferson Street Grill said she doesn’t know what the issue is.

“I’m not sure why people don’t want to work, but people don’t want to,” Mathews said. “I don’t know why. It’s universal. Everywhere you go in town there’s a help wanted sign. It’s not just me. Everyone in town’s looking for help. Every gas station is looking for help. Hy-Vee, Walmart it’s everywhere. I don’t know why. The benefits and the stimulus is not a thing anymore.”

While Mathews is doing better now with her wait staff and kitchen staff, problems still arise in the product shortages.

“Even if I’m covered here per say, my inventory is always at risk,” she said. “ I work with three different suppliers, they’re all major whole sale food companies. They’re all out of everything. It’s not necessarily them. There products come from somewhere as well. Some supplies they can’t get until January or February of next year, because they don’t have the workforce to run their lines. You take what you can get.”

Jeff Larkin, owner of the PressBox Grille and Bar has had to close early numerous times this year. The problems he is having is in part to shortages in kitchen staff.

“I’v got plenty of staff out on the floor as far as waitresses and bartenders,” Larkin said. “I’m having more of a problem in the kitchen. It’s gotten to the point to where I’v had to close a couple day’s. I’m working extra hours, everyone’s working hours.”

Larkin said that it’s to the point where he may have to close a few days a week. It may start to affect wages.

“It may get to the point where we’re going to have to start closing two or three days a week,” he said. “My other people are getting over worked. Then that cuts wages from those out on the floor.”

After raising the pay in the kitchen up $3 or $4 an hour it’s still hard to get applications he said. He was supposed to have one person start recently, but they didn’t show up.

For Larkin, he feels that COVID-19 has had an impact. People have found other priorities.

“Two or three things are involved in it,” he said. “People found other priorities besides working, because they were home, long with the money they got. They’ve adjusted lives to where they don’t want to work. After they cut out the money, I was sure people would come back. You read article after article about the restaurant business and it’s just not happening. People are out spending money, I can’t complain about business.”

Comments: hunter.moeller@southeastiowaunion.com