A restaurant in Plainfield Illinois is begging its customer base to be patient – very patient. Why? Because although they're trying desperately, they've not been able to find and hire the employees they need to be up to their normal efficiency.
Why the shortage of employees? The owners of the Tap House Grill – Santino and Rick – don't get political in this plea posted on Facebook Monday, but they give a hint of what they're thinking:
"With many people not actively pursuing employment opportunities and not wanting to work at all at this time. our business is having a massive uptick in new customers and with that comes a lot of pressure without having the ability to find qualified applicants or applicants at all at this venture," they write in a post to their customers.
In its entirety:
***Extra! Extra! read all about it***
To all of our loyal patrons, customers and friends. We ask you to remain patient with us as we deal with an abnormal shortage of employees. Our business has been outstanding thanks to all of you but with that comes many challenges in order to satisfy each and every individual that patronize our establishment.
*Please remain patient and understanding that when you are seated, it may take a few more moments for us to get to you.

*Please remain patient and understanding that when you’re waiting on your refill that there is only one server to assist at times while juggling 15 tables at once.
*Please remain patient and understanding that your food may take an extra 15-20minutes longer due to employee cook shortages.
*Please remain patient and understanding that your bartender is also your server at times and working diligently to satisfy everyone at once.
*Please remain patient and understanding that when you call in a to go order and it can’t be ready for an hour and a half because we just do not have the workforce to keep up with the demands and have to take the phone off the hook.
*Please remain patient and understanding that our awesome managers are trying their best to fill the voids to make your experiences exceptional but at no fault of their own as we are trying tirelessly to fill these positions with barely a resume or 2 for months.
*Please be patient and understanding that the troops we do have on the ground are essential to us and we treat them like family. They want to be there to assist you for the right reasons and maybe dealing with personal concerns from time to time that can alter their demeanor. We need them now more than ever, so try not to deter their efforts or treat them poorly as if they are at fault because they forgot your french fries or only gave you an ounce of mayo. There is not one individual to blame for the shortages in employees but ourselves as a nation. The roots of true work ethic and passion for ones' trade work are dwindling day by day and it saddens me to see this. The select few that put in the work each and every day without taking the the easy way out are beyond commendable and deserve to be rewarded for such and will be.
*Please be patient and understanding in the fact that our employees are working double their normal hours and deserve to be treated fairly and with appreciation.
*Please be patient and understanding in the fact that we are in the service industry and are there to provide a service to you. The only service we ask for you to provide in return as a consumer to us can be as simple as a thank you for what we do day in and day out. Restaurants do not move smoothly without coordinated efforts from all involved it’s one of the most complex industries to understand and to operate. Its simply not as easy as it looks from the outside, a lot of sweat and tears go into each day of operation from the cleaning, preparing, filling, making, creating, inventories, ordering, etc…

*We are all human, we all make mistakes, we are not perfect, we do not always have all the right tools nor answers, we are not machines and we tend to break down here and there with pressure and it is to be expected in this business. But what I do know is that we are trying our hardest to be accommodating to all because if it wasn’t for you we would’ve failed miserably and I cannot thank you all enough for that. With many people not actively pursuing employment opportunities and not wanting to work at all at this time our business is having a massive uptick in new customers and with that comes a lot of pressure without having the ability to find qualified applicants or applicants at all at this venture. I kindly ask all of you to understand that we are operating at a full capacity concept with only 40% of the workforce to do it.
We are all in this together both business and customer alike. Just be a bit more patient and understanding before you react on your emotions and voice your opinions as we understand your expectations and are always there to meet them to the best of our ability.
***We could use your help by voicing our need for employees such as cooks, servers, and bartenders for immediate hire based upon experience!***
Again we cannot thank you enough for all of your support during these crazy times and will always look forward in serving you!
Thank You
Santino and Nicki
