Outtakes

Words of wisdom from industry folks.

By DiningOut Staff -11/05/2021

Sometimes the best quotes stand alone. Here are a few that didn’t make it into recent stories but have stuck with us—and are too good to stay on the cutting-room floor.

On staffing…“The new mantra is to be 120 percent staffed. But the amount of burden that puts on management is huge.” —Adam Schlegel, Chook Charcoal Chicken and Snooze

On the Restaurant Revitalization Fund…”How am I supposed to compete with the Hiltons, the Shake Shacks? To put us all on some field trying to get the same money like there’s some sort of ratio or formula, it’s still not a fair game….We’re put in these rings and these gauntlets with major players with armor and swords and we’re coming at them with our fucking toothpicks from the kitchen.” —Breezy Sanchez, Amethyst Coffee Company

More on staffing…“By the time those jobs in higher paying industries get filled, it’ll take a few months and then applicants will trickle back down to restaurants…in 2022.” —Paul LaRue, US Foods, on why he expects the labor shortage to hit hospitality hard until at least next year

On pay inequity…“Neither federal nor state government give one iota about the disparity between what the front of house and back of house make.” —Todd Fredrickson, employment attorney, Fisher Phillips

On teenagers…“My 17-year-old stepdaughter is making paychecks of over $1,000 per week [working at restaurants]. I can’t wait to see what I get for Christmas.” —Rayme Rossello, Comida

Talk to us! Email your experiences (and thoughts, opinions, and questions—anything, really) to askus@diningout.com.