MA Restaurant Worker Shortage 'Could Last Months' | Eat Mass

MASSACHUSETTS — Welcome to the second edition of Eat Mass, Patch's weekly round up of food and restaurant news in Massachusetts.

The Federal Reserve warned this week that a labor shortage in the food and restaurant industry could last for several months, and that some restaurants have been raising prices in response. That warning came on the heels of a report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, which said the labor shortage in restaurants was holding back the economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

"The worker shortage is real — and it's getting worse by the day," Suzanne Clark, the president and CEO of the Chamber, said in a statement. "The worker shortage is a national economic emergency, and it poses an imminent threat to our fragile recovery and America's great resurgence."

Scroll down for restaurant openings and closings and more MA food news.

A McDonald's in Illinois is giving iPhones to new hires, while another franchise in Florida is offering $50 to anyone who comes in for an interview.

In Massachusetts, restaurant owners were caught off guard when Gov. Charlie Baker dropped all pandemic restrictions on May 29. Restaurants had been eyeing the originally-announced Aug. 1 date for a return to full operations, leaving them scrambling to refill the 87,000 restaurant jobs that were lost between March 2020 and March 2021.

About 500,000 people in the state are getting some form of unemployment assistance, and federal pandemic aid is making those benefits a better deal than going back to work. Other would-be restaurant workers are having trouble finding childcare and are citing concerns about COVID-19 exposure.

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Restaurant Openings

• Boston: The Boston Business Journal reports Grand Banks Fish House, a new restaurant by Himmel Hospitality, will open in July. The restaurant will be a seafood sister to Grill 23, which is a block away from Grand Banks's location in Back Bay. Grand Banks will occupy space previously occupied by Post 390 at 406 Stuart Street.
• Burlington: Burlington Selectmen approved a liquor license for Common Craft, which will be located in the Burlington Mall. The Daily Times Chronicle reports it will be the Common Craft's first Massachusetts location. In addition to a modern American menu, Common Craft also has a retail wine and beer store. The restaurant is scheduled to open by fall.
• Falmouth: The Cape Cod town will get a new indoor entertainment complex that includes axe throwing, bowling, food and drinks. Timber is slated to open this summer at the former Ryan Amusements bowling alley at 23 Town Hall Place.
• Framingham: A new type of cuisine may soon be available at a former Indian restaurant along Route 9 in Framingham. A local restaurateur has filed paperwork with the Secretary of the Commonwealth to incorporate a company called Torito Framingham LLC at 1656 Worcester Road. That same restaurateur, Ramon Michel, has recently opened Torito Tex-Mex restaurants in Danvers and Worcester.
• Hingham: A seasonal beer garden will open at the Derby Street Shops on June 18. Untold Brewing, which has a brewery in Scituate, will be open Friday through Sunday throughout the summer, according to a press release.
• Worcester: A new Tex-Mex restaurant opened recently at Lincoln Plaza in Worcester, taking over a portion of a building that was previously occupied by a Ruby Tuesday restaurant. The Torito restaurant in Worcester is the second in Massachusetts. The first opened in Danvers in February in a building that was previously occupied by a Chili's.
• Leftovers: The Cantab Lounge in Cambridge may reopen under new ownership...Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville Restaurant is eyeing a Boston location...Malden's Donut Villa Diner is bringing its doughnut cheesburger to a new Central Square location in Cambridge.

Restaurant Closings

• Boston: A South End restaurant that opened in 2010 and was ahead of the decade's poutine trend has closed, according to Boston Restaurant Talk. The owners of The Gallows announced the closing on Instagram. The gastropub's owners also Blackbird Doughnuts, Banyan Bar & Refuge, and Sally's Sandwiches. It's unclear how the closing affects plans for a second location at the Arsenal Yards in Watertown.
• Somerville: A Somerville-based cider company is hanging it up after a decade of business. Bantam Cider is closing its taproom in Union Square and only making its product available in retail stores for a few more months. According to a statement on the company's Instagram page, it would have had to make some concessions to remain in business after weathering the pandemic.

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HBO Series About Julia Child On Location In West Roxbury

Julia, an HBO series about the noted, local chef, was filming on location in West Roxbury last week. The eight-episode, limited series stars Sarah Lancashire as Child and David Hyde Pierce as her husband.

A release date has not been announced.

According to Deadline, the show's pilot was written by Daniel Goldfarb and directed by Charles McDougall and "is inspired by Julia Child’s extraordinary life and her long-running television series, The French Chef, which pioneered the popular cooking-show genre. Through Julia and her singular can-do spirit, the series explores an evolving time in American history: the emergence of public television as a new social institution, feminism and the women’s movement, the nature of celebrity and America’s cultural growth."

Eat fresh: Patch's 2021 Massachusetts Farmers Market Guide

Eat With Your Eyes

More Massachusetts Food News

Pizza on a chickpea crust: Oath Pizza will begin offering crusts made from chickpeas at its locations in Nantucket, Chestnut Hill, Central Square in Cambridge, Fenway in Boston and Davis Square in Somerville. The local chain is partnering with Banza, which also makes pastas from chickpeas for people with gluten allergies.

Half baked? David Yusefzadeh, owner of Plant Jam in Framingham, said the first batch of Cloud Creamery-brand infused ice creams and sorbets has shipped to cannabis retail shops across the state. And it is now available at Caroline's Cannabis in Uxbridge, Buds Goods in Worcester and Abington and Western Front in Chelsea. The ice cream comes in an 8-ounce serving size, and contains 5 mg of THC and will run about $8 or $9 per container.

Quick bites: Dive bars Beacon Hill Pub, The Tam survive pandemic...

That's A Mouthful

"Hiring continues to be the biggest challenge 40 years later. This is maybe the worst I've ever seen it, with such shortages. The federal stimulus and unemployment benefits are hurting abilities to hire enough workers."

• J.P. Licks founder and owner Vincent Petryk in an interview with the Boston Business Journal.

Upcoming Food Events

Thursday, June 10:

• Farmers Markets: Falmouth, Foxborough, Harwich, Melrose, Milton, Stoneham, Tewksbury, Yarmouth

Friday, June 11:

• Greek Food Festival (Arlington)
• Bitty & Beau's hiring fair (Melrose)
• Farmers Markets: Osterville

Saturday, June 12:

• Greek Food Festival (Arlington)
• Urban Foraging for Wild Edibles (Boston)
• Farmers Markets: Andover, Marblehead, Newton, Orleans, Provincetown, Wakefield, Waltham

Sunday, June 13:

• Greek Food Festival (Arlington)
• Farmers Markets: Acton-Boxborough, Canton, Needham, North Andover, Swampscott, Weymouth, Wilmington

Monday, June 14:

• Free Oyster Shucking Class (Cambridge)
• Farmers Markets: Beverly, Billerica, Truro

Tuesday, June 15:

• Salem Hospitality & Food Service Job Fair
• Farmers Markets: Chatham, Lexington, Newton, Sandwich

Wednesday, June 16:

• Farmers Markets: Arlington, Dedham, Brewster, Wellfleet

Mark your calendar for Sunday, June 27: That's the day Blue Barn Outdoor Living will be hosting The Landing. The event runs from 4-8 pm at Chef Will Gilson’s The Herb Lyceum at Gilson’s in Groton. In addition to live music, six local chefs will use their creative culinary (and pitmaster!) chops to prepare signature tasting dishes on the new UFO firepit and cook system by Blue Barn Outdoor Living.

Dave Copeland is Patch's regional editor for Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island and can be reached at dave.copeland@patch.com or by calling 617-433-7851. Follow him on Twitter (@CopeWrites) and Facebook (/copewrites).