The Michigan Restaurant and Lodging Association has released the results of a new nationwide restaurant business conditions survey that finds restaurant operations are still being seriously limited by inflation and a lack of staff. The MRLA’s Justin Winslow tells us some of the results are a bit of a surprise.
“I think how significant the challenges still are, two and a half years after the pandemic started, are a problem,” Winslow said. “I think the restaurant industry is in an exceedingly vulnerable state right now, and it doesn’t seem like there’s a clear pathway that it’s going to resolve itself in the near future.”
Among other survey findings, 91% of operators say their other costs are higher than 2019, 90% say their restaurant is less profitable than it was in 2019, and 89% said their total food and beverage costs are higher than 2019. 93% are having trouble filling positions. Winslow said a court case that could result in the elimination of the separate minimum wage for tipped workers is coming at the worst possible time.
