GRA Weekly

October 10, 2021

This week's newsletter is brought to you by Sysco.

HELP! WANTED

Georgia Trend - Georgia’s worker shortage is a multifaceted problem requiring creative solutions.

Maybe, after months of takeout and delivery, you finally got a table on the patio of your favorite local restaurant. Instead of a menu, you see a QR code – and instead of a waiter, you see instructions on how to order on your phone. Yes, even though you’re sitting at the restaurant. You dutifully place your order, the waiter (one of … well, one) brings it to your table and when it’s time for the “check” you pay online. Or maybe you’re at your business waiting anxiously for that delivery needed to meet your customers’ demands. And waiting, and waiting. A truck finally shows up, off schedule, and you hope what you were expecting is inside. Or maybe you’re trying to build a new house. In that case, best wishes.

While COVID-19 is the proximate cause of a workforce shortage felt here in Georgia and around the country that’s playing out in scenarios as varied and widespread as these, it’s unlikely that we can vaccinate our way out of it (unlike the actual pandemic). That’s because it was a long time in the making – COVID shutdowns and continuing precautions just rushed it and made it more acute – and it’s going to take time to resolve it. In the meantime, and maybe well beyond that, get used to a new way of doing business. “It is layered and complicated, and anyone who wants to tell you ‘It’s this one thing’ has no real sense of what’s going on,” says Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler. “Because it’s four or five different things.”

It seems counterintuitive that so many people were unemployed during the COVID crisis and yet there are suddenly so many job openings going unfilled. But a variety of factors are at work, if you’ll pardon the expression.

Some people can’t come back to work. Their jobs may be gone permanently and they will have to change industries, and they may need “upskilling.” Or women, who were disproportionately affected in the economic downturn, may still lack child care (either because of hybrid learning setups for school-age kids or because child care workers are also scarce). And some people, especially those in high-contact industries like hospitality, may be staying out because they remain concerned about getting COVID.

People aren’t coming back to the same jobs. In industries that bore the brunt of the shutdowns – again, hospitality, but also child care and retail – many workers decided to switch industries and find more stable work in another area, especially if they were laid off during the pandemic and got another job out of necessity. “When we laid off almost 300,000 workers [in Georgia in March 2020], a percentage of them said, ‘I’m done with the restaurant business. I need something that’s going to be more stable for my life,’” says Karen Bremer, president and CEO of the Georgia Restaurant Association. And, according to Georgia Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Chris Clark, some people sought additional training while they were laid off and now are seeking (and finding) higher-level jobs, leaving a glut of openings at entry levels.

Employees – baby boomers – who were nearing retirement age decided to leave the workforce early or not come back after a layoff. Butler admits it’s hard to quantify, but he believes it’s having a big impact – he calls it “one of the big holes in our workforce right now.” It’s not a total surprise – it’s a generational trend, but one that’s been COVID-accelerated. “We’ve been talking about this for years because we saw it coming … but this is going to hit us a little sooner than we expected,” says Clark.

Read the full article.

GEORGIA SURVEY RESULTS

Restaurants continue to overcome the impacts from COVID-19. A major obstacle caused by COVID-19 has been a labor shortage. 67% of restaurants are currently understaffed. In addition, majority of restaurants have experienced an increase in costs for food, labor, and occupancy. 39% of local operators believe it will be 12 months before business normalizes. The GRA continues to work in providing resources that help restaurants navigate recovery.

GRA FOUNDATION GOLF TOURNAMENT

Join us on October 25th at The Standard Club for the GRA Foundation Golf Tournament.

Have fun, network and perfect your chip shot as we take to the golf course to raise funds for the GRA Foundation, the only 501(c)3 non-profit foodservice foundation dedicated to investing in our youth and workforce in Georgia. Your participation will help support ProStart® and enrichment opportunities like mentorships, job-training, training for teachers, and scholarships. Learn More.

Monday, October 25, 2021

The Standard Club

GHOST KITCHEN & VIRTUAL RESTAURANT SEMINAR

Don’t miss The Florida Ghost Kitchen & Virtual Restaurant Seminar, October 19th in Tampa, Fl.!

You’ve been reading and hearing about all the successes other restaurants and hotels have been having with virtual brands and ghost kitchens. It’s time to really hear from the experts and figure out which approach might be best for you. In two weeks, The Florida Ghost Kitchen & Virtual Restaurant Seminar will provide you everything you need to know to get started. This is an informational seminar, with an agenda full of experts and panels discussions, not sales pitches.

Check out some of their panel discussions and speakers here.

**Use promo code GRA for $100 OFF!

90-SECOND FEDERAL UPDATE

The National Restaurant Association's latest 90-Second Video Update is out, covering all that’s happening in Washington, DC and the impact on the restaurant industry. We’re in the midst of a busy time in Congress. With the reconciliation bill and focus on the debt ceiling as current congressional priorities, the restaurant industry cannot afford for Congress to lose sight of the critical need to replenish the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF). And, we certainly can’t let Congress put in place tax hikes on small businesses.

We need you to stay engaged and keep sending the message to Congress that restaurants are still struggling and now is not the time to impose tax increases on an incredibly vulnerable industry actually going in reverse, according to our latest economic research.

Thank you for continued support. We will keep you updated on the latest developments.

Additional Resources:

Survey Data on Current and Future Business Conditions

Survey Data Infographic

Letter to Congressional Leaders

Fact Sheet on the Small Business Tax Deduction

RESTAURANT LEGAL SUMMIT

Early Bird Rate for Restaurant Legal Summit Ends October 11

Join us in downtown Raleigh for the Fifth Annual Restaurant Legal Summit and connect in-person with senior representatives from some of the restaurant industry's most successful brands. As an attendee, you’ll gain access to legal experts from some of our nation's top law firms as they give insight on topics such as the rise of mass arbitration, attracting and retaining talent, ethical issues for restaurants during the pandemic, and many more!

Learn about trends and best practices in the restaurant industry.
Take advantage of numerous educational sessions.
Earn continuing education credits (CLE, SHRM, and/or HRCI).

GSU VIRTUAL CAREER FAIR

BUILD BACK BETTER ACT

Add your voice: Congress must help, not harm, struggling restaurants through reconciliation bill

The “Build Back Better Act” would make investments in pre-K education, increase access to child care, and improve public transit. Those are portions of the bill that restaurants and other industries support. However, it does not replenish the critically-important Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), which ran out of grant dollars well before most applicants could receive help. The bill also raises taxes on small businesses.

Add Your Voice to Help Our Efforts.