Labor shortage causes some restaurants to reduce hours

Hungry patrons of Hamburger Express will have to find somewhere else Sundays to get their hamburger fix.

The popular burger joint at 902 William St. in Cape Girardeau is one of many area restaurants that have reduced their hours recently because of lack of staff.

El Sol Mexican Restaurant, 1105 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, announced last week it will close Wednesdays because it doesn't have enough people to work. For the same reason, Zoi's Gyros Corner, 1865 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, will close Mondays and earlier at night, manager Derek Vaughn said.

Hamburger Express now opens an hour later Fridays and Saturdays, closes at 4 p.m. during the week and doesn't open Sundays.

Many restaurateurs point fingers to the pandemic-era unemployment programs the federal government doled out to states.

Victor Cruz, owner of Don Carlos Restaurant and Taqueria — which has locations at West Park Mall in Cape Girardeau and 1903 E. Jackson Blvd. in Jackson — has struggled to fill his staff for the past six months. He blames stimulus checks and the extra unemployment benefits.

"We had a server who left because he told me he makes more money not working," Cruz said.

Federal aid added an extra $300 a week on top of what a state would usually give. In Missouri, people with unemployment benefits can receive a maximum of $320 a week before the federal boost, according to the Missouri Department of Labor.

On the flipside, some argue employees are no longer willing to work in places paying little for high-intensity work.

Ebb and Flow Fermentations front-end manager Trevor Camp said the brewpub at 11 S. Spanish St. in downtown Cape Girardeau faces no staffing issues now and didn't during the pandemic. In fact, more people ask for positions at Ebb and Flow than he has spots to give.

Camp credit's the restaurant's steady stream of employees to the way management treats staff.

"We pay our employees decently and treat them well," Camp said. "When we opened Ebb and Flow, we wanted it to be a place people would enjoy working at and not just a mill that grinds through employees to make a profit."

Some restaurants, including Burrito-Ville and Pagliai's Pizza and Pasta — at 913 and 1129 Broadway in Cape Girardeau, respectively — have reported no recent issues with staffing. A manager at Burrito-Ville said things have gotten easier as university students graduate and leave the area.

Yet, last week, Gov. Mike Parson opted the state out of additional federal unemployment benefits.

In a statement, Parson attributed labor shortages to "excessive" federal unemployment programs.

"While these benefits provided supplementary financial assistance during the height of COVID-19, they were intended to be temporary, and their continuation has instead worsened the workforce issues we are facing," Parson said.

Supplemental benefits from the federal government will end June 12 in Missouri.

As of Sunday night, Missouri is one of 17 states to drop federal unemployment programs that would've officially ended Labor Day.

Parson's decision gave Delmonico's Steakhouse manager Blake Ackman a sliver of hope. He said the restaurant at 2951 Old Orchard Road in Jackson can't compete with the money people get from unemployment benefits.

"It's hard to pay people $20 to $25 an hour when I'm only charging $10 for a hamburger," Ackman said.

As COVID restrictions lessen and mask mandates lift, Ackman said Delmonico's business has begun to pick up. The little crew he has struggles to keep things going.

"I need more people, but nobody wants to work," Ackman said. "It's hard to build a business when all you've got is a skeleton crew."

At Zoi's Gyros Corner, Vaughn and his boss, Zoi Mousdakos, worked longer hours to make up for their short staff. They had no choice but to reduce hours, according to Vaughn. The extra labor started to affect Mousdakos' health.

"My boss is in her 60s, and it was starting to take a toll on her health," Vaughn said.

However, since Parson announced Missouri will end federal unemployment benefits, Vaughn has already received 10 applications from prospective employees. Hopefully, he said, he and Mousdakos can go back to their regular hours soon.