06-28-2021, 06:08 PM
(06-28-2021, 05:23 PM)Dill Wrote: Your friends in the wedding entertainment business--are they struggling because they cannot hire, or because people are not engaging them? if the latter, then I don't see how Biden's comment was spit in their faces. He, and his party, are trying harder to help them than the Republicans did.
They're struggling because of all of the above, and because of everything that has occured over these last 15 months. They're essentially ******.
The bulk of their money came from wedding receptions. Guess what didn't happen pretty much all of 2020? They also have a couple nights a week where they book a band and have general admission. Guess what pretty much didn't happen all of 2020?
They've tried so many different things to stay afloat. Once restrictions were slightly lifted they had what I guess could be best described as little fairs at their location. A bunch of small business would set up at different tables and chairs and sell anything from baked goods to t-shirts. They've tried offering carryout food even though that's not something theyv'e done in the past, and no one knows them as a restaraunt. They were approved for a PPP loan but apprarently that a drop in the bucket. It also has to be paid back.
They're currently stuck with a ton of debt, an 8k a month mortgage on their venue, a 2nd mortgage on their house, and business still has completely returned to normal.
Now imagine all of this, all of the stress you've taken on, watching your newly bought business on the brink of collapse, and then struggling to secure workers when things open back up. Their business was stock full of younger people working for what used to be an ok wage (line cooks, dishwashers, person worker the door) and now that wage is no longer enough to get people to work.
Fwiw, these are two people who are both in their 40's and have spent their entire working lives in this business. They're not rich. They've worked their way up from cook, to seus chef, to chef, and from bartender to manager. After years of working and saving, (and mortgaging their home) they finally decided to buy the business 6 months before Covid.
I'm sorry, but telling people like this "just pay them more" when they can't fill jobs at $14 bucks an hour is heartless IMHO. And I know they're not alone either. There's plenty of places just like this are that are struggling just as much.
Not everyone is a Walmart or a McDonalds. It sure would be nice if a lot of people remembered that from time to time.
