Portland Restaurant Closes Abruptly Due To Lack Of Kitchen Staff

A short drive around Portland and its surrounding neighbors and you'll see a common sign continuously popping up. HELP WANTED is seemingly posted everywhere. From gas stations to pharmacies to landscaping companies to restaurants. The hospitality industry in particular has faced innumerable challenges during the pandemic and with restrictions being lifted are now in scramble mode to fill key positions on their staff in order to reopen fully. Some restaurants and bars are having success, others are not. And for one Portland restaurant, the staffing challenge has gotten so severe, they've been forced to close until they can fix it.

Shared on Facebook by Tortilla Flat Portland, the popular Mexican restaurant took to social media to announce their temporary closure due to kitchen staffing issues. The restaurant hopes its temporary but with dozens of other restaurants also on the search for kitchen help, a short closure could turn into something far more significant if staffing challenges persist.

Some have blamed the additional unemployment benefits as the reason many industries are facing a lack of staff. Others believe its a simple case of supply and demand. A high demand for workers in a certain industry should result in better working conditions, higher pay and increased benefits. With many restaurants working on tight margins, those demands may be difficult to meet.

Tortilla Flat has asked people to follow their Facebook page for updated information on when they'll reopen while they continue to work on staffing their kitchen for what should be a busy summer of dining out.