Thanksgiving Dinner. (Photo: Twitter)
‘Great Resignation’ in California Leads to Restaurant Employee Shortage and Thanksgiving Meal Order Issues
Experts warn that similar staffing issues will continue throughout holiday season
By Evan Symon, November 26, 2021 3:25 pm
Shortages of workers at restaurants and other businesses were recorded on Thursday across California, with some even closing completely, as more workers decide to stop working or resign in the ongoing Great Resignation.
Multiple outlets reported on local businesses being so short-staffed on Thursday that entire orders were down to one person.
“Our bosses said that no one was to take time-off between November 22nd and January 2nd,” Ronald Singer, a fast food employee who was only one of two people to show up to work at his Fresno restaurant on Thursday, told the Globe. “But, of course, most just skipped it, so it was just me and the manager covering it. I was on the grill and basically in the kitchen while he served as cashier and went into the kitchen to help when no one was up front.”
“We were swamped, and right now I have no idea how we pulled it off. A lot of people stopped by for one reason or another, and that’s not even counting DoorDash or Postmates people. We had to put a sign on the drive through that it was closed due to the shortage of staff, and many more drove away rather than go inside.”
“Usually in burger places it only takes minutes to get orders. We were going on at 20 minutes yesterday.”
Ronald’s restaurant proved to be more fortunate than some locations. A Rancho Cucamonga Boston Market, a hub of sorts for Thanksgiving pre-made meals and meats, shut their doors on Thursday after no employees showed up for work. The action caused dozens of families to be without Thanksgiving meals and led to mass refunds.
Rather than give a more formal warning, two notes placed in the front window informed customers. “No employees showing up today… We are unable to fulfill the orders!!! We are sorry!!!” the first sign said, with the second recommending an open bakery to order from instead.
The Boston Market story in particular gained national traction on Thursday and Friday, forcing their corporate headquarters to comment on the situation and investigate what happened.
“We are in the process of refunding the Thanksgiving order(s) of every guest impacted by our Rancho Cucamonga location,” noted Boston Market Spokesman Slaton Smith. “We sincerely apologize to every guest who placed an order and came to the restaurant today.”
Rancho Cucamonga Boston Market closes without notice, leaving customers without their prepaid Thanksgiving meals https://t.co/bYbRJgnCYD
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) November 26, 2021
Worker shortages continue across nation, California
Experts explained to the Globe that the Thanksgiving worker shortages were only the latest in delays and closings spanning multiple businesses dating back to earlier this year.
“Workers had to work from home or spent so much time at home rather than leaving during the pandemic that many don’t want to go back,” said Sacramento-based unskilled labor consultant William Spencer to the Globe on Friday. “For workers in the food and hospitality industries, lower wages with few benefits risking to come into businesses with customers who go unvaccinated or could spread COVID to them.”
“Many have left as a result, with many going into different industries entirely or looking into jobs that are work-from-home. And those that stay, well, many have rethought time off. They just take it now rather than heed to what their manager wants because they are seeing it as their time to do what they want with, not theirs. All those restaurant staffing shortages and closing on Thursday were a direct result of that. People have been surprised about the Great Resignations effect on businesses and offices and the shipping industry. But they don’t realize that the food service and hospitality industries are seeing so many people quit that teenagers are a major labor market again or that resumes for some of these jobs is just a name and a number and an email address now. They’re offering higher pay and even benefits too. But few are biting because they want more than that.”
While many affected restaurants resumed more normal services on Friday, experts warn that the shortages, including in California, will likely disrupt holiday sales, especially as it gets closer to Christmas day.
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Let’s continue to pay people to not work, free rent, free healthcare, free everything. How does that work in America. We are starting to find out. No law, no order. No hope, no American dream. I sure am grateful for my childhood when we had a somewhat stress free life. There were 2 sexes in the 60-70’s. The biggest concern I had as a kid was do I try alcohol or not. I didn’t have to come up with a fake name like “Ajax” to replace my given name of Stacy to fit into a non sex individual and then have to worry if I said that right? For God’s sake, what is wrong here? I worry for my grandchildren!
Amen
You have to love the spin doctors, trying to say this is because employees are afraid of customers carrying COVID. That isn’t even a reason. Nor is it because people would rather sit at home and collect unemployment. Some would, but most realize doing that is a dead end, and would much rather earn their way and better themselves. No, this is happening because nobody with half a brain is willing to risk life and limb by taking a dangerous and experimental gene treatment (these things ARE NOT vaccines!!!) just to keep a crappy minimum wage job.
It ain’t a “Great Resignation” – it’s a combination of people being LET GO for not taking their clot-shots by doofus employers who fearfully cower to the medical tyranny of the “mandates” that don’t even have any LEGAL authority, combined with others BOYCOTTING said employers in anticipation of future “no jab/no job” rulings…
Oh and let me fix this sentence for the “labor consultant”‘s comment :
“For workers in the food and hospitality industries, lower wages with few benefits risking to come into businesses with customers who go VACCINATED AND could spread COVID to them.”
It isn’t the UNVACCINATED that we need to worry about, it’s the VAXXED that are coming down with their ADE, if they’re not dropping in athletic events that amplify their clotting in response to the magical “spike protein”…
The side-effects manifested themselves a whole lot earlier than the NWO/Davos/WEF/Gates Foundation eugenicists thought they would….
Nuremberg Trials 2.0 CANNOT come fast enough….
Let’s GO, Brandon!!!
Comrades
Culinary workers have been treated unfairly for years…..it’s a revolt, it’s impossible to live even a modest lifestyle….you work on holidays, you work at night, poor working conditions/stress……career paths limited….
An example: hotel manager bragged they fed 1500 people at the hotel holiday buffet in San Diego. The culinary workers prepped food most of the week in addition to their normal work routine….and finally the big day….no tips, no bonus from management while the employees missed the holiday with family and friends. AND….the big day was 12-14 hours long, no overtime, just regular hourly pay.
Ah, I know it well Queeg. Working and watching, washing dishes and helping chefs at the Hyatt one summer. Saw the writing on the wall – no future – except for the managers who dined on abalone for lunch and the executive chef (my boss) who drove a Ferrari.
You know what’s really unfair? That working taxpayers who work harder than they do, have to pay for these so called workers to sit on their butts. If you don’t like the job, get another one. No one is an indentured servant. Stop your complaining, or leave the country.
Decide now: it won’t be long — who do I trust more to prepare and deliver things that are important to me, a CRIMINAL ILLEGAL ALIEN INVADER PARASITE, or a ROBOT? For me, I’ll go with ROBOT; they’re already manufacturing Nissan vehicles from bumper to bumper. Plus, I HATE — H A T E — illegal alien criminal invader parasites! Give me polite White teens (In-and-Out, Chick-fil-A) and/or a robot at the burger joint, and I’ll be happy.
Comrades
In old days Communist elites and bureaucrats had cars, nice lodging, special retail stores and well stocked food markets. The rest of us had little to less…,sounding and feeling familar?
Sounds like their guaranteed basic income from the Democrats kicked in. Why work when the Democrats give money to you for doing nothing?
What’s going to be funny is when these weed smoking, stupid, lazy bums go out to get some fast food with their guaranteed basic income, and all the fast food places are closed.
Do it your own-damned-selves!!! What a bunch of sorry, softie poo-sayz! The settlers who first came to CA would shoot y’all on sight if they could! Buy your food, pop it in the oven, drink while it’s cooking, and all with work out. Promise.