BATESVILLE, IN — It’s no secret: labor shortages have caused a number of local restaurants to limit their services and offerings.
“It has definitely affected my business in the fact that we will make the choice to go ahead and close off different services at different times because I don’t have adequate staffing to do it properly,” said Cecil Ison, who owns Ison’s Family Pizza in downtown Batesville.
The lack of workers has forced Ison’s hand on more than a few occasions when it comes to not being able to offer the buffet or closing off his dining area.
“I can’t always offer the services that I would normally offer,” he added. “But if I can’t offer it at the level that I need to for my customers, I would rather not be able to offer it at all. ”
Izzy’s at Hillcrest has gone to a carryout and delivery-only menu Tuesday through Saturday, effective immediately.
“On Sundays, we will be open for breakfast and lunch in the dining room from 8 am until 1 pm along with our carryout and delivery service,” said Izzy’s Chef Adam Israel. “We will continue to be closed on Mondays.
“We anticipate this being a temporary change and we will be back to our regular dine-in hours as soon as we can,” he added.
Devin Murchin at the Big Four Café says, despite not being fully staffed for over a year, his restaurant is one of the few in the area that is still full-service.
Murchin says he has given his staff raises as part of retention efforts but adds he’s facing another challenge: the cost of food has gone up 50 percent in just the last month due to supply chain issues.
