A multitude of bar and restaurant concerns arose because of the COVID-19 pandemic – a labor shortage, supply chain issues and inflation are just a few of the many, most pressing issues that we could list here. So, Bar & Restaurant spoke to operators across the country to glean their thoughts on the trends and issues that will remain for the near future.
GLU Hospitality in Philadelphia, Pa.
Derek Gibbons is owner and managing partner of GLU Hospitality in Philadelphia. Gibbons owns Figo Ristorante, Leda & the Swan, Izakaya by Yanaga, SET NoLibs, Anejo Philadelphia, Vesper, Bagels & Co., Figo Pizzeria and more.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, GLU Hospitality dealt with a multitude of issues, as did everyone in the bar and restaurant industry. “We had to quickly pivot and use delivery platforms to generate any sales, which opened our eyes to that side of the business which we weren’t touching on before. We had to create outdoor seating areas, which weren’t originally at the majority of our spaces,” said Gibbons. “We also had to leverage technology to combat any staffing issues and implement QR ordering or kiosks to place orders.”
Although COVID-19 highlighted a lot of bad things, it also created some good things that will stick around and that GLU Hospitality will continue to use in its business moving forward. “We very much value fast casual concepts and ghost kitchens, which we now implement into all of our concepts. We also seek out outdoor spacing more now than ever,” explained Gibbons. “Keeping up to date with all new technology is also very important, as that can help combat any staffing issues and/or help increase sales by streamlining systems and helping create more efficiency.”
Bar AMÁ in Los Angeles, Calif.
Chef Josef Centeno of Bar AMÁ in Los Angeles said the restaurant industry was decimated and they closed two of their restaurants as a result. “I think one positive aspect was that those of us in the restaurant industry felt more free to make the choices we wanted to make. There was literally nothing to lose,” revealed Centeno.
One of those changes was something Centeno had been inching towards for years – moving in a more plant-based direction with his menus. He had a vegetable restaurant in 2017, and many of his menus have always centered around vegetables. “During the pandemic, I began to remove pork and beef from my restaurants,” he said. “I have started working with plant-based cheeses and meats, including Next Meats out of Japan. The quality of what's out there has made it possible to create menus that appeal to vegetarians, vegans and meat eaters.”
Centeno said he thinks plant-based dining is here to stay, as the focus on a sustainable way of life increases. He said this is a vital step.
Shuckin' Shack in North Carolina
For Shuckin' Shack – the 16-unit fast-casual oyster bar franchise based in North Carolina – there’s still an enormous amount of product that is unharvested because of gaps within the labor industry, resulting in supply and fulfillment rates driving up the costs for consumers. Despite these challenges, Shuckin’ Shack just closed the books on its best year to date in 2021, with nine percent positive comps system-wide and exceeding $20 million in total sales.
Shuckin' Shack CEO Jonathan Weathington admitted he doesn’t know if COVID-19 is to blame for the labor industry gaps – maybe it just served as the catalyst – but as a result, Shuckin’ Shack began to take a look at their workforce and determine the driving factors behind their employment.
“Yes, the great resignation was – and continues to be – a big deal, especially with our industry being short-staffed by 750,000 people, but COVID-19 made us be more agile when it came to having great bedside and hospitable manners with our front-line employees,” said Weathington. “We raised wages, gave more flexible schedules, honored time off judiciously and, most importantly, we continued to allow our employees to be themselves. Beyond that, we simply had more frequent conversations about needs, wants and aspirations.”
While COVID-19 is a clear inflection point in the life of the industry, Weathington doesn't believe there’s a singular lesson that was learned across the board. “Some brands learned that a smaller footprint was not only feasible but more profitable,” he said. “Other brands learned they didn't need on-premise service at all. We learned hard but necessary lessons in employee retention. What will stick around for us – and hopefully all regions – is our continued need to be agile each and every day. As long as we don't lean into the idea of a singular solution for all problems, we – along with others – will be just fine.”
Stickmen Brewing Co. in Lake Oswego, Ore.
Tim Shoenheit, principal owner and recipe creator at Stickmen Brewing Co. in Lake Oswego, Ore., said historically they have always tried to maximize the capacity of their patio to make up for the severe seasonality of their business.
“With winters being so slow, we felt that we needed to generate as much revenue as possible in the summer and more seats seemed to be the best answer,” shared Shoenheit. “This put quite a strain on our small kitchen and caused our staff to be easily overwhelmed – even when well prepared. With the distancing requirements introduced by COVID, we had to reduce our seating from about 220 to about 110. What we saw in the summers of 2020 and 2021 was that our ticket times vastly improved, customers were much happier, tables turned more quickly, and it all happened with less staff.”
The 2020 summer was only slightly below average for Stickmen Brewing Co., and 2021 was the restaurant’s best summer ever. This coming summer, without the COVID-19 restrictions, Shoenheit and his team are shooting for about 140 seats, as they believe this is the new “sweet spot” for their capacity.
Erin Flynn Jay is a reporter and publicist based in Philadelphia. She’s a Bar & Restaurant contributor, and some of her other writing credits include Next Avenue and Woman’s World, among many others.
Plan to Attend or Participate in
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