Mainebiz

V O L . X X V I I I N O. V I I I A P R I L 1 8 , 2 0 2 2 16 H O S P I TA L I T Y / T O U R I S M Online wait list Side Street's dilemmas were no dif- ferent than any other eatery in Maine and beyond. It's well known that the pandemic resulted in a near-existential crisis for the industry in 2020. As the crisis eased in 2021, restaurants contin- ued to face challenges that included workforce shortages and supply chain issues. e result could be long wait lines, fewer restaurants open in busy tourist communities, and ingre- dient shortages. Restaurants have come up with strategies such as shorter hours, revised menus and the use of new technology. Side Street adopted technology that helped with longer wait times resulting from distancing guidelines that accommodated fewer seats. at included an online wait list and takeout portal. "We'd tell people, 'Go for a walk and you'll get a text when your spot is ready.'" Although 2021's revenue came in higher than 2020, Young had to cut key parts of the business model, such as offering take-out at night. "e revenue was higher but so were the high costs," she says. "e strain was also incredible due to the other issues we were running into. So, while revenue was technically higher, so was everything else." Shorter hours Elsewhere in downtown Bar Harbor, Café is Way had 25 to 30 employees last year, down from 40. e seasonal restaurant typically serves breakfast and dinner. It cut dinner service from seven to five days per week. is year, it will offer breakfast only. Based on 2020, which was also breakfast-only, that's likely to cut revenue in half, says owner Susanne Hathaway. "I'll do dinner again in the future," she says. "But this year, I'll do one meal, one menu, hopefully longer hours." T ypically, Side Street Café in Bar Harbor employs about 100 employees. "In 2021, we had 85," says co- owner Jena Young. "If we were fully staffed, things would flow a lot easier." e staffing issue was exacer- bated by constant uncertainty. "We started the season already scram- bling the find enough people," she con- tinues. "If anyone had any symptom of illness, they were out for a long time. And people they had contact with needed to be out for some amount of time." To compensate, there was a lot of cross-training and schedule-shuffling, as employees began working in positions they weren't used to. Young encouraged a team approach. "We leaned on that team mindset much more than any other year," she said. "It was one day at time." Adding to the year's challenges were supply chain issues. Avocados were a key item sometimes hard to get. Young com- pensated by giving customers a discount. "It created confusion if a dish couldn't be priced the way it was intended to be served," she says. "is year we've been more strategic. We have looked at the ingredients that we will have difficulty sourcing and have tried to remove them from the menu where we could." This year, I'll do one meal, one menu, hopefully longer hours. — Susanne Hathaway Café This Way in Bar Harbor F O C U S P H O T O / F R E D F I E L D Susanne Hathaway, owner of Café This Way in Bar Harbor, will cut service this year from two meals per day to one, citing the difficulty finding enough employees. DILEMMAS B y L a u r i e S c h r e i b e r Dining Restaurants have seen labor and supply shortages and learned to strategize

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